The Portland Gazette

SEAT OF GOVERNMENT

It has been asserted that Portland and the towns in its vicinity are influenced in a great measure, on the subject of Separation, by local views and interested motives--be it with some: others we believe, will act from better principles--But it is certainly important that Portland should distinctly understand that it is utterly impossible for her to have the seat of government even for the present--the reasons are conclusive and unanswerable; I ask every man to examine them candidly for himself.

The population of Maine is against it; and it can never be calculated that more than York, Cumberland and one half of Oxford will vote to place the seat of government in Portland. It then becomes important to enquire what is their population and against what must it contend--the Representatives of Maine must decide the question of a seat of government--these will be apportioned according to the number of rateable polls: let us take then the rateable polls of each county and compare the voice of York and Cumberland united against Lincoln, Hancock, Washington, Kennebeck and Somerset, and they will stand thus--

Polls.
York has 9292
Lincoln has 10,093
Cumberland 9577
Kennebeck 7,398
Hancock 6,852
Washington 1,984
18,869
Somerset, 2,611
28,938

leaving a majority against Portland of ten thousand and sixty nine rateable polls. Here is exhibited a statement which any man may examine for himself and draw his own conclusions--in this statement, Oxford is not included as the easterly part of that county is but about twenty miles from Augusta, while they are sixty miles from Portland, and by fixing the seat of government at Augusta the travel of a great part of the western country would be drawn directly through them--Oxford contains 413 rateable polls; and admitting that the whole of that county and one thousand polls from the eastern counties should be added to York and Cumberland, still it would leave a balance four thousand nine hundred and thirty nine rateable polls against Portland. But the fact is otherwise. Portland would not have more than half of Oxford and not all of Cumberland. I say therefore, it is impossible that Portland should be the seat of government when Maine is separated and especially if the county of York should be annexed to New-Hampshire which is now in contemplation.

What then, I would ask, has Portland as seat of government is settled at the eastward town, to expect from separation? When the seat of government is established at the mouth of Penobscot or Kennebeck, when the population shall gather around the central mart of trade shall estab beck, when the population shall gather around the centre of Maine then shall the wealth Portland be shaken by rivalship and sink influence, the high and envious standing the metropolis of Maine, ut for this sily emigration.

She who might claim ruinous project, will look back on the day sep aration & curse its advocates in the bitter hess of despair.