Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-01-20

ments, but there are many others when
would be condemned on a deliberate exami-
nation of the subject. The requirements as
to the passage of bills would make the life of
a member scarcely endurable. They would
lengthen out the session without accomplish
ing the object desired. Carless legislation is
a great evil, and corrupt legislation is another
and a greater The mistake is in the expec-
tation that laws of the kind proposed viii
the New York legislature, where provision
precisely similar although not in the same
words has been i'll operation twenty odd
years, is exactly in point. So, too, of the
provisions regarding local laws as to the in
corporation, division and annexation Of cities,
towns and villages. Mr.. Morris, the author
of the amendments, would find it difficult to
frame any general law that would be applica-
BILE to the Arson and North Arson town
division case, the Frankfort and Winterport,
the Auburn and Danville cases, or even the
matter which occupied so largely the atten-
ton of the last legislature and comes again
before the present legislature, the Westbook
divisional quarrel among Mr.. Morriss own
constituents. The policy of these resolu-
tons would have postponed the building OF
the European and North American railway
for years or for ever; it would have rendered
impossible the aid given by Augusta for the
Improvements of its water-power. The re-
quirements that all charters shall be by gen.
eral law is, in the main, wise one perhaps;
but it is by no means difficult to conceive of
circumstances where the absolute prohibition
on special charters would be inconvenient
and injurious. There. are many clauses of
the sections relating to railroads that are
open to very serious criticism. Maine is not
a rich State, and large part of the capital to
build its railroads must come from other To-
calities, Up to the present time, we believe,
every railroad which lies wholly or chiefly in
the State has its principal Office in Maine and
has majority of its directors residents and
citizens of the State. But a requirement
that this state of things shall continue-that
road built with foreign capital shall be man.
aged by minority of stockholders, although
the majority may be owned outside the
State-will be prohibition on the investment
of foreign capital in Maine railroads. The
time has not come anywhere for declaring
railroads open to any one in the same sense
as public roads are open to all. 1t is yet
more remote in Maine, where the railroad.
system is less developed than in any other
State east Oft the Mississippi. The same re-
marks apply to the positive injunction to pass
laws establishing maximum rates,
Governor Perham has proposed change
in the constitution of Maine, to establish the
biennial instead of the annual system. Thee
recommendation is by no means a new one.
1t was almost carried in the legislature eight
or ten years ago, under the leadership of the
present mayor of Bangor. There are other
propositions for changes, so extensive as to
excite some discussion whether convention
might not be called to consider the question
by itself and propose series of amendments
or wholly new instrument. We do not see
that there is any authority in the constitution
of Maine for such a convention, and are in
clined to the opinion that the legislature has
no power to delegate its authority in the mat
ter of proposing amendments.