Daily Kennebec journal., 1874-02-24

with that residence can be readily ascer-
tanned and decided by the party lnTestiga-
ting, without appealing to the pefpieHities
and uncertainties of the law.
I will mention one other point that mas
been suggested to me as being objection
able to the two years residence, and that is
the collision of municipal officers, in pro,
curing the removal of parties, liable to iaii
into distress, to some other town; but tne
more I reflect upon that suggestion, the
more feel persuaded that it is made with
out much experience in pauper questions,
and without due reflection, Tor 1t shouiu pe
apparent to the most casual observer tna1
the removal of family or person with MS
effects in such cases will be most likely
open and known and any municipal oiiicsr
aiding or abetting therein would be llkely
to be known and exposed, and in nine
cases out of ten none would be more ready
and willing to expose them than the ex-
ported paupers MISUNDERSTANDING IN the
case of the five years settlement, the oP-
portunity for collusion must be far greater
and even safer for managing board OF
officer. In that case the whole thing can
be managed secretly, for, during tne
period of the party's making up inc I'VE
years to gain a settlement, some scarcity
or panic may intervene to circumscrloe the
means of support, and some KIND frlend
suggest the propriety OF calling on the
town for help. and the need OF the family
or individual being great, and relief not
seeming near in prospect, they feel under
the necessity of asking or accepting help.
The whole thing is quietly and pleasantly
done, and no cheek is tinged with the con-
scieusness of wrong. The public, that is
the towns, good is sought, and who in his
own estimation that has acted so cleverly
is, or can be at fault? Greater moral tur-
pitude is too often overlooked. With all
due de ference to the opinion of others.
cannot see that any city or town can be
over burthened by the change; some little
fear, or nuctuation may arise in some To-
calities for the time being, but amidst the
locomotion of human kind, no lasting bur-
den or sorrow will settle there. The
whole thing will End its equilibrium, as
water finds its level.
There are some minor provisions in the
bill mainly calculated to make other provis-
soin of the statutes conform TO this change
Of time. The change making illegitimate
children follow the settlement of the
mother is deemed but reasonable, for un-
der the rule Of illegitimatc children hold
ing the settlement the mother had at the
time Of their birth, it may so happen that
the mother and each separate child, if she
has more than enc, will have settlement
in as many different towns. The eighth
clause in sec. one, in said chap twenty
four is only made to conform to the al
tered time of gaining settlement.
The change in sec. 22 and sec. % deem
but reasonable and just, so long as the
State has public lands to settle and is hold
ing out very strong inducements for people
to settle there, even to the expense of
sending commissioner to a foreign land
and making large advances to such as are
induced to settle there, and such, when in
need of relief, have the expense borne by
the State, and it appears to me to be but
reasonable and just, that when any of our
own citizens accept the terms offered
them by the State, and take up their abode
in the wilderness, that when any Of that
class fall into distress, the State should be
held to pay for such relief also.
Now Mr.. President having given briefly
a few reasons, in my imperfect way, for
the change in our statutes for the settle
ment of paupers, hope the good sense
and better understanding of this Legisla-
ture will give this subject thorough in
vestigation and grant the opportunity for
the towns to gain the relief desired, for
surely none will deny that the expense
and perplexity growing out of pauper set
Elements under the five year rule, have be-
come burthensome and oppressive, and re-
lief is loudly called for. A great deal of it
may be owing to the want of experience
or other short comings in municipal Of
ficers, by which the innocent municipality
is burthened with serious expense, as well
as the one in the wrong, and how can we
know, that some other arrangement, will
give relief, unless the door is open to try
the experiment.
l acknowledge my first impressions
were.in favor Of three months time, but
am not disposed to be captious about the
time being reduced to three months to gain
settlement, (although think the shorter
time the most desirable to attain the object
desiredD, if in the judgment of fLegislature.
two years is thought preferable adopt that
period. The great question, in my judg-
ment and the most important to the peo-
pie, is to reduce the time to Il much shorter
periodic that and am content, and
verify believe the people will bless you.