The Portland daily press., 1889-02-26
REMOVAL OF THE CAPITAL.
Remarks Of Judge CIeaves Before
the Legislative Committee.


Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Com
nitttee:-lt Is often matter of inquiry
among people OF the present generation why
the State government which was in the city
OF Portland was removed to the city of
Augusta. Curiosity prompted me to look
into some OF the circumstances attending the
removal find that in 1922 a resolve was in
PRODUCED into the legislature then in session
In Portland, appointing committee to visit
various towns within the State and to fix
upon some central and suitable place for a
permanent State capital. That committee
reported to the legislature the following year
They visited the towns of Hallowell, of Au-
and OF Portland They reported that if an
interior town was to be selected as site for
capital, Augusta was the most central and
suitable place. The report of the committee
was accepted. and the first Wednesday in
June IN the year 1880 was fixed upon as the
time of the first meeting of the legislature at
Augusta. You will see from the proceedings
OF the legislature that the geographical
position OF Augusta was what caused 1t to
be selected as the seat Of government. Being
near the centre OF the state, and travel then
being BY stage instead of by rail, 1t was a
matter of great Importance to legislators
scattered about in different parts of the State
The reason for the removal of the seat of
government from Portland to Augusta has
entirely passed away. Ia Every obstacle
against removal Of the capital to Portland
has also been removed. Our excellent rail-
road system, the roads traversing almost
every county in the State, makes Portland
today more. accessible than the city Of
disparagement to Augusta or to the city Of
Bangor can say that when you reach the
city of Portland you have got somewhere.
Laughter and applause.] You have reached
the hrst commercial city in the State of
Maine. city of broad streets, city of fine
TasidQnQqc q N fut M hur
city too which has a system of pure water
and an excellent system for fire protection.
In addition to all this, gentlemen Of the COM
mittee, there is in Portland horse railroad
New York. or Philadelphia. or Washington,
carrying you with comfort ana ease and
promptness to every part of the city, passing
the principal places of business and hotels.
In addition to all this, gentlemen, we have In
the city OF Portland hotels certainly the best
IN the State of Maine, and as good as any in
New England, and boarding houses and res
taurants which could accommodate and fur
nish sustenance to a multitude. l would not
say 0 disrespectful word of the city of
Augusta. Many of my most valued friends
reside here, andil have always admired the
skill and diplomacy of her people, / honor
her distinguished citizens. But it Is mat
ter OF history as well as of experience that
the cost of living. in this city during the leg
isiative sessions is far in excess of the cost
OF living In the city of Portland. This.
gentlemen. has been the case for Imore than
half a century. The other day was looking
over the letters of Seba Smith, who was the
author, as you know, of the Major Jack
anJ ha b. Ee..ois wlit1en many years ago,
thot tba " Ststa ~ ~ wy Most foremost men
conied . }aw ira, M I tan. esel produced. 4
and will read them. They are under date
Of Augusta. Jan. 18th, 1882 He says:
:. .The Legislators Ike Augusta considerable wen
Portisnd Tor ivins ncS SO =. p '1on aia v
doilarS and 4 hsif ia Portland for hcsyS wo
pay three and four dollars here. When was IN
Portland used to get board for seven and six
pence week, and here the cheapest could get
BOARD anywheTe was ten and sixpence. The Au-
heye gy, has, week salu about the
ike II nretfv well for hav ,afhn s,;, should
where / board. [Great Laughter1 '.N' u'iiners
To tboso who raod Az 5a;,,,
will rat sond ~ ne hao su uaiy papers TINS
itsalf and sar nro nvs5i History repeats
naonia q "a tha jorisia 49, u 49, o1nlury the
mis- incnnue,;a,aa a,,J III iaee suneIeu from
Is too small civ ai ~ G he t tSe Augusta
great and growing State of Maine Not - on uhv
leaislstors he nromoted hv MI; nie nha oi tne
the tasnaya az nt thoSt. ~ .uis cnange, out
;ited in NV INDIGNANT yo WIN haas aisG De Dene,
State honse T6is han WITH na Az nere an oi9
seats Is = disgrace 70 the State T cSnsaacsed
ieries are unsnited ~ thar fa;r LneSe gal-
n auebteri and tba :. com an aar occupants,
The house are na low WIS and narrov ippns ABOUT
ana nnheaItbv and n Is sh;sr t Jhn.iat "
IarisIators ~ The State mnst hs rai sas We
the seats which uara IL tha s vi oeinLnueu OF
their early davs Itjs an rn nS houses OF
cording 10 the testimony in ,ho 40 y Ac.
he ransired short ~ from two .n9 ~ eane ~ cahnot
dred thousand dollars and mt ~ sree ,,t nIh
and decent shane for The I Ieo,sIo, su,.apls
Maine. s'''a'uio VI
Now the city of Portland oo,,as to.,,,.a
They offer In nresent 10 tho s toes hoIwara,
and costing q Snndred tbonsand 3i' S MHitn
situated upon Bramhall hill one Of the nsns,
beautiful parts of the city and ne St.ta aoSf
might saw. where it oyerlooks the Wh,ta
Mountains on the west and the a t,s , nv,
Ocean on the east, Tn addition 70 this thas,
offer at least one hundred thonssnd Soi ihsy
towards building a new and snitah,a Stats
house. Now am not an arcb;taot nsatT
think that such bnildino as the cst,, bus I
ing of Portland which cost iitt,a Ivy ~ p .1
hundred Thousand doliars is sni ue 9per tnree
snfficient cost for q Stats u h auieaDie ana OF
member the citv hnildin@ n is iaro tou re-
10 contain tho cypran,a lo,,.t s lalee enough
berland connty fhe nrobo aa aUu Oh Cum
snnarior co,rt ,oan, pnd M ~ room the
copntv and ctv and ho,r ta1 r oiLces Oh tne
besntifni halls u OF" add;tinn oNe VI Ine most