Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-03-23

and the population of the county has moi
increased 1000 since 1850.
The town of Sanford, five miles west of
Alfred, with more than 5000 Inhabitants.
almost as large as Saco, has more than
trebled its population since the January
term OF court was granted to Saco.
About one-half of the lawyers of the
| county live in the northern and western
towns of the county and are better accom-
modated at Alfred than at Saco. Now II
the courts are all changed to Saco, all these
attorneys in the county towns will have
their accommodations sacrificed in order
that the attorneys of Saco and Biddeford
may have all the comfort and convenience.
and the people of the back towns the same.
But the serious thing about the bill is
the matter of abandoning at the lowest
estimate, sfO, 00o to $50, 900 worth of
good, substantial buildings, court house,
fire-proof Offices, and modern JAIL and
putting the county to the expense of new
buildings at an unknown cost and burden
ing the tax payers with this and a large
expense annually of running the courts
and Jail in city.
The Jail was built % years ago at a cost
of $40, 000, and two years ago the county
commissioners laid out $4,000 around the
building, putting in curbing and concrete
walks and lightning rods upon it. If they
had thought of the county seat would be
| removed to Saco, do you suppose for once
they would have made those repairs? The
fire proof wings were built to the court
house in 1853 at cost of s3O 600. and in
1888 the county commissioners laid out
| $4,000 or more on thecourt house, and now
the cities of Saco and Biddeford come M
here and ask the county to throw away
these buildings ard build new ones at
Saco or Biddeford, just to boom their city
and to accommodate them, and to pull
down and ruin the town of Alfred and
the back towns of the county and to i'm
pose large burden upon the farmers, and
they ask this Legislature to refer the mat
ter to the voters of York county, because
the people of York county ask it. Now,
Mr.. Speaker and gentlemen, l will say
not man outside of Saco and Biddeford
was here at the hearing on this matter, or
has been here to ask it. so l say it is Saco
and Biddeford, and not the voters of York
county, that ask to submit this to the
people.
1t was stated in the Biddeford Journal
that Biddeford raised $1,000 to fight this
through the Legislature and they sent men
out with petitions under pay into the
towns in and around Biddeford, and they
drummed up about 1000 names out of
$1,000 voters, and Saco sends six men
down to this Legislature under pay to
lobby it through here. The first that the
people outside of Biddeford knew of this
matter was on the 5th day of February,
n Il; tr, IL
ing its reference to the people, and what
next will the cities Of Biddeford and Saco
ask for. They would like to have all the
grocery stores in the back towns aban-
doned and put the people to the cost of
going to Biddeford to buy their groceries,
just to boom Biddeford, and, Mr. Speaker
and gentlemen, / hope this House will
vote to concur with the Senate and end this
matter, so we can go home friends and
keep this question out of politics.
Mr.. Hurd of North Berwick said he be
lieved that the senators knew the wants
of the people of York county, as well as
the representatives. / know that the
gentleman from Wells is not representing
half of his people. The senators are rep
rescnting the whole OF the people. The
gentleman from SacoitMr. Boothby) says
that this thing will be kept before the peo-
pie of York county until it is carried. If
the gentleman from Saco proposes to make
York county Democratic, it is not my
fault. If he wants to keep that thing be-
fore the county until the county goes
Democratic, it is the fault of Biddeford
and Saco-not ours.
Mr. Wells of Wells said that the last
speaker had stated that he (Wells) did not
represent the sentiment of his constitu-
ents | am aware that one of the towns
which l represent, it is said, is opposed to
this measure They have sent in petit
ton in favor of it. My own town has %
large petition signed by almost every rep
in that town. l want to say
that this is matter in which the Demo-
Gratis in my vicinity would love dearly to
see this matter go into our next election,
and that is one of the reasons why those
gentlemen are opposing it. L maintain
that l represent my constituency in this
it were not so would be found
on the other side without a moment hest
tation. l do not undertake to say that the
citizens of my town or of any other town
are decided as to how they will vote in the
matter, but, they say, submit this cues
ton to the people and let York county
decide We ask no assistance from any
man in the State of Maine outside OF York
to settle our affairs. My friend |
from Van Buren, talks about consistency. |
If any member of this House wishes TO
pursue the course of that gentleman in
being eternally and everlastingly and al |
ways upon the wrong side of the question, |
he can be eminentIy consistent. Cap !
plaue)
The question being ON the motion OF
the gentleman from North Berwick (Mr. |
Hurd) to concur with the Senate in adopt |
ing report B, that legislation on the
matter is inexpedient,
On motion Of Mr.. Boothby of Saco, the
yeas and nays were ordered
YEAs-Abbott, Adams, Bagnall, Bailey of
Bridgton, Bailey of Whiteheld, Barton, Basford, |
Bennett, Bishop, Bixby, Bodge, Boyn- |
ION, Brewer, Briggs, Gates, Chase, Chute, |
Daigle. Dole Fairbanks. harrington, Farrow,
FLOYD, Friend Garner, Gilbert of Canton, Git |
bert of Greene, Grindle, Grose, Haines, Hap |
good, Hill. Hooper, Howe, Hurd Hutchinson, |
Keegap, King, Knowlton, Larrabee
Lawrence of Lubec, Leayitt, Libby of Chester,
Libby of Durham, Littletield, Lombard, Long |
ey, Mahoney, Merrill, Merry, Miller, MIllett,
Moore of Deering, Mouiton, Niles, Packard
Parsons, Plummer, Reynolds, Rich |
Roberts, Robinson, Rowell. Ryer-
son. Sawyer of Millbridge, Smith of Hanover, /
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