Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-02-17
and contracting with them for their Support and

and contracting with them for their support and
maintenance" and inserting in lieu thereof the
following words: "And all religious societies in
this State, whether incorporate or unincorporate,
shall at oil times have the right Of managing, in
ways not inconsistent with any other provision Of
this instrument their ecclesiastical affairs accord
ing to the polity Of their respective churches"
MIR. TALBOT explained the object of the propos-
ed amendment, and read from section Of the
constitution. One part Of the section, he saidwas
inconsistent with the other part and the amend
ment was to remedy that Inconsistency.
Mr.. POWERS opposed the resolve ON the ground
that II was obscure and uncertain. He was not
any improvement if adopted. He believed amend
ments to the constitution should be clear in their
meaning, and because Of the ambiguity of the re-
solve under consideration, he opposed it.
MIR. TEFFT advocated the resolve, and gave rea-
sons why it should pass. Said it was as clear as
though It had been written with sunbeam. The
Constitution gives churches the right to elect its
teachers and provide for their payment, but it
does not authorize them to expel members from
their organizations, and he cited instances where
parties had been threatened with libel suits by
persons that had been expelled for misconduct
The yeas and nays were then taken upon the
question of passng the resolve to be engrossed and
the result was in the affirmative. IS follows:
YEAs-Messrs. Anderson, Barnard, Barron,
Bearce, Berry, blanchard. Bracket, Drawn.
Burnham, Burpee, Butler of Hancock, Clark Of
Wiscasset, Cobb, Colson, Conant, Crosby, Cum
ningham, Davis, Dodge, Eastman, Edes, Evans,
Fogg, Grindlc, Hall, Haley, Harris, Halves, Hub
bard. Lawler, Lyman, Mason, McGilvery, Nc
Intire, Merrill Of Cumberland, Milliken, Moody,
Nadeau, Parker, Pease, Pllsbury, Pitcher, Reed
of Boothbay Shepherd, Smith Of Jonesport, Stone,
Talbot, Teft, Tolman, Treat. Trckey, Trott,
Wade, Wakefield, Walden, Whitcomb, Wilson,
Withee-59.
NAYs-Messrs. Allan of Dennysville, Allen of
Rrnoklin Pokar Duck IL ~ Tn
rell, Dutton, Eaton, Ferguson, Folsom, Frost,
Gilmore, Harmon, Hoyt, johnson, Judd Lamb,
Lane, Leavitt, Little, Lyford,- Martin,
Merrill Of West Gardiner, Moulton Of Lagrange,
SSo t S Pao Oak n PsS fyns s.ads
Simpson, Smith Of Whitefeld, Snow. Taylor,
Tinkham, True, futile, Vickery, Vose, Warren,
Watts, Weed wheelwrght, White, Whitney OF
Friendship, Wiggin, Woodbury-52.
So the resolve was passed to be engrossed.
Mr.. Snow moved to adopt rule, so that the
twothirds vote, which is required on the final pas.
sage OF the resolves relating to the constitutional
amendments, shall be required on their passage to
be engrossed. He made this motiou he said, to
save time.
The rule was adopted.
On motion Of Mr.. ANDERSON, the vote was re-
| considered, whereby the House passed to be en-
crossed the resolve concerning the amendment to
the constitution of Maine relating to the rights OF
religious societies.
The House then refused to pass the resolve by
the necessary = vote.
| Resolve relating to an amendment to the consti.
tuition, concerning bribery in elections, was read
twice under a suspension Of the rules 1t is as
| follows:
| Sec. l. No person who shall receive, expect, Oh
offer to receive or pay, offer CT promise to pay
contribute, offer promise to contribut to anoth
er to be paid or used any money or other valuable
thing as compensation or reward for the giving
or Withholding vote at an election, or who shall
make any provision to influence the giving OF
Withholding Of any such vote, or who shall make
or become directly or indirectly interested in any
bet or wager depending upon the result Of any
election, shall vote at such election. And upor
challenge for such cause the person so challenged
before the officers authorized for the purpose shall
receive his VOTE shall swear and affirm before such
officers that he has not received or offered. does
not expect to receive, has not paid, offered OF
promised to pay, and does not intend to pay; con
tributed, offered, or promised to contribute, and
does not intend to contribute to another to be paio
or used any money or valuable thing as compen'
sation or reward for giving or withholding vote
at such an election, and has not made any prom
ses to influence the giving or withholding any suct
i vote, nor made or become directly orindirectly in
terested in any bet or wager depending upon thu
| result of such election.
