USA > Maine > Aroostook County > New Sweden > Celebration of the decennial anniversary of the founding of New Sweden, Maine, July 23, 1880 > Part 5
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Expelled from their homes a second time by the English, they followed up the St. John to Grand Falls.
British ships cannot sail up these falls, said they, so nearly a hundred years ago they built their cottages along the fertile valley of the upper St. John, some twenty miles north of New Sweden. There to-day dwell thousands of Acadian Frenchi.
Ten years ago, a little company of Swedes sailed forth from the same Seandinavia, whence issued Rollo and his vikings, and settled New Sweden.
So these two branches of Scandinavian stock, separated in the ninth century, are now brought together again after the lapse of a thousand years, and dwell side by side in' the woods of Maine.
Early in March, 1876, some thirty of the first comers in the colony were naturalized by the Supreme Court sitting in Houlton, and on April 6, 1876, New Sweden was legally organized into a plantation. An election was held, and officers chosen the same day. The following were the first officers of the plantation of New Sweden :
NILS OLSSON,
. GABRIEL GABRIELSON, Assessors.
PEHR O. JUHLEN,
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FOUNDING OF NEW SWEDEN.
CARL J. TORNQVIST, Clerk.
TRULS PERSSON, Treas., Collector and Constable. JOHN BORGESON,
JOHN P. JACOBSSON, School Committee.
PETTER PETTERSSON,
In the spring of 1878, the foundations of this, the first church in the colony were laid.
In September, 1878, the Editorial Association of Maine visited the colony. The brethren of the quill penetrated everywhere and interviewed everybody. A meeting was lield in the hall of the capitol, and the editors, without distinction of party or, creed, were outspoken in their praise of the Swedes and the work they had accomplished.
At the September election in 1879, New Sweden cast 80 votes.
Our Swedish colony by no means represents the total Scandinavian immigration to Maine, during the last dec- ade. All over our state may be found Swedes who have been attracted to us, and are still held within our borders by the influence of New Sweden. For this Swedish com- munity, with its Swedish customs, its Swedish church and its Swedish pastor, is looked upon as a home by every Swede in Maine.
Some of our Swedish immigrants who came to us in in- dependent circumstances, purchased improved farms, on which they are now settled, in Presque Isle, Fort Fairfield, Limestone, Maysville and other towns. Many Swedes are at work in the great tanneries of Penobscot and the quar- ries of Piscataquis counties, in the mills and lumber woods of the Penobscot and the Aroostook, and on the farms of Cumberland and York.
A considerable number of the young men are employed
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in the stores and workshops of Portland, Bangor, Houlton, Presque Isle, Fort Fairfield, Caribou and other cities and villages, while the young women furnish needed and valu- able help in our families in all sections of Maine.
Everywhere the Swedes have proved themselves to be intelligent, trustworthy workers, and everywhere they are praised and prized by their employers.
From the day of her founding, to this hour, New Swe- den has continued to grow and thrive. She has never taken a step backward, she has never made a halt in her progress.
The colony of New Sweden soon outgrew the township of that name, and extended over the adjacent portions of the adjoining towns. The colony now occupies the whole of New Sweden plantation, the northerly half of Wood- land and a corner of both Caribou and Perham. But though situated on four townships, the colony is compact, and the territory occupied by it forms one solid block of about 35,000 acres in extent.
The following statistics embrace the entire colony :
MAINE'S SWEDISH COLONY TO-DAY
Has a population of 787 Swedes, divided as follows :
New Sweden plantation, 517
Woodland, - 210
Caribou, :36
Perham, -
24
Total, - 787 - -
More than fifteenfold the little band of pilgrims that entered these woods ten years ago to-day.
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FOUNDING OF NEW SWEDEN.
An increase of 1474 per cent in a single decade. Can this be equalled by any town in New England ?
MARRIAGES, BIRTHS AND DEATHS.
There have occurred 27 marriages, 216 births, and 65 deaths. The births exceed the deaths in the ratio of 3.32 to 1. This alone proves the vigor of the Swedish race and the healthfulness of the climate of northern Maine.
