The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-01-08
Our Augusta Letter.
THE ORGANIZATION ovER-THE COMMITTEES
THE CHAIRMEN OF THE LEADING oNEs-THE
CHARACTERIZATION BILL.

THE ORGANIZATION OVER-THE COMMITTEES
THE cHAIRMEN OF THE LEADING oNEs-THE |
CHARACTERIZATION BILL
AUGUSTA, Jan. 9th, 1872
Organization week which is as much of an |
occasion as any college commencement or 9th
er festival is over, and scores of men who came |
up to the State capital for no other purpose
than to meet old friends, repeat the incidents
of the past and relate new ones, have gone
home and will not again throng the Augusta
otelsuntilthe organization of 1873 brings them
mp again. 1t is always duller after they leave
and the old habitue of the State capital finds it
much less pleasant place than it would seem
the first week.
We can now judge something of the charac-
ter of the Legislature as it looks, now that the
visitors and their best coats and shining hats
have departed. In the Senate there appear
several names well known in the legislative
circles for years-among whom are Kinks of
Hancock, veteran of many years, Morris of
Cumberland, Spaulding of Sagadahoc, Ding
ley of Androscoggin, Weber of Somerset,
Smith of Penobscot, Foster and May of Ken
nebe3 and others no less well known. In the
House there are great number of gentlemen
VIGIL hllOWH III tu6 Dbdtc cuUTdClug SUCH names
as Perry, Pike, Smith, Porter, Woodbury.,
Humphreys, Palmer, Bliss, Carleton, Hol-
brook of Freeport, and many other young men
of ability who need only experience to give
them place in the front rank.
1t is understood that the matter of Commit
tees Is seUUreo. There -4uestions pending
that make some of them of unusual import
ance. The Judiciary is always important and
is always overworked. Within few years, a
committee known as Legal Reforms has been
instituted for the purpose of relieving the Judi
ciary by having portion of the business refer
red to it, so that it is nearly as important and
may be quite as busily employed The Rail-
road Committee is always busily employed and
is one of the most important President Eos
ter will dispose of sundry insinuations by plac-
ing Hon. S. 7. Kinks at its head-a gentleman
who combines excellent Judgment with spot
less integrity. If were called upon to give
title to the veteran from Hancock 1 should
simply style him "Old Reliability" The other
members on the part of the Senate will proba-
bly, be Weber of Somerset and Dingley
of Androscoggin. With due respect to the
other members of the honorable board L
can't see how the committee could be i'm
proved. Spaulding of Sagadahoc will be
placed at the head of the Judiciary on
the part of the Senate. Col. Spaulding is one
of the promising young men of the State
whom she will have cause to remember as well
for his worth in civil life as for his meritorious
service in the army. hear that the Railroad
Committee on the part of the House will en-
brace Messrs. Woodbury. of Houlton, Prince of
Turnpr Palmer of Rapnor of Ove
Fessendnof Portland. Carleton of WhitefieId
and Democrat whose name 1 cannot at this
time ascertain. The rapid growth of the saw
ings banks of Maine, already having more
capital invested than the national institutions
and growing more rapidly the past year than
ever, conspires to render the Committee on
Banks and Banking'one of the most important
in the present Legislature. 1t is quite probable
that Hon. William Philbrick of Somerset, who
vacates the Office of Bank Examiner by becom-
ing Senator, will be chairman of the Senate
committee, and Hon. Charles Holden, of Port
land, chairman on the part of the House. The
worthlessness of many of the fire insurance
companies, as developed by the Chicago fire,
will also tend to make the Committee on Mer-
camille Affairs and Insurance one of the most
soner Paine will bring several important mat
tiers before the committee. Mr.. Holbrook of
Freeport, is likely to be chairman The Com
mittee on State Lands and State Roads is
another very important committee. 1t is very
probable that Senator Irish, of Aroostook, will
have place on that committee if he is not the
chairman. MIR. Randall, of Island Falls, who
probably covers much of the State of Maine
not by mere deeds but by his personality, can
justly claim the Craftsmanship ON the part of the
House and will doubtless receive it, Whit
more, of Verona, will be chairman of Fisher
les. There has not been the usual pressure for
positions on this committee Indeed the his
torical "porgie"-the most famous fish in Maine
legislation-has not yet appeared as has been
the case usually to vancouver for position in the
committee. The Education Committee will be
composed of men who generally believe that
Maine has yet a work to do in the educational
line, and that there is no more important auxil-
larry to aid in the progress of Maine than the |
improved school system. Hon. John j. Perry
is likely to be chairman on the part of the
House, followed by such men as Lord, of Blue
hill-a graduate of the Eastern Normal
1t has already been made known through the
newspapers what new railroad charters will be
asked for. 1t seems as though the whole trouble |
and expense might be obviated by the enact
ment of general law, so carefully drawn as to
provide against any injury to individuals and
still give to corporations all they have right to
demand. The bill introduced by Mr. Pike last
year would seem to secure both objects.
In connection with railroads, it may be add
ed that the Maine Central Company, evidently
fearful that its present organization by the
of the Maine Central, Portland
& Kennebec, Leeds & Pennington and andre
scoggn Railroads, will not be fully warranted
under existing statutes, will at an early day
present new bill, which has already been
printed and judiciously given out to very few,
of two sections, the first of which
the companies above named to unite
for the purpose of keeping of these roads in
running order and maintaining suitable equip
ment, ETC., while the second section authorizes
these companies to issue their consolidated bonds
that they may take up the outstanding bonds
Of the different companies.
There has not been much talk about State aid
to railroads. Prominent gentlemen in the East
speak of the imperative necessity of opening
the Aroostook country by such communication,
but in no room have heard the policy of State
aid advocated or any scheme advocated. On
the other hand 1 have heard many members
speak in decided hostility to any such measure.
There are those who would gladly grant aid to
build road to Aroostook in some way who
would oppose any legislation that would look to
a general plan of aiding any other proposed
road. GUS.
The Portland and Ogdensbnrg Railroad
OF THE VERMONT DIvIsIoN-To BE
COMPLETED NEXT MISUNDERSTANDING TO
PORTLAND.
HARDwIcK, VT, Jan. 8, 1872.
The Vermont Division of the Portland and
)gdensburg Railroad was opened for business