The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-01-24
HOW UGUSTA BECAME THE CAPITAL.
A Leaf from the Records Of the
Legislature OF 1927.
HaIloweII, wateriIIe and Augusta
Contestants for the Honor.
Reasons Then Which Have No
Weight Now.
Special to the Press.i

and TO the point, as follows:
An act fixing the plac. Of the permanent seat OF
gossrnment % ana prescribing where the Legislature
SEC. 1. Be H enacted On the Senate and House
Q Representatives., IN Legislature assembled,
That on and after the first day Of January, which
will be In the year Of our Lord one thousand and
eight hundred and thlrty-twO. the permanent seat
Of Government shall be established at Augusta. In
the County Of kennebec.
SEC. 2-Be u further enacted, That until said
nrst day OF January, eighteen hundred and thirty
hold its sessions at Portland, In the County of
Cumberland, and on and after the first Wednesday
IN January; eighteen hundred and thirty-two. az
SEC. SoBe q Further enacted, That the Cover
nor aud Council, be authorized 70 obtain con
veyance TO the state, Of suitable lot oi land In
said Augusta, on which the Public Building may
be erected, provided the same can be had without
SIC. 4-Be hJilrijaer enacted, That the sum Of
hye hundred dollars be appropriated and placed
cause such lot as may be conveyed 10 the state 70
be improved, fenced and ornamented with forest
trees as the Governor and Council may direct
and resolves inconsistent with the provisions Of
the act, be- and the same are hereby repealed.
This act was approved by Governor Enoch
Lincoln on Feb. oath, 1927.
The history Of the passage Of this act
through the two houses Of that Legislature
which sat in Portland may be gathered in
completely from the journals Of the two
houses which are preserved In the Secretary
of States Office. They are written. not
printed as Is the custom at present, and the
ink is as plain and the ehirogaphy as distinct
as II the lines had been written last year.
OF the members Of lthat Legislature few
| II any are alive now. Some Of them were af-
terwards very well known men. the most
eminent being George Evans, Of Gardiner.
the famous lawyer and statesman. Here at
the beginning Of his career he was prominent
in the discussion of the removal Of the Seat
Of government.
The Senate Of that day was composed as
follows as appears from the Senate Journal:
York-Mark bennett, Moses Sweat, Isaac
Cumberland p. Dunlap, James c.
| Churchill Josiah Dunn. Jr.
| LincOln-JOslah StebD0s, Stephen Parsons.
| Payne Eiweli, Syms Gardiner.
Hancoek-John 5. KimbAh. Joshua W. Hatha-
Kennebec-Joseph southwiek. Ruel Williams,
OxiOrd-John Grover, Reuel washburn.
| PenobscoU-Samuel Bateman.
Washingt0n-John Balkan
Somerset-Samuel Wes.on.
Over the presidency of the Senate there
was a contest In that -ear as In this. Rob
ert p. Dunlap Of Cumberland, Ruel Williams
| Of Kennebec and Mark p. bennett Of York
were candidates. Mr.. Dunlap won by one
vote in the fourth ballot Ebenezer Hutch
inson was elected secretary.
OF the House John Ruggles. Of Thomas
ton was elected Speaker and James L Child
clerk.
The two Houses of the Legislature met In
form substantially similar 10 the form In
which they meet at present; but when the
Governor administered the oath to the legis-
lators. he was attended by the Sheriff of
Cumberland.
Very early In the session an order was In
troduced relating to the erection Of public
buildings, and declaring that the man who
should build them must take his pay In pub
lie land, and that the man who would do the
job for the least land should have the con
tract.
The question Of removal Of the capital
was first formally broaehed on Jan. II, 1927
few days after the Leglslat had assem-
oled. A Kennebec Senator. Mr.. Francis,
presented this order:
Ordered, That Messrs bennett, COT York. aaI
Bateman, (of Penobscotl, with such as may be
Joined oy the House OF kspresentatiyes. De a
| ought 70 be adopted In refele lenes 10 The Seat Of
Government and the accommodation ihs several
| Resolve or otherwise.
The House Immediately concurred and
Messrs Pillsbury, Of Eastport, Farnsworth
of Norridgewock and Bonney, Of Turner
were added by the House.
