Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1840-12-31
Maine State..NO. |.

have been pretty close observer of the do
ings Of our Legislature ever since we were State
The Convention that formed the Constitution,
and the first Legislature, did their business with
great fidelity and dispatch. Our Constitution was
formed with less expense than any other in the
Union, and know not why it is not as good
Constitution as any in the Union. The Legisla-
ture of 1921 had much labor to perform out of
the usual course of Legislation, order to put
the wheels of the New Government in motion
They made valuation Of the State, D istrict-
ed and apportoned the Senators, Re prese natives
and members of Congress; they revised the
Statute Laws, and necessarily had to make large
amount Of Laws, private and special acts, and re.
solves, and all completed in ninety days. The
second and third Legislatures, did tolerably we'll,
despatchng their business in about forty days.
Since that time there has been much impro vdent
Legislation, the members have seemed to forget
the interest Of the State, for their own interest,
and the interest of their pariy until the people
have become dissatisfied and FESTIVE.
There is evident manifestations for retrench
ment and reform, by bringing about shorter ses-
slons, and Legi,lating no more than the public
good requires and less for individuals and cor.
porations 1t is believed that great reform is
about to take place in Congress, and the General
Government, BY reducing the pay of the members
to what it formerly was, IS per day; and redu-
cling the number of officers and their pay,-and
appointing men to Office who are honest and ca.
pabie.
And does not the affairs Of Maine demand re-
form and retrenchment, A. much as the federal
Government. The State is now more than
million and half in delt; and to what cause
can this deplorable state of things be attributed,
if not to ,mprovident Legislation Five years
ago the new tangled Democracy told the people
that Their" was no longer any necessity for a State
Tax but in about four years after, the State was
found to be in debt five hundred thousand dollars;
yes, in 1885, before Gov Fairfeld's Aroostook
War; the State was about five hundred thousand
dollars in debt, and nothing to pay. The State
lands had been sold to partizan favourtes but the
treasury was none the better. The Land Agent,
Surveyor General and all other agents and attor-
neys were paid out of the Treasury, and notes
taken for the Land, many of which, are now on
hand, and probably considerable portion of them
can never be collected. Stumpage or pine timber
has been sold but nothing gets into the Treasury.
Now what is to be done in order to redeem the
State We must resort to the strictest economy
and the people must be taxed retrenchment and
reform must be the order of the day, and where
shall we begin' The long Sessions of the Legis-
lature is the largest item of our expenses; this
may be reduced one third by shorter sessions
without any Inconvenience to the public. A
writer in the Portland Advertiser suggests the
expediency ofalterng demonstration SO that the
Legislature shall sit only once in two years; and
has made some very appropriate remarks on the
subject. But this proposed alteration, has, to my
mind some very serious objections; LIST, the dan
ger of too frequent alteration Of the Constitution
I'D This is large State and will be advanc ing
in its various aud Important interests, which would
seem to require some sort of annual Guardianship,
and if this agency is taken from the Legis lature
you must give it TO other agents, and the most
probable agent to be selected would be the Gov
ernor and council Now 1t may well be ques-
toned whether we have not already Legislated
too much power into the hands of the Governor
and Council; besides, you are imposing on the
Governor additional Services without increasing
his pay 1t is believed by many that the Constitu-
ton will one day undergo revision; if that
should take place, would consent to dispense
with the Council altogether and give the election
of most of the officers to the people; and the i'm
portant appointments might be concurred in by
the Senate. The annual expense of Council is
or 10000 dollars. There is another consdera.
ton in relation to this biennial Legislation The
Constitution Sroyldes that when the number of
representatives shall arrive to 200, The Legisa-
lure shall put it to the people to say whether the
lumber shall be increased or diminished; that