The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-02-04
THE BUILDING OF THE STATE HOUSE.
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.l

Cony and others in the penal sum of 500, 900 con-
dtioned to ''pay any and all sums of money, which
shall be necessary beyond the sum of $4,000 ap,
propristed by the Legislature" to complete and
finish the public buildings and grounos at Augusta
according TO the agreement and stipulation in the
same bond, is forfeited to the use of the States
and that the Treasurer of the State be, and he
hereby is, requested forthwith to call on said
obligors for payment.
But said oblgors" did not respond. They
were in difficulties for which they are deserv-
ing OF sympathy so far as they were con-
cerned personally. They had given the bond
after the town Of Augusta had voted to ac-
cede to the conditions imposed by the Legis-
lature, and after the Governor and Council
had rejected bond which the three select
men had signed. Augusta had by their action
prevented any action looking to the removal
of the State House to Portland. 1t would
seem as If the town was in honor bound 10
stand by Cony and the other bondsmen. But
when an article was put into the, warrant
to see If the town would assume and pay the
bond, the good citizens of Augusta, after a
lengthy debate voted ito dismiss the ar
ticle."
The subject then, for some cause. slum-
bered until the Legislature OF 1884 assem-
bled. Then resolve was introduced In the
Senate directing the Attorney General to sue
the bond but the Senate referred the subject
to the next Legislature. The resolve then
went to the House for concurrence, where
Mr.. Vose, the Representative from Augusta
"
ponement instead. North's history says Mr..
Vose gave as his reason for indefinite post
ponement that the State House was COM
pleted for less sum than $4,000, and the
obligors have not been called upon by the
Governor and Council to perform the con-
ditions in the bond; but the State has COM
pleted the work under the direction of its
own agent" The House finally concurred
with the Senate in referring the matter to the
next Legislature, Mr.. .Vose evidently not
pelng able to impress his arguments upon
both branches.
In the next Legislature another argument
was tried. A resolve being introduced In the
Senate to cancel the bond, Mr.. Emmens of
kennebec, said that the resolve of 1881 ''con-
temp.ated that the t0ica Of Augusta should
the authorized signatures of the selectmen
TO the first bond presented could not bind
the town of Augusta to pay an undue share
OF the public taxes" and the bond was re-
jected. The individual bond of Daniel Cony
et dts.,, was then furnished and accepted.
do these individuals" inquired Mr.. EN-
mons, represent the town OF Augusta? Ger
tainly not The bond, then, is not that con-
templated in the resolve" Mr.. Emmons's
argument operated more favorably than had
that of Mr.. vose the year before, and the
Senate passed the resolve IS yeas to nays.
In the house there was more debate. Mr..
Chase, Of Frankfort. even then wanted the
Legislature to 60 to Portland and added an
dHcuuuucHt w budt tH6ct 10 the FtS0lNe. MT.
Vose still represented Augusta, and he OPP
posed the amendment and advocated the re-
solve. He maintained his old position that
no breach OF contract had occurred and adj
duced as other reasons justice and the dig
nifty OF the State" Mr.. Jarvis of Ellsworth
opposed, thinking bond given to the State
should be paid as well as any other bond.
But when the bond was shown him he be-
came convinced that it could not be collect
ed and so withdrew opposition to the resolve
to cancel it, The resolve passed in concur
renee with the Senate by 80 yeas to 66 nays,
Mr.. Chase's amendment being defeated
SO the Legislature freely cancelled the
bond which was intended to hold Augusta to
small contribution towards building the
State House Augustus only contribution
was the land, which at that day could not
have been worth many hundred dollars. That
land was decided Internationally. Even
were there condition Augusta would un-
doubleday waive that should the State wish
to remove its seat of government to Portland
since the State so generously cancelled the
bond of the sixty-one citizens of Augusta.