86 FOREST coaimissione;r's report. 



it could be bought at such a price as this State could afford to 

 pay." 



MAINE BUYS TOWNS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



At this time it was fortunate for Maine that she had John 

 Hubbard for governor. He was a man of remarkable ability, 

 strong in his convictions, with the courage to sustain them, and 

 he had a terse and emphatic way of expressing his thought 

 which made his public utterance of value and which commanded 

 attention. He was at once impressed with the fact that IMaine 

 was being wronged by the manner in which Massachusetts was 

 treating her in connection with the management of the public 

 lands which they owned in common, and he was convinced that 

 the only solution of the matter was for Maine to purchase 

 these lands, if they could be bought for a price which was just 

 and equitable. Governor Hubbard's part in the transactions 

 through which this State finally became possessed of all the 

 public lands has gained for him the title of the land governor. 

 From the fact that he signed the first prohibitory liquor law he 

 is also known as the temperance governor. 



The legislature on April 3d, 1852, passed a resolve which 

 made it the duty of the "governor to lay before the authorities 

 of Massachusetts the grievances of which Maine complains in 

 regard to the management and disposition of the lands, which 

 that state owns in common and severalty in this State." Gov- 

 ernor Hubbard addressed a communication to the Senate and 

 House of Representatives in which he reviewed the entire 

 matter of the joint and equal ownership of Massachusetts and 

 Maine in the public domain from the date of the separation. 

 Governor Hubbard showed that Massachusetts had realized an 

 amount she should not have received consistently with the 

 rights and duties of equal ownership. He showed how this was 

 by the following statement : 



Massachusetts has received in cash from the lands here from 

 1820 to 1852 $2,075,880.04 — in good securities $335,636.55 — 

 besides large grants of lands for her own public uses, approach- 

 ing in value to one million more — making a sum total up to the 

 present time realized by her of $2,411,516 apart from grants. 



"She has paid out during the same period for roads and 

 bridges, for all Improvements of the aforenamed description, 

 $70,676.04. 