CLEARINGS.
The area of land cleared on each lot in the colony va- ries with the strength, skill and circumstances of the set- tlers, and the length of time since their arrival. The first colonists have of course, larger "felled pieces " on their lots than the later comers; and the few, who were for- tunate enough to bring with them the means of hiring help, have made more rapid progress in clearing their farms of the forest, than the great majority who have been compelled to rely exclusively on the labor of their own hands. Scarcely any of the Swedes, however, have cleared less than 15 acres, most have cleared from 20 to 40 acres, some from 40 to 50, while a few are the happy owners of over 50 acres of cleared land. One farm in the colony, with a clearing of 50 acres, and good buildings thereon, was sold for 82000 to a newly arrived immigrant.
The Swedes have cleared their land in a superior man- ner, all the old soggy logs being unearthed, smaller stumps uprooted, and the larger knolls levelled. In many of the earlier clearing's, the stumps have been entirely removed. and the fields plowed as smoothly as in our oldest settle- ments.
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In the aggregate, these Swedes have cleared and put in- to grass or crops, 4438 acres of land, that one decade ago was covered with a gigantic forest.
BUILDINGS.
The colonists have erected the capitol, this church, 5 school-houses, 3 mills, 163 dwelling-houses and 151 barns ; 324 buildings in all.
ROADS.
They have built 11 miles of excellent turnpike road, and grubbed out and put in passable condition, 313 miles additional, making a total of 42} miles of road built in the settlement.
LIVE STOCK.
The Swedish settlers now own 164 horses. They also possess 92 working oxen, 283 milch cows, and 282 other cattle ; in all 657 head of cattle.
They have 309 sheep and 221 lambs; total, 530-and 175 swine; while the little flock of 4 hens brought in the first year has been so rapidly added to, that the Swedes can reckon up to-day the goodly number of 1920 poultry.
DAIRY.
In 1879, the dairy product of the colony amounted to 13,604 pounds of butter and 2,000 pounds of cheese ; or in other words, 1 ton of cheese and nearly 7 tons of butter.
WOOL.
The colonists clipped 309 fleeces, which weighed 1,393
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pounds. This was largely carded, spun and woven at their own homes, and for their own use.
EGGS.
The egg product of 1879 amounted to 9,715 dozen of eggs.
CROPS.
In 1879, the Swedes cut and cured 982 tons of hay. They harvested 1,364 bushels of wheat, 5,256 bushels of rye, 2,861 bushels of buckwheat and 8,501 bushels of oats ; making a total of 17,982 bushels of grain. They raised also 25,007 bushels of potatoes, besides thousands of bush- els of other roots.
VALUES.
The valuation of all the farms in the Swedish colony is - - -
- - $ 99,350
Value of farming implements and machinery 6.998
Value of live stock 22,485
Total value of Swedish farms, tools and stock, $128,833
The value of the farm product of the entire colony for 1879, was $24,011.
And this was raised where not the worth of a dollar was produced ten years ago.
These figures alone are eloquent. They speak for them- selves. They tell the story of difficulties surmounted, of results accomplished, of work well done. But, my friends, those of you who have never lived in the backwoods, can have no adequate conception of the vast labor and toil un-
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dergone on this spot to create the results I have enumer- ated, and which you see all around you. A settler's first years in the woods are a continual fight, hand to hand with savage nature, for existence. It is pleasant to look out upon these broad fields waving with grain, but do we know, can we calculate, how many blows of the axe, how many drops of sweat have been expended in turning each one of these 4,400 acres of cleared land from forest to farm ?
To-day, New Sweden gives an account of her steward- ship, and shows you the results of ten years' hard work- results achieved by the never flagging industry, the rigid economy, the virtue, faith and hope of our Swedish breth- ren.
To you American visitors-to the State of Maine, these Swedes may proudly say, " Si monumentum requieris, cir- cumspice." New Sweden stands to-day a monument of what can be accomplished on a wilderness township of Maine, by strong arms and brave hearts in the short space of ten years. And all this is but seed well sown, the har- vest is in the future.
