The Portland daily press., 1871-01-09
Augusta letter

THE FIRST WEEK OF THE LEGISLATURE. /
The first week of the session-the quietest I
first week on racord-has closed. The crowd
of patriots that come up at this time and for a
brief day, try to force their valuable services /
upon the State, have come, sees, and been
conquered. Tonight they all in the bo-
SONS of their families. The suit that gets an
annual airing during each first week is again
hung up in the closot. 1t win not see light I'M
til the lirst week of January 1872: May the
disappointed ones have the solid satisfaction
that they have been periodically inclined and
been willing to sufea for the good State of
Maine.
Both branches have excellent presiding Off
ce.s. but no more so than Cumberland could
have placed in either OF them.
THE TRIALS OF OFFICE.
But let no man desire to be President or
Speaker, unless be loves to be harassed until
| the Committees are announced. There is not
lawyer but who feels that he should be
| Chairman of the judiciary or at least have the
| second place. There ore nearly 151 members
| of the House DESTROYS or willing to be assign
| ed to railroads. Nearly a third would be graft
| fed to visit.-not take up a residence-the
| State Prison. The member of Poodick, having
been a member ten years ago, thinks that he
won't feel sighted if he can be chairman of
two committees. e1
| THE SOLDIERS REMEMBERED,
Both branches do an honorable and lust
thing. There are a half dozen messengers or
assistants, and these places are filled by SOL
diers, and are just now most efficiently occu-
pied by TWO who have scars of honorable SER
vice, and another who has been broken down
by long service. Every year, able bodied men
who have been members of the legislature,
come up and compete with these deserving
men for these places, but they fail as they
should. They ought to he ashamed to do Sc
mean thing. Every place in Maine that a
crippled or broken down veteran can fill, be.
lougs to them. III st.s.
THE SENATORIAL CONTEST. ,,a.,v ,...,
The Senatorial contest had been settled in
September; yet a few untiring and illogical
politicians thought differently and were early
upon the ground at work. Most prominent
among these was the able editor OF the Aduer
tiser, who is doubtless the most Quixotic poll.
tician in Maine Those who have counted on
division in the Republican ranks in conse.
| 4uOuCo VI Tic Itsuit VI tH6 result VI tue eau
Gus will be disappointed. ta sla1
Gov. Chamberlain has advised his friends to
make their contest inside the party, which has
restored the confidence of thousands of Re
publcans in Gen. Chamberlain which had
been SHAKEN during the few weeks previous tt
the September election, by the clamor of those
who advocated his cause and claimed to repre-
| sent him. '-'s N
Il e' 's THE GOVERNORS ADDRESS a
meets with general approval. 1t is progressive
evinces proper appreciation OF the resources
of Maine and especially commends itself to tn.
men who elected him. srI'ers---
BIENNIAL SESSIONS. -..
/ I do not fully concur in the statement that
the Legislature is in favor of biennial sessions
I have heard many men object to it on the
ground that just now our people are giving
deal attention to manufactures, railroads and
other enterprises. requiring special legislation
The time Will be too long to wait, and thous
ands of opportunities wasted. This can b,
avoided by general railroad law and gen
erai law authorizing towns to loan credit tt
manufacturing enterprises 1t is a question i
short annual sessions would not be cheaper OF
the ground that the sessions would be NOR,
: than double the length they now are, and tn,
longer the session, the longer the representa-
tive is away from his constitents, the larger ap
propriations does he vote.
M rr-l TOO MANY CLERKS.
All the members pronounce for strenuou
economy, and doubtless they are honest.
they would examine the machinery of tn
State government they might find some mat
tiers that might be none the worse for a littl
practical economy 1t is said that there is ;
greater clerical force in some department
than is needed. The legislature might see.
| l. : NJ