USA > Maine > The history of the state of Maine; from its first discovery, A. D. 1602, to the separation, A. D. 1820, inclusive, Vol. II > Part 63
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Some acts in Governor Gore's ad- ministra- tion.
This unhappy affair produced the enactment of a statute, which made it a high crime for any person to disguise himself in the likeness of an Indian or otherwise, with intent to molest a sheriff or surveyor in the discharge of his duty ; and in Gov. Gore's ad- ministration, t the militia law was revised .- Of statutes passed upon other subjects, in 1809, one directed towns to introduce and practice vaccination, at the corporate charge, as a means of pre- servation against a deadly pestilence ; and another, for a still more benevolent purpose, incorporated the BIBLE SOCIETY OF MAINE. In 1810, and the year succeeding, ELBRIDGE GERRY was elected Governor over Mr. Gore by handsome majorities; and WILLIAM GRAY was chosen Lieutenant-Governor, the present year, over Gen. Cobb, and the next year over William Phillips. In the House, the Democrats had the ascendency, but in the Senate it was with the Federalists.
A. D. 1810.
E. Gerry elected Gov. and Wm. Gray, Lt. Governor.
In his speech, the Governor spoke of union as the soul of our independence ; and in respect to the gigantic powers, England and France, he said, they were contending for paramount domin- ion ; while " the United States, ever careful to offend neither, " have with uniform solicitude cultivated the friendship of each," and ' observed in good faith, the soundest maxims and rules for ' preserving an impartial neutrality. Yet a jealous phrenzy in- 'stantly seizes them both, if either merely suspects a disposition 'on our part, to favor the other ; and nothing short of destruction ' awaits us from the one that takes affront.'
These embarrassments, which were so oppressive to our com-
* See the printed trial, by John Merrick, Esq. 186 pages.
t The manner of packing pickled fish was also improved this year.
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CHAP. XXIV.]
merce and navigation, had quite a different effect upon different clas- A. D. 1810. ses and interests of our eastern citizens. For though they involved Advance- our seamen, our seaports, and our trade, in deep perplexities, they agricultural ments in were promotive of settlements in the interior, and of agricultural population enterprize, enterprize every where. Checked as men were in their mari- and wealth. time pursuits, their only alternative was the culture of the earth, and a resort to the mechanic arts. There had been, within the last ten years, a great increase of population in Maine, amount- ing, by the Census taken lately, to 228,687 ; while her progress in Census. wealth was such that her exports this year, were $803,619, and Exports. the aggregate of her shipping, though it had deteriorated, was Tonnage. 141,057 tons. It ought also to be remembered, that large quan- tities of lumber, fuel, lime, and fish, were transported coastwise from Maine to Boston, and other places, not included in the pre- ceding statement, which amounted probably to much more than the exports entered at the custom-houses.
There was, however, only one town incorporated in 1810 ; and Elliot. this was ELLIOT, * March 1, which was taken from Kittery. But in A. D. 1811. 1811, the number incorporated was nine, namely, EXETER, f Nine new
* Eliot, or Elliot (179th town,) was first called Sturgeon Creek. In June, 1713, Kittery was divided into two parishes ; the north, or second one was about that Creek, now Eliot .- 8 Mass. Rec. p. 288, 323. " The first set- tlers residing thereabouts, began the plantation where Berwick now is. These were the Frosts, Heards, Shapleighs and Chadbournes. The ancestor of the Chadbournes came over on the invitation of Gorges and Mason."-Sullivan, p. 246. Their agent, Walter Neal, made grants (in Eliot) as early as 1632 ; and the first settlement was a few years earlier. At Sturgeon Creek, a church was organized in June, 1721; and Oct. 25th the next year, Rev. John Rogers was ordained, and continued a minister there 52 years. June 29, 1768, 5 years before his death, he received Rev. Alpheus Spring as a colleague, who died in June, 1791. Rev. Samuel Chandler was settled in 1792 .- Greenleaf's Eccl. Sketches.
t Exeter, (180th town,) No. 3, in the 4th Range, was granted March 11, 1793, to Marblehead Academy, and sold to Benjamin Joy, and others ; for whom Doct. Blasdell, of Dixmont, promoted settlements ; and hence it was originally called Blasdeltown. The first settler was Lemuel Tozier, who removed into the township in 1801. Exeter was a name chosen by some of the inhabitants, who removed thither from Exeter, N. H .- MS. Letter of John Chamberlain, Esq.