On January nth Mr.. bennett reported
| resolve and the same was ordered TO lie on
table. OF the nature Of this resolve the
Senate Journal Is silent.
| On January 18th the resolve was taken up
1 n q the "A Nva aazfarF mad
| for consideration, and Messrs Parsons, (0f
| Lincoln) Hathaway (of HancOck) and Wash
burn (of Oxford were given charge Of lt.
On January 23rd the entry Of the Secretary
| Of the Senate Is:
Mr.. Parsons, from the Committee reporred
| r solve respecting the Seal Of Government and
the same was read secon, time and pissed % be
renee.
or this amendment the Journal states
nothing. We can only infer what Il might
| have been.
On the next day. the oath. Wednesday. the
resolve was read one In the House and the
next Tuesday was assigned for the second
reading. A little note BY the Clerk Of the
House at this point shows that the members
wanted TO know about this resolve as 800
the members" On Tuesday the Resolve
came up. and Mr.. Isaac Adams, Of Portland.
moved to strike out all after the word RE
solved" and substitute the words That
/ TOTLlduu, III the COuutl Ol CuMOtlthu1s DC
the place at which the next Legislature shall
meet and hold Its session. The yeas and
| nays were called. Mr.. Adams amendment
| was los. 60 TO 81. Mr.. Adams then moved
that the word thirty which probably Indi-
Gated the year when the removal should be
made, be stricken out and the motion pre-
vailed, but In attempting TO substitute 1910
as the year. he wes defeated. Then Mr..
Nathaniel Mitchell, Of Portland. moved 20
substitute 1885. Here the House adjourned
Tor dinner. After dinner this motion was
| carried 67 TO G6.
Then Mr.. Joshua Carpenter, Of Rowland
moved TO strike out the words Augusta. in
the County Of Kennebee," and insert the
words, Bangor, In the County Of PenOo-
scot"
Here the House adjourned leaving the
issue between Bangor and Augusta pending.
But Bangor does not seem to have rallied
| with Ter wOnted vim. fer when on the rexi
day "wednesday the vote on Mr.. Carpenter
: motion was taken the contest was not even
warm enough TO call for the yeas and nays
or even poll Of the House. AT least the
clerk makes no mention Of such proceedings.
Then Sylvanus Cobb, the Representative
| from Waterville, who was destined 10 play
u somewhat conspicuous part "a these pro
ceedings, moved to substitute Waterytlle for
Augusta, but the motion. on being taken by
yeas and nays was defeated although By the
somewhat narrow vote Of "A 10 "a. This gave
Mr.. Cobb courage to persist IN trying % get
the Capital at Waterville.
1
and lost. and the bill passed to be engrossed,
Yeas SO, Nays 81. Tue yeas were the friends
| Of Augusta; the nays Of Portland. BY
counties It stood as follows;
Yeas. York s; Cumberland l (wIliam Pote Of
| Freeport) Lincoln 20; Hancock .; WashtnuOa
2; kenneDec 2l; Oxford 4; Somerset IL; Penob-
scot z.
Nays. York IA; Cumberland IS; Lincoln 2;
Hancock .; Washington a Oxford 5.
The resolve then went up 20 the Senate.
Augusta having won the preliminary skirm-
ish,
The Resolve reached the Senate on Feb
: ruary LIST, and the friends Of Portland seem
| to have been In the majority. They did not
J | like the change made In the till BY the
House and recommitted IL tO Messrs Parsons.
| Samuel Bateman Of PenObsc0t. and John ,.
, Kimball, Of Hancock. The next day they
reported back the Resolve. The Journal does
| not say whether they amended 10 or not
but the record Of the House shows that the
House sent for the Resolve, on that very day
and with IL they wanted also Two deeds
from Joshua Gage ct ais. 10 the State "
! These deeds were very likely an offer from
Augusta. of land. With the Resolve they
we're, ON coming TO the House, referred to
Messrs Wood, Of Camden, Smith, Of West.
brook, and Pierce. Of Green.
That Committee reported on February 6tb
and the consideration vas assigned fof ~
next day. On that day the vote pareinz ~
| Resolve to be engrOssed was rpFonsi4araa