Sec. 2. The Legislature at the session Thereof
next after the adoption of this section shall ant
| from time to time thereafter, may enact laws ex
Guiding from the right Of suffrage, perpetually Of
for term of years al persons convicted of bribery
at any election or of voting at any election unde
| the influence of q bride.
The question was upon the adoption Of Senate
amendment "a" by striking out section /.
Mr.. KEEGAN opposed the adoption of TIT
amendment. If there is one thing more danger
Gus to the safety Of our republican institutions
than another, it is the danger Of our people be
coming corrupt in elections: He thought it wa
time something was done for the purity of tn,
ballot box. He believed that the man who woult
sell his vote should be forever DISTINGUISHED.
Mr.. TEFFr favored the Senate amendment
The second section covered the whole case, ant
was all that was necessary. Section one read hk'
q writ, or a mortgage, something not found il
constitutions. 1t was mere verbiage.
| Mr.. LYMAN opposed the proposition to strik'
out the section. He controverted the statemen
that the section was unnecessary. When lawyer
draws an indictment sgainst man for murder, h
puts into it such language as will hold, that th,
lawyer on the opposite side may find no defects il
it. He believed the section was just right, AM
ought not to be rejected. If we have such . sec
ton as this in our fundamental law it will have
It will 60 to show that the people Of this Stat
brand with infamy the practice of buying ant
selling woes.
/ Mr.. KEEGAN moved the yeas and nays on tn
adoption Of the amendment. which the House or
dered.
The yeas and nays were taken, resulting in tn
affirmative, as follows
YRAs-Messrs. Allan of Dennysvillc, Allen o
Brooklin, Baker, Barron, Bearce, Berry. Blanch
ard, Bracket, Drawn, Buck, Burpee, Butler o
Hancock, CLARK Of Lincoln, CLARK Of wi.ea;.e,
Colson, Crosby, Cunningham, Denison. Dodge
Durrell, Dutton, Eastman, Eaton, EvanS, Fergu
son, Fogg, Folsom, Frost, Hanson, Harris, Halves
Head, Hoyt. Hubbard, johnson, Lamb, Lane
Lawler, Leayitt, Little, Locke, Lyford, Martin
McGilvery, McIntire, Merrill Of Cumberland
Merrill Of West Gardiner, Milliken, Moulton Q
Lagrange, North, Nutter, Oak, Page, Parker
Pease, Pinkham, Pitcher, Powers, Randall, Rec
Of Bath, Rogers, Sanders, Shepherd, Smith o
Jonesport Smith of White6eld, Snow, Stone
Sturgis Taylor, left, Treat, Trickey. Trotl
True, Tuttle, Vickery, vose, Wade, Wakefield
Walden, Watts, Weed, Wheeler. Whitcomt
White, Whitney Of Friendship, Wiggin, Wilson
Withee, Woodbury-S9.
NAYs-Messrs. Anderson, Barnard, Burnhan
Cleaves, Cobb, Conant, Davis, Edes, Gilmore
Grndle, Haines, Hall, Haley, Judd, Kscgan, Ly
man, Mason Moody, Nadeau, Payne. Pillsbury
Tinkham, Tolman, Warren, Wheelwright-29.
So the amendment was adopted, striking on
the section.
Senate amendment "B" was then adopted
Mr. LEAvIrT moved to amend by striking on
all in the first line of the printed bill after tn
!, word Legislature" to and including the wor
"thereto." so that it shall read "the legislator
may enact laws excluding from the right O
orpSr or