VOL. II. 78
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THE HISTORY
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A. D. 1811. CHARLESTON,* and GARLAND, t the 16th, ROBBINSTON,t the towns incor- 18th, EDDINGTON, § the 22d, and WASHINGTON, | [ first Put- porated.
nam,] the 27th of February ; also, CORINTH, TT CARMEL, ** and LUBEC, tt the 21st of June.
* Charleston, (181st town,) first New Charleston, was granted July 14, 1802, by the State to John Lowell, being 6 miles square, called No. 2, Range 5. The earliest settlement was begun in 1795, under the auspices of Charles Vaughan. The first settled minister was Elder Henry Hale, ordained in February, 1811, being of the Calvinist baptist denomination. -MS. Letter of D. Wilkins, Esq.
t Garland, (182d town,) was granted June 2, 1798 to Williams' College, [No. 3, 5th Range.] It was settled in 1802, by Joseph Garland, for whom the town was named, and by Isaac Wheeler, and Josiah Bartlett. Hon. Levi Lincoln was one of the purchasing proprietors ; and hence, the plan- tation was called Lincolntown. The lots were surveyed in 1805, by A. Strong. A church was first gathered here by Rev. John Sawyer. Post- Office established in 1818 .- MS. Let. of Abner Sanborn.
# Robbinston, (183d town,) was granted by the State, Oct. 21, 1786, to Edward H. Robbins, and Nathaniel J. Robbins, for whom the town was named. It contains 17,800 acres. Two families, prior to the grant, had located themselves within the township. After the purchase, the proprie- tors immediately built a store-house, and increased the settlement. Rob- binston lies on the west side of the Schoodic waters, opposite to St. An- drews, the principal town in Charlotte county, N. Brunswick. A meet- ing-house was built in town, in 1817; and in 1820, the town contained about 60 families. Rev. Daniel Lovejoy was settled by the congregation- alists, Sept. 9, 1818. A Post-Office was established here in 1796, and the first mail came through in Sept. of that year .- MS. Let. of Hon. John Balkam.
§ Eddington, (184th town,) is situated on the Penobscot at the head of the tide, and was so named, in compliment to Col. Jonathan Eddy. In consideration of services and sufferings by him and 19 others, who fled from Nova Scotia in the Revolution, (1776,) the General Court, June 14, 1785, granted them 9,000 acres. By the terms of the grant, each was to erect a dwellinghouse within two years on his lot, and the place immedi- ately settled .- See ante, 1776, and 1785 and 6.
| Washington, or Putnam, (185th town,) lies north of Jefferson, partly in the Plymouth and partly in the Waldo Patent.
T Corinth, (186th town,) of 23,040 acres, was granted or sold by the State to John Peck, Dec. 9, 1794. It was settled about 1802. At first, it was called Ohio.
** Carmel, (187th town,) was sold by the State, March 2d, 1795, to Mar- tin Kinsley.
tt Lubec, (188th town,) was settled about 1780. The town embraces Dud- ley, Frederic, Mark and Rogers' Islands. Its name was derived from Lu- bec in Germany. The town was taken from Eastport .- (See this town, 1798.)-The village is on the peninsula, opposite Campo Bello. Between
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CHAP. XXIV.]
In the organization of the State-Government this year, there A. D. 1811. was found to be in each of the branches, a decided Democratic The Gover- or Republican majority. As it had been known for some years, both Houses nor and democratic. that the public strongly desired and expected improvements made, in several statute regulations; the more important sub- jects were without delay, taken under consideration by the Leg- islature ; and no less than eight memorable acts were passed during the first session. 1. The Religious Freedom bill, as it Religious was called, gave to unincorporated religious societies, the same law. freedom rights, powers and privileges, with those made corporate by law. Previously, every town, if it were not divided by legislative acts into parishes, was itself possessed of power to raise money for parochial purposes, and assess it upon all those who did not be- long to a corporate parish ; they having the right, merely to draw the same from the treasury, if they wished, and apply it towards supporting some minister of their own denomination. 2. The Governor and Council were empowered to appoint a Clerks of Clerk of the Judicial Courts in each county, to hold his office Courts ap- pointed by during their pleasure ; who was allowed to retain $1,200 for his the Execu- tive. services, and required to pay over to the county-treasurer, one half of the excess. The Courts, being previously vested with the appointing power, sometimes it was said, conferred the office upon their favorites, who were not removed, though they were remiss, or unqualified ; and there were besides, several Clerks, who were receiving emoluments altogether disproportionate to their labor and responsibility. 3. The office of County-Attor- of County- The office ney was revived ; and the Executive directed to commission vived. one for each county, as provided by a statute in the adminis- Circuit tration of Governor Sullivan .* 4. Circuit Courts of Common Common Courts of Pleas, were established throughout the Commonwealth ; of which lished.
