Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-16
WILL REDISTRICT.
WaterviIIe to Have Its Ward
Lines Made Over.
Inc Report Of the Special Legislature
Approved by Judge Peters.
The Full Text Of the Decision as Drawn BY
Chief Justice.

Waterville, Jan 15.-(SpeciaD.
following is the full report of Chief JUS
Iaice Peters to the clerk and mayor Of this
city on the question of the new ward lines
drawn by special commission provided
by the Legislature of last winter:
Bangor, Jan. 10. 1896.
To the City Clerk and Mayor of the Citv
OF Warerville
Dear Sirs BY chapter 81 of the Private
Acts Of the Legislature of 1895, it was
provided that commission should be an
pointed by the Governor to readiust the
boundary lines OF the wards of the city of
Waterville. which commission should ex-
Famine into the location, size and popula-
ton of the several wards as they then
| existed, and, il by them deemed expedient
should readjust the boundary lines of said
wards, having reference in their readiust-
ment, if any such be made, to such diyj-
sion of the city into wards as Its present.
number of legal voters and their needs
may require. The act further REQUIRES
that final report of the doinRs of the
commissioners be made to the chief ius-
tice OF the supreme court of the State. on
or before Sept. l, 1895, and that upon his
approval, and not otherwise, the doines of
said commissioners shall become binding
and valid
The commission appointed by the Gov
ernor in pursuance of the terms of the act.
after granting certain public hearings and
giving due notice thereof, agreed upon a
readjustment of the wards of the city. and
made final report of their uoings for my
approval, presenting the same with &C.
companying paper to me IN the same day
in August preceding the first day of
September last.
At hearing before me on the question
whether the report should or not be ap-
proved by me, several objections were pre-
sented by persons demonstrating against
1t.
1t was alleged that the act itself was
obtained from the Legislature BY unfair
means This objectionss easily disposed of
by the fact that | am not empowered by
the act to approve or disproye any doings
of the Legislature, but only the doings of
the commissioners.
Objection was made at the hearing,
though not strongly urged, that the act is
unconstitutional as being special to Water
vile only, out of all the cities in the State.
and depriYipg her of "a power 10 manage
some of her local affairs. think this
proposition untenable.
The objection, however, evidently most
relied upon by the remopstrants. is that,
in their view, the alteration of the ward
lines made by the commissioners will give
the Republican party. i'll the election of
members of the boards Of the city council,
an undue preponderance of power in COM
parison with its proportion of the whole
number of votes usually cast by the two
parties in the entire city
find that the commissioners made the
readjustment after an examination into
the location, size and population of the
several wards as now existing, reference
to such a division of the city into wards
as the present number of voters and their
needs require, And have no reason to
doubt that different result might have
been correctly reached which would be
more favorable to the Democratic party
than this is. But, after much reflection
on the subject, cannot bring myself to
the belief that the Legislature intended to
impose upon me, in my official capacity,
the responsibility of deciding any ques-
ton that involves nothing more than
party politics. There is no evidence to
my mind, In the Legislative act itself, of
any such intention. There is nothing in
dicating that am required to give to any
party hearing although did so, or that
l am empowered to take evidence of any
kind on any question. Much less is there
any indication that | am to institute an
Inquiry to ascertain what political party
may reap the most advantage by the read
lustment.or that shall act upon any such
On the contrary, my opinion is that the
object OF having the doings of the COM
nissloners approved by myself is that any
or illegality may as far as
possible be excluded from the proceedings,
md also that as matter of form it was
to be better that the report
should be regularly accepted by the act of
iome person or tribu nal.
Perceiving no objections to the report
lpon any legal ground and none being
suggested, in coDsonance with my iudg-
nent of the duty conferred upon me, 1
rave approved the report of the commits
ion, and send it with accompanying
,apers to the clerk of the city of Water
lille, that the same be and remain in the
lrchives OF that office for the use and bene-
it Of the city and the public.
Very respectfully,