Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-03-12
Editorial Correspondence.
AUGUSTA. Mar. 4, 1874.

AUGUSTA. Mar. 4, 1874.
To the Americdn -
The Fifty third Legislature has at length
adjourned. and no doubt the State breathes
. deep sigh of relief. The members at
least, would be glad to compromise with
the assurance that they have done the
State no harm in these forty nine days.
The wretched system Of doing the work of
legislation by the job, combined with the
vast amount Of special and private legisla-
tion, produces the usual result of haste
and indifference.
Hancock County has been modest. She
has asked for no appropriation, and none
Of our citizens have been clamorous fer Of
flee. believe also that not even cheese
Factory has been granted her.-Two or
three Granite Companies have been incor-
porated. Several wharves have been al
lowed extension. The Bar Harbor water
Compa nv has had its corporate birth and
has the Authority to bring the waters of
Eagle Lake and Duck brook down TO the
village. The American has been "born
again" into a corporation, the better TO
Withstand the assaults of angry readers.
These are nearly all that Hancock has
asked or received of the law making pow
er.
Several matters of general interest have
received attention. The experiment OF
taxing railroads and insurance companies
by state tax Is TO be tried. The expert
ments, having been entered upon should
have fair trial, but am little appre-
hensive that the result will be merely to
ship the tax on 10 the person insured. or
the shipper of freight. II is claimed how
ever that such will not be the case by those
who have given the subject much study.
Woman Suffrage went TO the Judiciary
Committee, which divided equally on the
subject, and as the chairman of 4 commit
tee has no deciding vote in case Of tie,
no report could be made. The matter
therefore goes over TO the next Lcgisla-
ture
The petitions for woman suffrage con-
tanned many OF the best names in the State
Capital punishment was taken up and
wransled over, and then dropped. The
Senate voted TO abolish the death penalty,
but the House refused. A bill was then
brought 10 making the penalty sure and
stern, but both Houses refused TO pass
that. The result is. that our statutes bear
the death penalty which is now never in
ficted, and the will Of the people is baked
The various appropriations were made
in a business like way, the majority reali-
King, that some money must be spent TO
make this a good state. The Reform
School, got $50 1000. Industrial school for
Girls sl2.5o0. Maine General Hospital
SIS 600, State College OF Agriculture sl2.-
500, and various smaller appropriations
were made for worthy purposes. The free
high school law. and the mill tax have so
increased the efficiency Of the public
schools. that no appropriations scarcely
are made for Academies.
The General Railroad law. fell of its
own weight; as introduced 1t contained
several Objectionable features, among
which was an entire surrender OF the right
OF eminent domain by the State. TO any
company. Observation Of the vast num-
Der of acts ofincorporation granted by the
Legislature. where existing general laws
were ample for the purpose. made it evil
deet that a general Railroad law, would
have no effect TO keep railroads out OF the
Legislature. There can be no objection TO
a properly framed law of the kind, and
IL Del
charters were granted, without opposition.
The SO called force bill came up. but
was voted down in both branches The
Eastern part OF the State very generally
voted against il, as its passage would
seem TO seriously embarrass new railroad
enterprises. Several changes were made
In law and court matters. The Supr eme
Court were granted full equity powers, to
the same extent as the English Chancery
Court. Writs may now be ammended by
striking out Plaintiffs, or inserting new
Plaintiffs. In actions of contract against
more than one defendant the jury may
find verdict as TO each defendant sepa-
rately. Assignees OF claims or chooses in
"tsec". ~ bsC INC tSSuiutSai NJ /"
bring suit in their own name where the
assignment is in writing. There was also
the usual amending Of various sections of
the Revised Statutes. and generally for
the better.
Our County delegation were unusually
harmonious In their action, and the best OF
personal feeling prevailed among them.
There was no pickering. and no apparent
rivalry, consequently their influence was
the more marked. l have heard many
complimentary things said OF the delega-
ton in the House Of Representatives-of
their intelligence and good sense. They
evidently made a good impression, and re-
flected credit upon their constituencies.
Naturally l have seen many things
about our State Government that are i'm
perfect and wrong. and some Of them l
may speak Of hereafter. 1t seemed to be
agreed on all hands that q Constitionsl
Convention r,,ns. 900 neid to correct
and guard against these wrongs
A. MINERAL.