Attorney re-
Pleas estab-
1815 and 20, 60 houses and a meeting-house, were erected here .- Its rapid growth was owing to the capture of Eastport by the British. Here is a great trade in plaster. A Post-Office was established here in 1795 .- MS. Let. of H. G. Balch, Esq.
* See ante, A. D. 1807 .- The County-Attorneys under Mr. Sullivan's and Mr. Gerry's administration were these,-in York County, Dudley Hubbard, William P. Preble; Cumberland, Daniel W. Lincoln, James W. Ripley ; Lincoln, Benjamin Ames, Erastus Foote; Oxford, Judah Dana, Albion K. Parris ; Kennebeck, Eleazer W. Ripley, E. T. Warren ; Hancock, W. D. Williamson ; Washington, Jonathan D. Weston, Sher- man Leland.
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THE HISTORY
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A. D. 1811. there were three in the District of Maine ;- York, Cumberland and Oxford, forming the first eastern Circuit ;- Lincoln, Ken- nebeck and Somerset, the second ;- Hancock and Washington, the third. In each circuit, the executive was directed to com- mission three Judges," who were to receive the fees of Court in each county, and possess the same jurisdiction, which the Sheriff's term and County Treasurer's County Court Judges had before exercised. 5. The term for which the Sheriff's were to hold their office, was limited to five 5 years. years ; after which, without a new appointment, they were out of office. 6. No man was allowed to hold the office of county- Courts of Sessions es- tablished. treasurer, more than five years in succession. 7. The Courts of Sessions were re-established, and the same jurisdiction given A State them, which they before possessed, 8. A State Bank was in- Bank estab- corporated, it being alleged, that hitherto banking had been lished.
a Federal monopoly.
Propriety of measures.
These important reforms, though generally viewed by the Fed- eralists as innovations upon ancient usages, for the purpose of affording patronage to the party in power, were nevertheless im- provements which the community demanded, There is a march of mind in correctness of thought and maturity of judgment, in the estimation of rights, the views of political independence, and knowledge of the public good, which require correspondent improvements in measures. More freedom was demanded in the enjoyment of a free religion ; more ability and legal learning upon the benches of justice ; a more equitable gradation of re- wards for official services ; and a reasonable limitation of such offices as partook essentially of an executive or a pecuniary char- acter,
The per- the times by party- spirit, But the administration of Governor Gerry had its allotment in plexities of portentous times ; and the present was a political year, as dark aggravated and distressing to our eastern citizens, as to those of any State in the Union. Our commercial perplexities were not only continu- ed-they were aggravated by the sharpness and even malevo- lence of party spirit. The perpetual trade and intercourse be- tween the eastern people and Boston, afforded the Federalists of
* The Judges in the first eastern Circuit, were Benjamin Green, Judah Dana, and William Widgery ;- in the second, Nathan Weston, jr. Ben- jamin Ames, and Judah Mclellan ;- in the third, William Crosby, Mar- tin Kinsley, and James Campbell. The first, named in each Circuit, was Chief Justice .- Dana, Mclellan and Crosby, were of Federal politics,
CHAP. XXIV.]
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621
that and other places, the greatest facilities of communication A. D. 1811. with our sea-ports, and enabled them by means of town meetings, ' assemblages,' and publications, to inflame and direct the fury of party against the policy of the state and national administrations ; -in a manner too, which did evidently encourage and em- bolden British aggression. In a late speech to the Legislature, The Gover- the Governor took notice of these extravagant transactions, ment. nor's state- stating that by the act of Congress, May 1, 1810, every British and French armed vessel, without distinction, was interdicted our harbors and waters ; which act, he added, would have ceased to operate against either nation, that should, before the 3d of March last, have revoked its obnoxious edicts, but be enforced against the other,-with the act likewise of March 1, 1809, which had suspended the commercial intercourse between the United States and those Powers : That the edicts of France, as announced by the Emperor, had ceased to have effect upon us on the 1st of November, 1810 : That the President, the next day, did, by proclamation discontinue the restrictions of that act, so far as it related to France ; and yet Great Britain, had, after a lapse of four subsequent months, neglected or refused to take a similar step :- wherefore our government, by act of 2d of last March, (1811,) as bound in honor, duty and express stipulation, deter- mined to carry the interdicting act into effect towards the British nation ;- and this, (subjoins Mr. Gerry,) is the statute which the Federal as- " assemblage" have declared unjust, oppressive and tyrannical," semblage in -and one of the laws, " which if persisted in must and will be Boston. resisted."
