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351

Mr. Prescott of Kennebec rose in his place and addressed the Senate as follows.

Mr. President: The period of our legislative labors having now drawn to a close, the acceptable duty has devolved upon me to exchange with the Chair, in behalf of the Senate, the courtesies usual on such occasions. Having endeavoured to fulfil the obligations necessarily imposed upon us by the acceptance of a public trust, we are now about to return to our constituents in different sections of the State to share with them in whatever may prove the result of our united efforts to promote the great and primary objects required by the Constitution. In a government like ours, where industry is encouraged and enterprize allowed full scope in the pursuit of its proper object, legislation must of course be varied and extended from time to time, to meet all the exigencies created by such circumstances. And when we take a view of our whole State, with a territory widely extended, possessing inexpressible resources of wealth, and comprising a population of nearly half a million; - a proportional part of which being actively engaged in the various pursuits of Agriculture, Commerce, Manufacture and the mechanic arts, we shall cease to be surprized at the corresponding increase of new and important subjects presented for legislative action; and requiring of its public guardians from year to year, additional to investigation and labor. Amidst such a state of things, it cannot be reasonably apprehended, that all the measures adopted, with a view to advance the public good by any body of men possessed of human passions and frailties, uniformly accomplish all the statutory purposes designed. In this apprehension, however, there is a redeeming consideration