The Portland daily press., 1891-12-16
THEY KISSED PORTLAND.
A Torrent Of Halifax EIOquencc on
The Steamer Question.
BOATS WILL PROBABLY AGAIN
CALL THERE FOR MAILS.

Allan and Dominion Lines Share the Com
pliments with Portland Portland PeO-
pie win Smile when They See the
Great Things Halifax Has Done for
Them-Our Neighbor's Excitement Is
Rather Amusing Anyway.
Especial to the Press.l
HALIFAX, N. s., December 15.-The
public meeting held tonight was the big
gest of the kind ever held in Halifax. The
meeting, as expected, proved stormy and
cheers and Kisses intermingled as each
speaker made his points. At times the
meeting was actually fired with excitement.
The word Portland was Kissed whenever
referred to. w. q. Silver thought 1t
hardly possible that Halifax citizsns should
be coerced into calling a public meeting
for the purpose of demanding a line OF
steamers between England and Halifax.
"For the past 20 years." said he, I'VE have
enjoyed the privilege of regular inter-
course, but now we have been cut off like
the breath of the morning air. We must
demand renewal of the mail service aud
first class one at that. Our freight
also must be handled by ourselves, there
by preventing the holding up OF an Ameri-
can port at our expense"
L. K. Kenney, member OF Parliament,
was received with tremendous applause.
Every Canadian, he said, was interested In
this evenings question because 1t was
natural one. He strongly advocated the
establishment of fast line Of steamer
and did not relish the idea OF steamer
passing this port and landing Canadian
freight and passengers at Port
Iand ua cbaracterizad the Allan serviea
as wholly inadequate to meet the wants
and unjust and inimical to the best interest
of Canada. FL was opposed TO the coz
tract being given 10 the Allans as their SER
vice was q miserable one at It's best. Here
totore we have paid that line big amount
to land the mails here. The great bulk of
the freight was left at Portland and the
idea of building up that town at Canada's
expense should not, under any ciTcum-
stances, be entertained. Letthe Allans go
and let us have line of steamers equal to
| the best New York boats. We want a 20
knot service that will be q boom TO Cana
| da and particularly to Halifax, and act dis
| astrously to Portland and other American
| cities whom Canada is today feeding to
certain extent. We are opposed to making
Portland the commercial port OF Canada.
| [Cheers.]
of fast line. The passengers and mails
must go, and the freight Will follow. We
| don't want o foreign power TO command
| our affairs and build for other cities at our
| expense. The idea Of building up Port
| land should be swept from the minds OF
| every lover of Canada.
The announcement made by j.. +: Stlrs,
| the next speaker, was received with the
| widest enthusiasm. He said he had visit
! ed Ottawa and waited upon the govern
ment, and he received the assurance that
negotiations would be at once entered into
| for the establishment of fast line. When
| he read the following telegram, declaring
that the Allan aud Dominion boats would
| no longer make Portland port Of call. the
| audience howled and cheered.
| OTTAWA, FRIDAY EVENING.
| The Allans have agreed 10 renew their ser
! vice for another year, WI n the option Oh me
| draft of contract has been signed, ana the
| steamers Of the Dominion and Allau lines will
Call hereafter at Halifax instesd OF Portland.
CHARLES II. TUPPER,
Crown Ministers
| DR.. Farrell contended that the people Of
| Halifax had suffered an insult and that the
| government in allowing the steamers TO
| call at Portland, had robbed Halifax OF Its
| rights. 1t was an act of spoliation Loud
| Kissing and cheering. This indignation
meeting." said he, has brought the
/ government to their senses. but tue people
| Of Halifax are to thank themselves for the
| return of the steamers, not the govern
ment The meeting grew extremely warm
| when DIR. Farrell characterized the sup
| porters of the government as annexation
| lists and traitors. Archbishop O'Brion left
| the platform at these remarks, becoming
| quite indignant.
DIR. Welicome, dean of the law school at
| halifax, gave vigorous speech. His re-
marks were directed percipectibly to DR..
| Farrell whom he handled without gloves.
| The Allans, he said. had tried game OF
| bluff on the government refusing TO per-
| form services, unless they received double
| the amount previously given but now they
were glad to return to the old prices.
THE making of Halifax again port of
call probably means the renewal of the old
arrangement, Portland still being the win
ter terminus of the steamer lines.l