By this time, news was flying through the country, of a ren- Skirmish counter, May 16th, about thirty leagues eastward of the Chesa- peak, between the British sloop of war, the Little Belt, and the and the American ship President. The action was between 8 and 9 in the evening, and lasted a full half hour; in which the Little Belt, said to have been the aggressor, and to have fired first, lost 10 or 11 men and had as many more wounded, Dismantled, she steered off to Halifax, and her Captain complained of the transaction to the ministry, as an outrage upon the British flag. But Commodore Rogers, our commander, was considered nowise blameworthy by the American government ; while the Demo- cratic newspapers exulted in his success. The Federalists spec- ulated upon the affair, and flouted the administration ; continually
between the Little Belt
President.
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THE HISTORY
[VOL. II.
A. D. 1811. charging their political adversaries with partialities for the French, and not denying theirs for the British.
Two new military Di- visions formed in Maine
So much were men supposed to be influenced or guided by party motives, that all public acts of a general nature, both in the State and Nation, were treated by the minority with reprehen- sion. Even two new Divisions of the Militia, formed this year in Maine, and numbered the 12th and 13th of the Common- wealth, and the 5th and 6th of this District, was viewed by the Federalists as a party measure ; James Merrill of Falmouth and Levi Hubbard of Paris, both gentlemen of 'Democratic politics,' being chosen the Major-Generals.
Ten State Senators al- lowed to Maine. Subsequent to the late census, a State valuation had been taken ;* and hence there was a new distribution of Senators to the different parts of the Commonwealth. The number assigned to Maine was ten ; namely, to York, two; Cumberland and Ox- ford, three ; Lincoln, Hancock and Washington, three ; and Kennebeck and Somerset, two. In classing towns, or districting the State for the election of them, the Federalists, with no incon- siderable reason and propriety, animadverted severely upon the classification, because it was formed with a design to favor the election of Democratic Senators. They especially treated the division of Essex County with great ridicule and derision ; draw- ing a caricature of one territorial district, and forging for it the ludicrous name of " Gerrymander." There had been also, since the late census, a new apportionment of Representatives to Con- A'lso seven gress, among the States. By this, seven were allowed to Maine, tivesto Con- which was of course formed into as many districts for the pur- Representa- gress.
pose of electing them.t
Representa- tives to the General Court paid out of the State Treas- ury,
Immemorially hitlerto, the daily pay of the Representatives to the General Court for their attendance, had been remunerated to them by the towns sending them ; but as the General Court leg- islated for the whole State, it was thought to be more consistent
* But it was not fully completed with the revision, till 1814 .- Vide Re- solves of that year.
t The Ist Congressional District embraced most of York county ; 2d, most of Cumberland ; 3d, parts of Cumberland and Lincoln counties ; 4th, Lincoln, principally ; 5th, Hancock and Washington ; 6th, Kennebeck County ; 7th, Oxford .- The members elected were, 1, Cyrus King ; 2, George Bradbury ; 3, Samuel Davis ; 4, Abiel Wood; 5, John Wilson ; 6, James Parker ; and 7, Levi Hubbard.
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CHAP. XXIV.]
with the principles of justice and equity, to pay them for their A. D. 1811. attendance as well as travel, out of the public treasury ; and con- sequently an act was passed to that effect. The Federalists charged this upon their opponents as a piece of selfish policy ; designed to draw from the country and the smaller towns, which were more generally Democratic, a fuller representation, and thus secure a majority in the House.
At length, in consequence of the pressing memorials from the Commis- inhabitants of Bristol, Edgecomb, Nobleborough, Newcastle and the subject of land-titles in Lincoln
sioners on Boothbay, there were appointed by the Governor and Council, under Resolve of Feb. 27, 1811, three Commissioners, PEREZ County. MORTON, JONATHAN SMITH, JUN. and THOMAS B. ADAMS, to go into the County of Lincoln and investigate thoroughly, "the nature, causes and state of the difficulties," which had so long agitated the possessors and claimants of the lands lying between the Sheepscot and Muscongus rivers, and extending from the sea- coast back to Jefferson inclusive. They met the parties and dis- putants, May 1, (1811,) at the Court-house in Wiscasset, and subsequently held meetings in Newcastle, Bristol and Noblebo- rough ; where they viewed the ruins of ancient settlements, heard witnesses and examined all the deeds and documents ad- duced, and on the 20th of May, they made a detailed report of facts to the Legislature. In this, they presented distinctly the grounds and supports of the " Drowne Claim," founded on the patent of the Plymouth Council, Feb. 20, 1631, to Elbridge and Aldsworth ; the " Tappan Right," derived from Indian deeds of 1661-2, and 1674; the " Brown Right," traced from an- other Indian deed of 1625 ; and the Grant to the Duke of York in 1664 ;- stating that the Drowne Claim covered all the town of Bristol, and parts of Newcastle and Nobleborough ; that the Tappan Right and Brown Right as claimed, each covers the most of Bristol, and all of Nobleborough and Jefferson, also the lands granted to Lincoln Academy ; and that the Tappan and Drowne Claims partly interfere with each other ;- but that no part of the lands within the towns of Edgecomb and Booth- bay fell within the lines of either of the three claims, Boothbay being settled about 1730, under a grant to Denny and Mc Cobb, by Colonel Dunbar. It also appeared that " the Plymouth Com- pany made conveyances of lots situate in the towns mentioned," which they had claimed.
