The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-01-30

tons have trembled in the balance, now in
clning to adverse and anon to favorable deci-
sions. while others have taken deep hold OF
the feelings of the members, eniistihg inc
force Of interest, the adroitness oil strategy
and the pathos of appeal. An order au'ioi-
lying the committee on the State Prison 10
visit that institution, was attacked ior It's
needlessness, and indefinitely postponed; but
subsequently better councils prevailed, the
nostnoning vote was re-considered and the
order passed, so as to place in the hands Oh
the Legislature the legitimate information on
which to base appropriations, and to enable II
to detect abuses, to lop of needless eXpehoi-
lures and to prune the institution, should such
a process be found necessary. The present
Warden is a man of large business experience
who seems to be live man, determined 10
infuse new life aud yigor into the manage
mont of the establishment, and he invites and
welcomes the most careful scrutiny from the
servants of the people. The Legislature, in
INV Judgment, has consulted wise economy
IN authorizing the annual visitation to be made.
Col Stone Of Kennebunk, made brief speech
in the House in favor of such visitation, ana
while he was speaking he had the attention oil
every ear in the House, and his speech eyi-
IDENTIFY produced marked effect. Mr.. VIII
liams. of Augusta, who has ably filed the ex-
ecutivc chair and is capable OF grazing any
position. also made a few remarks, in winch
he suggested that such a visit as proposed
would probably satisfy the members oil the
committee with the wisdom OF letting the
laws (relating to capital punishment remain
as they are He Enthusiastically evinced an OPP
position to reviving the institution of the hal
ter in our civil practice.
Bates College has been before the House
for aid, the Senate having previously passed
the resolve in It's favor. The resolves propose
es to grant to the college a quantity of the
public lands, with a provision that the land
shall be sold In open market after six months
notice in at least three papers of the State,
and that IL the proceeds shall exceed given
sum such excess shall accure to the State and
20 into the Common School fund. 1t was
hopeful sign Of the times to see Universalist
clergyman taking the lead in advocacy of such
generous act in behalf of a college under
the auspices OF an adverse ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Free-Will Bapt;sts. Rev. Mr.. Dillingham;, Of
Wateryille, was earnest in his efforts to Sc
cure the passage Of the. resolves, and was
backed by other members Of the Committee
on Education. The resolves were stopped on
their passage, ordered to be printed, and as
signed for consideration after weeks delay,
but subsequently the delaying vote was re-
considered, and the resolves passed to be en-
crossed by very decided vote. From what
/ can learn think no appropriation for SIM
liar purposes has ever been more worthily be-
slowed.
Resolve in favor OF removal of the seat OF
government TO Portland, after the close of the
present session, was introduced on Wednes-
day, and under the rule laid over twenty-iour
hours before It could have its first reading. 1t
evidently created some alarm in this capital,
and 1t was intimated by the waggish members
that immediate results were seen in an in
creased number and increased activity Of
servants ut the hotels, in warmer fires, in
brighter lights, in blander smiles and in a
more cordial grasp Of the hands of the coun-
try members by the magnates of the city. In
relation TO these matters your correspondent
pleads the most profound ignorance. The
next day the resolve was read, and after an
animated random and cross fire it was as
signed for its second reading to Tuesday Of
next week; meantime no efforts will be spared
by those opposed TO removal, to convince the
country members that Augusta is the holest,
the most attractive, and the most cruelty
abused city on this revolving sphere.
The Standish and Baldwin contested cleo
tlon case was determined as / supposed it
would be, giving the sitting member leave to
vacate his seat in favor of the Union candi-
date, Eliakim Wescott, Esq. All the Union
members of the committee united in the re-
port, said to be very ably drawn, and one of
the Democratic members signed it, disagree
ing only ia relation TO the double vote in
Baldwin-which would not have changed the
result.
The Hollis and WATERFORD case lays over
at the request of Mr.. Bradbury, the Demo-
cratic contestant, for his accommodation, his
business In Court at Saco imperatively de-
mandng his personal attention.
The contested case in the Senate has been
heard, the testimony has all been put in, and
the counsel will make their pleas to-day. Ii
IL no part Of my business TO forestal the ac-
tion oil the committee, though from what
hear Of the testimony have very little doubt
Of the result. Hon. Joseph Baker of this city
appears for Mr.. Stetson, and Smith appears in
his own defense.
A Bangor railroad question engrosses a
good deal Of attention before the committee
having such matters in charge. 1t is that Of
the crossing Of the proposed European and
North American Railway over the Kendus-
keage stream, near the junction of that
stream with the Penobscot. 1t is said TO be
the only possible, or at least feasible, route
through the city from the Maine Central de-
pot; but the measure, though by an almost
unanimous vote it has been approved by both
boards OF the city government, is fiercely
pposed by a few wealthy men who feel that
their property will suffer by the operation.
One Bangor gentleman said to me, in answer
to how the matter was regarded in his sec
tion, that "the people are all one way-in ia
vor Of the road John A. Poor, Esq, is the
principal man to engineer the matter before
the committee, but he is backed by large
body Of people from the "Qaeen City of the
East"