The great obstacle to the growth of New Sweden is the fact that the state no longer owns our wild lands. In large part, she has squandered them, and the private own- ers into whose hands they have fallen are, for the most part, rigidly opposed to the settlement of their timber townships. Had the state continued to own its lands, the neighboring townships to the north and west of us would have been settled by Swedes before this, and Aroostook county alone, would to-day, number more than 3,000 Swedes.
But the lands are here ; the colony is here ; the Swedes are coming, and the tide of immigration cannot be turned
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back. The first hard years of this colony's life are now over. The work of the decade has placed New Sweden upon vantage-ground. Henceforward, not only its suc- cess, but its happiness and comfort are assured. The past is secure, the future is plain.
This Swedish colony will go on and accomplish its mis- sion. It will push out into these forests and convert tract after tract of our wilderness, into well tilled farms and thriving villages. It will continue to draw to all sections of our state the best class of immigrants-the countrymen of John Eriksson, and the descendants of the vikings, and the soldiers of Gustavus Adolphus -and through- out the future, it will confer upon Maine those numerous and important advantages, which a steadily growing in- dustrial population is sure to bestow upon a common- wealth.
The oration occupied over two hours in its delivery, yet it was listened to by both Swedes and Americans, with un- abated interest throughout, and frequently interrupted with applause.
At its conclusion, a hymn was sung by the Swedish choir.
Mr. Thomas then said, - It is our good fortune to have with us to-day, one who has achieved renown, both as a scholar and a soldier, the man who occupied the gubernatorial chair of Maine, when this colony was founded, the constant and chivalric friend of this enter- prise from its inception ; one, who in fact, stood by and rocked the cradle of New Sweden, the gallant General Chamberlain.
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The general was warmly greeted as he advanced to the pulpit, and spoke as follows :
ADDRESS OF GEN. JOSHUA L. CHAMBERLAIN.
Members and friends of the colony of New Sweden,-The figure of speech under which it has pleased our friend to introduce me, you must take for pleasantry and not history. I don't know exactly what his meaning is. But surely we may be thankful that so many Swedish cradles have been rocked ; and I almost wonder that my good friend himself has not done something better in that way than he has !
But his figure of speech, however intended, has brought some agreeable and some amusing thoughts to my mind. It may be known to some here, that I happened to be Gov- ernor at the time the enterprise of establishing a Swedish colony in Maine, was brought forward. It is not perhaps any better known, that the measure was not carried through without some opposition.
I cannot justly claim the gentle office of nurse, so gra- ciously apportioned to me. While this enterprise was be- ing matured, I was not sitting in-doors with spectacles and knitting, cradle-rocking; I was outside, taking another kind of "rocks."
Some gentlemen and some papers were pretty soundly abusing me for recommending the measure to the Legisla- ture, whom I now see with pleasure arraying themselves as first and foremost champions of the cause. It puts me in good humor, too, to be thought worthy of this good . company to-day. Some were surprised: " What, are you going with us!" exclaimed one of the honored officials on
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his way to mingle his triumphs with yours, as I joined the party on the train.
I rather thought I was going; for, friends, I was not going to have my rights of citizenship taken away just when yours were being conferred. So I am here with " us."
But, pleasantry aside, whoever may have been nurse or godfather of the enterprise now so happily betokened here, the thought of Swedish immigration to Maine had no novel nor narrow birth. Many thoughtful citizens had long revolved in mind the question why Scandinavian im- migration in America should leap so far beyond the sea- board, and settle down in so distant regions of the coun- try ; `and one of my predecessors in office, a man of pat- riotic and sagacious mind, had brought the subject for- mally to the attention of the state.