Accompanying this Report was a proposal, executed May 10,
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A. D. 1811. (1811)* by the agents of the several Rights and Claims, to sub- Ageneral mit the whole subject-matter to the determination of three Com- reference. missioners, to be designated by the Executive of the State .- To this the government agreed, and appointed JEREMIAH SMITH, of Exeter (N. H.) WILLIAM H. WOODARD of Hanover, (N. H.) and DAVID HOWELL of Providence, three learned and able law- yers, who were clothed with ample authority to decide in law and equity, what were the rights, (if any) the non-resident claimants had to that section of the country.+ On the 26th of January, 1813, the Commissioners awarded to the proprietors of the Plymouth Patent or Kennebeck Purchase, as an equivalent for lands of theirs within the disputed territory, " a tract of six miles The Report, square ;"-and to the proprietors under the Drowne Right, a half township of 11,520 acres, to be chosen in each case from the public unlocated Jands in Maine, with the usual reservations to public uses ; and they further advised the Legislature to grant a half township to the heirs of the late William Vaughan, in con- sideration of services performed and monies expended, and not in virtue of the Brown Right claimed ;- subjoining, that none other had " either in law or equity any title to any lands under their respective claims," within " the towns of Bristol, Edge- comb, Newcastle, Nobleborough, Waldoborough, Jefferson,į or Boothbay. All the proprietary claimants executed deeds of release, and delivered them the day before the award was dated ; by which they extinguished all further pretexts of right within Settlement. the towns mentioned. The State then granted a half township to Vaughan's heirs, and made the other assignments conformably to the award.§
Lots con- voyed to the zettlers or
To complete the settlement of these long and most unhappy controversies, and administer peace and rest to the inhabitants, the General Court, Feb. 25, 1813, ordered that the representa-
* See Pamphlet, 1811, 183 pages,-containing Commissioners' Report and Documents ;- also Report condensed,-Resolves, June 20, 1811, p. 219, 238.
t Ibid. p. 239, 41 ; and the Attorney-General was required to attend the Commissioners on behalf of the Commonwealth's claims .- See the submis- sion in form, under 40 signatures and seals, Nov. 8, 1811 .- Resolves, p. 193-5.
# The half township granted to Lincoln Academy, is part of the town of Jefferson.
§ See Report ; Resolves, 1813, p. 182, 197 .- The number of Releases were 52. The money paid the referees for their services, exceeded $3,000.
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tive of every man who had settled in these towns before January A. D. 1812. 1, 1789, should be quieted on 200 acres, for five dollars ; and their repre- all others on paying 30 cents per acre, whose lots were in no in- sentatives. stance to be larger than those of the former class. The agents appointed to execute the deeds, were Benjamin Orr and Jere- miah Bailey.
The whole number of votes for Governor, in 1812, was Governor 104,156 ; of which Mr. Strong had 52,696, and was elected elected.
Strong re- the eighth time, by a small majority over Mr. Gerry. To the House there were returned 745 members ; 214 of whom were from Maine. There was a majority of Federalists in this branch, and of Democrats in the Senate :- Consequently the Council were of Federal politics.
The Governor in his speech to the General Court, deprecated His speech. with much good sense the warmth and acumen of party,-the animosities it awakened-and the attacks made upon reputation and motives-because of a difference only in judgment ; adding -" such offensive imputations are injurious to the peace of the State, and threaten its prosperity ; for if party abuse should be- come general and indiscriminate, we shall lose one of the most powerful motives to meritorious conduct. The virtuous and vicious will be placed in the same light, and men of unblemished character will wish to have as little concern in public affairs as possible, that they may preserve their reputation."
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