Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-01-06
THE SPEAKERS REMARKS.


By division of matter in making up the
forms of the Daily journal yesterday morn
ing, the speech of Hon. Edwin B. Smith, on
taking the chair as Speaker of the House, was
separated by several items of regular bust
ness. We republish the excellent speech this
morning in fall and in regular order
Gentlemen Of the Houss Of Representatives:
With unaffected diffidence | assume the
duties of the position to which your partially
has called me. That they may be discharged
with any degree of satisfaction to you or me,
or of advantage TO the State, is only possible
through the aid and counsel of the older and
more experienced legislators before me, (es
pecially those who have preceded me here
and the courtesy and forbearance of every
member.
Having carefully considered the compost
ton of the House, | fell that can confident
ly rely upon this needed assistance and kind
ness.
To this desk / can only bring an earnest
desire faithfully to perform the duties it ex
acts; for heretofore my studies and labors in
the law have been mainly devoted to the mar
rover field of applying it to individual cases,
| rather than adapting its general principles to
legislation affecting the whole commonwealth
and all its citizens. My practice has been in
those Courts in whichsare tried causes between
party and party, and not in this highest
General Court" which presides over the
destinies of all.
| One of the early masters OF the subject,
| declares that the Parliamentary Law-the
source of all human laws-eught to he sought
and attained by all, but that il is ignored by
most and known to few. Among the few who
know it | have no claim to be counted: but
in the pursuit of its knowledge l shall be a
willing if not an apt scholar; ready to receive
and grateful for instruction, from any quarter
whence it can be obtained.
The fundamental principle underlying all
our legislation, as | believe, was announced
by that practical statesman who knew so
well how to condense the wisdom of volumes
| into an apothegm; THAT Government is best
| which governs least" Though we come here
| solely as legislators, trust our aim will be to
see how little change, amendment or addition,
the existing laws of the State can be made to
answer the States necessities. 1t is impor-
tant not only to hare good laws, but that they
be universally known and firmly established
Therefore it is wise to acquiesce in that policy
which the people have affirmed, even if we
withhold the full assent of our judgment;
and changes should be cautiously proposed or
| adopted even in those statutes which we deem
| susceptible of Improvement.
This is the 50;h Legislature ofMaine- when
its labors are concluded its records will COM
plete the legislative history of the lst half
century of our existence as State. The
session of the LIST legislature lasted but 20
| days, the I'd was Il days; the Sd, SO days
and the 4th, ~ days. These assemblies had
| all the legislation of the New State to create,
| to harmonic 1t with Constitution but
recently adopted amid the colliding views and
| theories of projectors and Missionaries who
found favorable opportunity to breach their
schemes in the forming of a new State. They
had also to adaptit to the necessities and wishes
of people, differing invery many particulars
| of their pursuits and interests from those of
the State from which we were severed. 1t is
| true our inhabitants were then not half their
present number; but the same laws are nee
essary to protect the lives, persons and prop
erty of one thousand men as one hundred
million. Since 1920, though railroads, tele-
graphs and numerous changes in the modes
| of transacting business have called for some
| new species of legislation, there are few or no
recent changes of the kind that need long oc-
| cupy our attention. The whole legislation of
the State has been carefully revised and con-
densed into one compact volume, now passing
through the press. Therefore it would seem
that very short time would suffice for the
passage of such few additional laws of a
| general character as the necessities of the
| State require; and no general law that is not
imperatively demanded by the highest con-
siderations of justice and necessity ought to
be passed, for every law is an abridgement of
the liberty of the citizen, substituting go far
as it is effective, our will for his.
The population of the State has changed so
little during the last decade, and SO little in
| its location that new apportionment can be
easily made. Therefore everything would
seem to indicate that our duties here may be
quickly, and yet properly, performed. The
people have right to be cheapiy, as well as
icisely, governed. 1t is not the mere expense
of our daily sittings that is saved by an early
adjournment; for it is the universal expert
ence of all persons observant of legislative
assemblies that ppropriations-not such as
are indispensable to the conduct of the gov
ernment nor for the attainment of those OBJ
jects for which it is instituted, which would be
rejected by large majority on the 25th day
of the session pass almost unchallenged on
the 10Th.
Gen lemen, am OF those who believe that
wise and judicious economy, equally re-
moved from parsimony upon the one hand and
extravaganza upon the other, is among the
| highest virtues of legislator; and l think
the people of this State lin view of the neces
sarily heavy public burden, so cheerfully
borne) 'fghJuHy expect of us economy in
great things, economy in little things, econo-
my in all things. Only ms we fulfil this
y !, a hall