But in the eventful years which followed, the matter was passed over, and was well-nigh forgotten. I can only claim to be guardian of the thought. It was at the close of a bloody and costly civil war that this matter engaged my attention. Twenty-five thousand of the strength of our youth that went forth to the country's defence, had perished in the conflict. There were broken ranks all over our state-vacant chairs, desolate homes, neglected fields, wide and rich lands with none to occupy ; many, too, of our native-born people were carried elsewhere by the cur- rents of business and trade. Inducements offered to our own people were insufficient to draw them to these fertile and beautiful lands. The harvest seemed plenteous, but the laborers were few.
In that state of things the thought recurred of bringing here the friends from over sea, who, being of kin, would mingle kindly with us in working and living. We had al-
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ready here, and made welcome, people of the Celtic race, the French and the Irish, to give vivacity and fervor to our social character. Now we thought to bring a people nearer yet of kin.
We have a saying, " Blood is thicker than water." You may have something like it in Swedish. It means, kinship is a strong, natural bond. So we sought our cousins from over sea to fill the place of our sons. The water was not so wide but that the blood should bring us together.
For we are of one blood, friends, and but little removed from each other in traits and temper, though you have kept nearer to the original stock. The same may be said of language. Of our two forms of speech the soul is the same and the features too, if not the flesh. Word answer- ing to word, as the face of a friend. Habits of life and work are alike with us. You have the snows and the forests, the fields and the rivers, the lakes and the sea. What you know well how to do, you can do here. What- ever we do that is well, you can do.
In ideas and sympathies also our minds flow in one stream. You comprehend our principles, your hearts beat toward the same ideal ends, you enter naturally into our institutions, and take hold with us heartily in carrying forward all noble works which it is man's duty and glory on earth to achieve.
Thoughts like these, running on before, drew us to you, and I trust drew you to us.
Happily, and indeed as a singular good omen, we were able to avail ourselves of the rare qualifications and indis- pensable services of my good friend whom you call "Consul Thomas," putting more affection into that word, I know, than it has often borne before,-who had just come
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home from you, full of heart and full of vigor, and who from the first moment until now has given both to this en- terprise now so worthily crowned.
He was a good man to send for you. I don't wonder that you followed him and that you love him. Why, he looks like a Swede ! I leave it to you if he does not. The very breezes that stir the tree-tops of Norrland seem to play across his features as he smiles back upon you now.
I know him for a viking too, sweeping our coast with his foragers and his gleemen. He must be a Scandinavi- an. His honored father beside him here knows more about it than I do-descended, it is easy to see, from I know not what sea-king or king of men !
But another man I must not pass by,-and must even name him, as he is not here,-who you must grant me was a good man to meet you. I mean Mr. Burleigh,-as good an American as Mr. Thomas is Swede,-a man of firm mold, who, when he has set his hand to a thing does not go back till it is done.
And here you are now, settled and firm in your new home ! I rejoice with you in it. You have brought with you what makes home and makes for heaven-these women, honored and blessed in both lands and bringing honor and blessing now to this. You have brought what makes a community and a people strong. With your workers, and of them indeed, you have your pastor, your teacher, your magistrate, your soldier. For I took notice of that too, as I am bound and prone to do. Your young soldiers here, with their leader, who has the born soldier in him, they speak of serious things, of needful things sometimes. God grant we be not called to that lesson too soon again !
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As I speak I eatch sight of those two flags by the en- tranee which the winds now set waving, and in the vista they seem to wreathe and blend together, the Swedish and the American flags, that were never set against each other in mortal strife, and which now bringing here all their rich and stirring historie associations, smile on us with peace and good-will to men.
We welcome your flag, your history and yourselves. It will do us good to take into the life-blood of the Republie something of the spirit of Gustaf Vasa, Gustavus Adol- phus, Charles the XII, and Oxenstjerna and Eriesson, and the sweetness of Tegner and Jenny Lind.
And it will do you good to come here where you ean work out freely your best work and your best thought. Hereafter we are one. All that is ours is yours. All that is open to us of light and liberty and truth, and the tri- umph of right ; all that is noble in duty, and high in station, and great in achievement, is open to you.
Your children and our children shall walk that onward, upward way together, now, henceforth, forever.
And so again I bid you greeting and good-bye.
