Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-17

vate and Special Laws of 1888. entitled
| an act to incorporate the Penobscot Rive
Dam and Improvement Company. az
amended by chapter "a. OF the Private
and Special Laws Of 1887. and by chapter
4s2 of the Private and Special Laws OF
| 1859, and by chapter go of the Private
and Special Laws of 1893.
An act to legalze the Incorporation OF
Wales Grange, number 40. Patrons OF
Husbandry.
ton 6. of the Revised Statutes, relating
TO the taxation of estate and property
of religious societies.
ON motion Of Mr.. Merrill of Portland.
this bin was laid on the table pending
its third reading.
An act to provide for filing vacancies
OF trustees.
Private and Special Laws of 1895. relating
to the charter of the Wiscasset Water
An act to amend section II. chapter 4s
of the Revised Statutes relating to clerks
of corporations.
An act to amend section -. chapter 1i3
of the Revised Statutes, relating to du-
ties of municipal officers.
An act TO incorporate the IiEerfHore
Falls Light and Power Company.
ORDERS OF THE DAY.
On motion Of Mr.. Pearl of Bangor. the
votes were re-considered whereby resolve
in favor of the Maine Insane Hospital
was finally passed and passed to be en-
crossed.
On further motion by Mr. Pearl the re-
solve was laid upon the table pending It's
passage TO be eDgrossed.
Resolve in favor of the town of Cutler
On motion Of Mr.. O'Neii of Biddeford:
this resolve was read second time ana
was passed to be engrossed.
Bill relating TO the catching OF smeits
in Damariscotta river.
on motion of Mr.. Aver OF Vassaiboro.
this bill was read second time ana as
signed for tomorrow morning
Reports "a and 'B" of the committee
on towns on bill relating to the division
OF the town of Berwick.
Mr. Goodwin of South Berwick. moved
that report "A be accepted.
Mr. Goodwin OF South Berwick: ! wish
to say a few words of an explanatory
character TO the gentlemen of the Lesis-
lature. that when they vote on this cues
tion they may vote as | well know IL Is
their wish TO vote. intelligenty. Now
this is not a very large matter and
hardly think 1t rises even to the dignity
of a division of a town. Tor this parcel
of land in question contains only about
is N Is acres. on which are located four
dwelling houses and a passenger and
freight depot on the Western Division of
the Boston & Maine Railroad. and this
property is all owned by the b. & NJ.
Il. Il. and it all lies on the south side,
the side nearest to South Berwick viii
lage. of the Il. & NJ. X. r. The first petit
ton in this case that | shall call your
attention TO. comes from the occupants
of these four dwelling houses. They say
and claim that their houses are closely
adjacent to and III fact are a part of that
thickly settled part of South Berwick
known as South Berwick village. and that
all of their social. public and private ties
and associations and business relations
are with the citizens of South Berwick
and none of them, or hardly any of them
are with the inhabitants of Berwick the
village of which is three and a half or
four miles distant with the direct road
leading TO 1t from these houses or depots,
and to go there they are Obliged 10 come
out through the village of South Ber-
wick and then over a hilly and rocky
country road for three or four miles. Now
these people do all of their trading in
South Berwick, they receive their mail
from the South Berwick post office. their
families attend church there and their
children attend the public schools of
South Berwick. the town OF Berwick hav-
ing no schoolhoGse in this immediate vi
cinity. These people only ask that they
may be permitted to vote and pay their
taxes in the town where their whole in
;erests are and where their immediate
neishbors do | think their request fair.
just and right. Now. gentlemen of the
Legislature. TINS is a fair. plain statement
of facts in regard to the position of these
petitioners. and | should fail to make IL |
more plain if | talked to you for a half
hour.
The second petition to which | wish 10
call your attention comes from the citi- |
zens of Berwick, yet from a different part
OF the town. some four or five miles from
this tract of land. and from the village |
of South Berwick. and as near North |
Berwick as South Berwick and knowing |
them as | do to be intelligent men. | |
think they do their marketing and buy |
their goods where they can do it to their |
best financial advantage, whether il be |
South Berwick or North Berwick. and |
cannot see where they are under any OBJ
~,
they might be unduly influenced |
to sign petition giving away a piece of |
their own property. Then why do they |
do ii? Well. perhaps they have a selfish |
motive in it and they believe il cheaper |
and more to their own financial advan-
tage to let small amount of property |
go rather than every two years contri-
butte of their hard-earned dollars to pay
I he expense of bringing two lawyers and
10 or II witnesses down here to the Leg-I
iSlature to make a fight to hold on to this |
small piece of property. Or they may be
governed by higher and better motive
In this case and they may be willing to |
take for their guide the Golden Rule. and
do by others as they would have others
do by them were the circumstances in
the case changed Be this as it may,
gentlemen, the fact remains and stands
before you. today, these citizens, real es-
tate owners and good taxpayers of the
town of Berwick, do petition this honor
able body to let these people go and en-
joy all the rights and advantages of this
life to which their natural situation here
Justly and rightly entities them to.
] have still one more petition to which
wish to call you attention. That is the
petition of the citizens of South Berwick
some 200 names. among which
are all of the present town officers, the
of the shoe factory. the
wooden and cotton mills. officers of our
bank. the traders. and in fact all of the
leading citizens and large taxpayers of
our town. and they respectfully ask tina.
to South Berwick Now. gentlemen whyI
are they here making this demand? At
the first glance you might say it was
Mud grab on their part or. as was init