The Portland daily press., 1872-03-02
Summary Of Legislative Acts and
; s-as--.-.- Resolves.
GOOD MEASURES DEFEATED AND BAD ONE

IL Is interesting 10 ~oDSerse Ao"~ins'iiJ
the most important matters that have been
pending in the Legislature this winter, were
disposed of amid the boisterous fun OF the
spaper session." Railroads have been the
serious business of the year. Education,
civil and criminal law, public morals, reform
and all kindred topics were matters which mere
ly interrupted the congenial work of throwing
paper balls. 1t is curious to observe, too,
that when our legislators have a mind to d.
uert themselves with the most serious sub
jects that can occupy the attention of the
human mind, they almost uniformly adopt
the bad act and reject the good one. A large
number of towns were authorized to aid
railroads, but Mr.. Carleton would not hear of
permitting Fryeburg to aid that noble charity,
the Maine General Hospital The members
voted themselves double mileage, with Mr..
Carleton's express consent, but there was no
money in the treasury for the Industrial
School for girls! The compulsory attendance
bill and the reform of the Jail system-two
immensely to the moral growth and industrial
prosperity of the State-were pushed con-
temptuously aside; but the infamous act "to
encourage the growth Of forest trees" which
was obviously intended to enable the owners
of great tracts of timber land to hold their
property for twenty years without taxation,
was passed! Woman suffrage was defeated,
but the vote was so surprisingly close and the
admission of women to the agricultural col
lege is so valuable a concession, that little
fault can be found on this ground. But the
refusal to allow the people of Somerset coun-
ty tosvote on the question of changing their
shire town from Norridgewock to SkOwhegan
is another transaction clearly indicating the
demoralizing influence of the lobby. The
repeal of the County Supervisor system at
the dictation of Marcellus Emery and the
Democratic members of the Legislature, was
an act of sheer madness. i
A LIST THAT is FAR TOO SHORT.
Among the acts that may be spoken Of
with commentator are those amending our
present prohibitory code. The 'sheriff en-
forcement act will undoubtedly secure the sup
preston of illegal sales of liquor in many
places where the local authorities are unfriendly
to the temperance reform. There is more
doubt about the restoration of cider to the
list of prohibited beverages, but unquestion-
ably the consumption of that comparatively
innocuous fluid has increased within the last
half decade to an appalling extent. Indeed,
the average of red faces in the rural districts
has increased so rapidly that it may be doubt
ed if in ten years more the State would not
be peopled with a race with complexion not
unlike that of the aboriginal inhabitants.
The provision making liquor-sellers liable for
the damage done by the persons to whom
they have sold their wares, is copied from the
statutes Of other States, where it has proved
most effective 5taZ s..s ,sf..-r..-r .yff9
Other acts that deserve Favorable men,
ton" are those in aid of the schools in NADIA
waska, abolishing solitary imprisonment, for
bidding the sale of prize packages of candy
and stationery, changing the punishment Of
rape and arson, so as to make it discretionary
with the court to infict less punishment
than death therefor, and curing the mistake
by which the Superior Court of Cumberland
County was deprived of its criminal jurisdic-
ton. A resolve was passed approving the
Indian peace policy of the administration, to
the carrying out of which Msine has given
the able assistance of "Friend Lang"
Another favors ship canal around Niagafa
Falls. The resolve urging the passage. by
Congress of an act reviving shipbuilding and
navigation embraces exactly the provisions
of the bills introduced in the national House
by Representatives Lynch and Hale, and de-
feated by Democratic opposition in both
cases. This last resolution was passed
unanimously by the Senate. 9sss
Among the small number of bad measures
defeated, the bill authorizing towns to give
ten per cent of their valuation to encourage
capitalists to put their property into manu-
features is the most conspicuous,
GOOD, BAD AND INDIFFERENT. ! q
The movement to raise the salary of the
School Superintendent to $4,000 failed, as did
the bill introduced in the last days of the ses-
sion to abolish that Office. The "mill school
tax" levying mill on every dollar of the
State valuation for school purposes, and dis
tributing the proceeds among the towns in
proportion to the number of pupils, takes
money from the large places and gives it to
localities which have less wealth and popula-
ton. But for the sake.of something to re-
yive an interest more important than ship
building or manufactures, the larger towns
can well afford to endure the trifing injus-
tice. State uniformity of school-books was
once more defeated, and the free high school
bill met the same fate. I'D -lis.i !l.rt
The two solvent Peck bondsmen were let
of with $4,000 each, about what they would
have had to pay if they had settled with the
State when the defalcation was discovered.
The insurance bill was defeated, but the
bill taxing savings banks passed. No restric-
ton as to investments of savings banks was
made, The bill authorizing municipal off,
GERS to license auctioneers was defeated.
g The State is hereafter to be allowed five
peremptory challenges in impaneling jury
for the trial Of capital cases. But the Legis-
lature refused to provide for the appointment
of special justices to take recognizances in
criminal cases, instead of allowing any two
magistrates to do so, as under the present
law. '9. iq
The cadet bill and the election of ex-Gov-
ernor Chamberlain to be Major-Generalo of the
military forces of the State comprise all the
legislation on military affairs -s-eT.
The Congressional appointment bill leaves
the district lines exactly as they are at pres
ent the effort to detach Rockland and Thorn
aston from the fifth and attach them to the
third district having failed. ~'-S ~
r Our legislators have assured Congress that
the fishing interest will be injured if the pro-
visions of the treaty Of Washington on that
subject are adopted, and ask that t. he bounty
system be restored. e$ go
~ s-,~+g COUNTY TAXES. ia