Gen. Chamberlain's admirable remarks were received with profound attention.
At their elose, the president said,-While Gen. Chamber- lain, in the executive chamber, by his model state papers and efficient action, roeked one side of the cradle of New Sweden, there was another man, who, standing up in the house of representatives, by his eloquent speech, roeked the other side of this Swedish cradle. That man is Col. James M. Stone, of Kennebunk, whom I now introduce to you.
Col. Stone spoke as follows :
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ADDRESS OF COL. JAMES M. STONE, OF KENNEBUNK.
Mr. Chairman,-This decennial celebration, here in the woods of northern Aroostook to-day, vividly recalls to my mind, the inception of this grand enterprise, by the action of the legislature of our state, in the year 1870. It was my friend Mr. Thomas, who has just now so elo- quently addressed us, who first, in a private conversa- tion, called my attention to the subject of Scandinavian immigration into the state; and I well remember the interest which the presentation of that subject awaken- ed in me. It was at a time of great commercial and financial depression. Many of our leading citizens, I well remember, were leaving the state, and turning their faces and footsteps toward the virgin lands of the west. Something I felt should be done, or attempted, if possible, if not to arrest this western movement, at least to counter-balance it; and I promised my friend, as a mem- ber of the house, that I would carefully consider the sub- ject. I knew, too, that this measure had been most earn- estly and ably urged upon the state, by both Gov. Wash- burn and Gen. Chamberlain.
A committee on Scandinavian immigration was appoint- ed by the legislature of that year, of which I had the hon- or to be appointed chairman on the part of the house. The subject was very carefully and fully investigated by that committee, and a bill in favor of the measure reported, which it devolved on me to present and support.
The first thing, sir, for one to do who would satisfy oth- ers by speech, is to convince himself. This I succeeded in doing, and it was for this reason, I suppose, that I satisfied the house.
For without egotism, I think I may claim this much for
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myself. Indeed, I doubt if there were in both branches of the legislature, a dozen members, who were in favor of the measure when it was first presented for discussion. Many of the leading members were, I know, opposed to it. The bill proposed a new policy for the state, in relation to the public lands, if the course hitherto pursued can be called a poliey, that of preserving them for settlement, and of at- tempting to induce immigrants to occupy them. We had been giving these lands away in the past, with a lavish hand, both to individuals and to corporations, and in the year 1864, we had given to a single railroad corporation, 735,943 acres of land, at once, and without discussion or a division of the house-almost territory enough across the · water to constitute a empire.
It was for the interest of private parties and of corpo- rations holding these lands, to preserve them as they were for wood and timber, and thus withhold them from settle- ment ; it was for the interest of the state to open them to immigrants. There was thus opposed in interest to this measure, not only many individuals and corporations hold- ing wood and timber lands in the state, but also, all that class of men who were casting their eager and expectant eyes on what yet remained, as well as the many every- where to be found, slow to learn and believe in anything new.
And yet, sir, so strong were the reasons in favor of this measure, that when the discussion was finished, there were but three votes in the house, I think, in opposition to it. I shall not detain you by attempting to recapitulate the results already accomplished in a single decade. What I saw, nay, much more than what I saw, by the eye of faith. and afar off, is before me in these woods of northern Maine
:
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to-day. I can only say that I am most happy to be pres- ent here, and to participate in these festivities, and to wit- ness and wonder at this developement and this prosperity ; that I reflect with pleasure on the humble part I bore in the inception of this enterprise ; that I most heartily con- gratulate the state, not only on the results already accom- plished, but also, on the larger promise of ampler and more glorious fruitage in the future.
Music by the band followed.
The president said,-There is an honored gentleman pres- ent, whom I would point out to the Swedish lads as an ex- ample of what they may become by courage and industry, one who, by his own strong arm and stout heart has worked his way up from a farmer's boy to the Vice-presidency of this great Republic-the Hon. Hannibal Hamlin.
Mr. Hamlin said :
ADDRESS OF HON. HANNIBAL HAMLIN, UNITED STATES SENATOR.
