Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-01-21
Editorial Correspondence
AUGUSTA, Jan. IL, 1875


Ing Committees. The composition of these
committees is a very embarrassing work
for the Speaker of the House. and Presi-
dent of the Senate. There Is usually much
pushing for places on good committees,
and even the order of the announcement
of names Is thought "a iuatter of conse-
qucnce Any member had rather be Sc
c"nd or third on u committee than sixth or
seventh. though really there is no sort of
difference In the position. Chairmanships
are esteemed a desirable positions. though
OF course. 4 lower position on M inhnen-
tial committee l. Of much more account
Than craftsmanship OF a less important
committee.
There u always more or less complaint
al the distribution OF places. and this wear
| there is no exception to the rule. Upon
she whole. however, the work was well
done. Hancock County certainly has no
reason To complain. She has two members
! on Wavs and Means Committee. two on
! Finance. one on Change of Names. one on
| Bills ia Third Reading in House, one on
\ Bills IN Second Reading ia Senate. two on
| Engro>sed Bills. one on Elections. one on
| Jndicirry. one on Legal Affairs, one on
state Lands and State Roads, one on Fed
| eral Rclat ions. one on Education two on
! Commerce. one on Mercantile Affairs and
! Insurance. onc on Fisheries, one on Coun-
ties, one IN Claims. and one Library. She
1 -. 4 III. 4. T..
on Judiciary. and that on State Lands and
State Roads; and two Chairmsnships in
the House, that on Counties. and that on
Mercantile Affairs and Insurance.
The announcement was listened to in
hrcaihlc>s silence. and 1t was curious to
/ watch the expression on different faces ~
the different names Tell from the Speaker :
/ lips. Here was a CLEAN OF exultario and
there a shadow of di.appointment;- here
a contcntcd smile, and there nm angry
frowu. It will b. all the same five wears
hence, FOR no one will then inquire our
places on committees.
Our County delegation i placed as fol-
lows In the Senate, Emery Is Chairman
Of the Judiciary, and second on Library
places very much 10 his taste; Hincklev i.
Chairman of state Lands and State loads
and second on Legal Afairs,-two very
cool places which he is admirably quail.
fed TO fill; he Is also on Bill. in Second
Reading.
In the House. Allen of Brooklin is third
and Simpson OF sullivan Is fifth on Com.
mcrce, "a very important aud hard work
ei committee; Buck OF Orland il Chair
man Of Mercantile Affairs and Insurance
third on Elections, and sixth on Fedora
Relations. which will give him enough &c
do; Butler Of Hancock i Chairman o
Countie>.-a very honorable position; h,
Is also fifth on Bills in the Third Reading
Gilmore of Dedham Is fourth on Engross
eli Bills, and second on Claims which
are very good positions for so young
member; Grndle OF Mt. Desert is sixth
on Engrossed Bills. and sixth on Educa
ton. He will do good service on this las
committee. which Is one of the most lu
portant ia the Legislature. Hall of Ellis
worth j. third on Ways and Mesis, an,
third on Finance. where hi, excellent bus
ness qualifications will be of good use t
she State; Toman of Deer Isle Is fifth OF
on The Lobster Law az df r. mak soS1
have gone nearer the head OF the Com
mitteec had he been OF bcttrr politics. :
White Of Bucksport is sixth on WAYS an,
Means, and sixth on Finance. ANY plac
on such leading Committees is better thai
hairmanship on some other Commi.
tees. When II is considered that there ar
one hundred and tlfty-one members in III
House. aud Only nine from Hancock.
will be readily seen that four County ha
been well honored.
, These Committees are the i've senses o
the Legislature, through which it arrive
AT it, knowledge Of affairs. The real worl
i, done 10 Committee The essions or tn
Senate and House are just now purely for
. NAL, and even later in ttS session they ar
merely 70 ratiiy or reject the duings Of IN
Committees. An inexperienced person
visiting the State House at this time durin.
morning session, might be disgu>ted Il
the seeming lazineSs Of members. Eithe
branch sits less than AN hour. and nearly
all that is seen by the spectator i one mar
in the Chair, reading very rapidly endorse
ments on papers. and repeating in quicl
succession, rs that the pleasure OF tn
House: (or Senate 1T i a vote and tn
rest of the members sttin. quietly in thei
seats, reading or writing, or conversiug
without list enins much TO the man in tn
Chair, who seems TO do all the work =
Very soon the Speaker gets through hi
file of papers and sits down. Then SOM
member moves the House adjourn. whel
the Speaker rises and repeats the motion
and the formula. is that the pleasure o
the House: II is vote" and the day
session Is ended. OF course there are oc
casional spurts OF excitement and talk bu
not often at this early day. If the specta
tor has watched carefully, he may hav,
seen the Assistant Clerks and Messengers
carrying bundles of papers to the Chair
men OF the different committees. Thes,
are the petitions, bills, &c, that have beer
referred to the Committees during the ses
sion. II the spectator will revisit tn,
State House after dinner, lie will find ev
cry nook and corner occupied by Commit
tees who have these papers spread befor,
them, and are hard at it. examining, dis
cussing, and deciding Hearings are civ
en- in many instances, on important mat
tiers. when persons interested may addres,
the Committee. Some matters are refer
red to individual members for more mi
mute examination, and many evenings are
spent in this work, for which the legisla
tor gets little credit with the spectators OIL
even with constituents who are looking tc
hear or see what is said in debate on the