I have come up here, Mr. Chairman, to testify by my presence the interest I feel, and have always felt, in this colony.
More than two hundred years ago Deane Swift said that he is a public benefactor who makes two blades of grass grow where but one grew before. But what praise shall be awarded to him who enters the unbroken forests and makes fields smile with beauty, creating wealth, which, but for his hands, would never have existed.
Every inhabitant of the state is worth one thousand dollars to the commonwealth in the value of his produc-
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tions, and each of you who are subduing the forest is worth more than that to Maine.
We welcome you, not only as tillers of the soil, but we invite you, as friends and as equals, to a participation with us in our system of government.
Undoubtedly, geographical position and climate have much to do in forming the character of a people. Moun- tainous countries produce heroes ; where the mountains point to heaven, there the lovers of freedom have always dwelt.
The men of Northern Europe are braver and more hardy than those born under the smiling sky of Italy. For a thousand years the Scandinavians have a noble history, and we knew that in the Scandinavian peninsula we should find a people who would more readily assimilate with our institutions than the citizens of sunnier climes.
The countrymen of St. Olaf, Gustavus Adolphus and Charles XII, have much in common with the countrymen of Washington, and we invite you to partake with us of our advantages. We hold out our arms and bid you welcome to the broad acres of our beloved state.
The orator of the day has said you could drop down the whole of Massachusetts and its people into the lap of Aroostook, and you would hear no sign. I would qualify that somewhat. I think that some of those nice Massa- chusetts people, who believe in Immaculate Conception, would grumble at nature, and find fault because they did not have a hand in making the world.
My Swedish countrymen, when I see what has been done by Scandinavian labor up here in this remote cor- ner of my native state, I rejoice to welcome you.
I know, too, if ever a conflict arises here, that the land
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of Charles XII will furnish its descendants for the defence of liberty in the New World.
The eloquent speech of Senator Hamlin was loudly ap- plauded.
The choir then sang " America,"
"My country 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty."
It is the National air of Sweden as well as of the United States. The audience all rose, and Swedes and Ameri- eans, each in their own language, but to the same music, sang their national anthem.
As the sweet volume of sound arose and floated out over the summer fields, one could not but deeply realize that God has made of one blood all nations of the earth.
Capt. Charles A. Boutelle was called upon to speak in behalf of the Press of Maine.
Mr. Boutelle said :
ADDRESS OF CAPTAIN CHARLES A. BOUTELLE, EDITOR OF THE BANGOR WHIG AND COURIER.
Mr. Chairman and friends of New Sweden,-I am very glad to be able to participate with you in this decennial anniversary celebration of the foundation of your col- ony, and have been much impressed by the interesting exercises, and by the evidenees of the intelligence, thrift and progress of this community. As a journalist, it has been my duty to take note of this publie enterprise from its inception, and it has also been a pleasure to offer
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words of encouragement and cheer to those who were seeking to build up happy homes on the virgin soil of our state.
I am glad to see for myself, the success which has been achieved, and to join in welcoming to the fraternity of fel- low-citizenship, so industrious and excellent a people. The state of Maine cannot regret that it invited to our shores these worthy men and women who have made the wilder- ness to blossom, and I congratulate them upon becoming entitled to all the benefits and blessings of the freest and best government on the earth.
Rev. Daniel Stickney, of Presque Isle, was then called upon as the chronicler of New Sweden.
Mr. Stickney facetiously remarked that he never knew Mr. Thomas to make but one mistake, and that was when he called upon him to make a speech. So to save that gentleman from mortification, he would respectfully de- cline to utter a word.
At this point, the president, looking through the open door-way, caught sight of Mr. Barker standing outside, and called his name. Everyone inside the church and out caught up the refrain, and shouted Barker, Barker.
There was no resisting such a tide of invitation, and that gentleman pressed his way through the crowd up the aisle to the pulpit, and said :
ADDRESS OF HON. LEWIS BARKER, OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
I did not mean to speak here. It is not fair for your chairman, Mr. Thomas, to ask me to speak here. My ov-
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