The Portland daily press., 1875-02-17

Only one town of the whole 146 fell short OF
the call. This is shown by bis annual report,
stoned with his own name issued previously to
his letter to the towns. There is no law au-
thorizing the Adjutant General TO call for
money Why did the towns pay this money?
Recall the trying times then, when our cur
. rency was so deprecated that gold was worth
So Ga There was despair in every heart. They
paid the money without any question. Inc
knowledge of this transaction was first known
of when the towns began to call for their state
sc1ip and found these old charges against them.
They proceeded to investigate and theh tne
matter began to be thought of. 1t was louhu
that 126 towns, who did not pay the money
were paid their full amount of state SCRIP Ahe
towns of Houlton and Columbia Falls pressed
their claims and wereirefunded. The nineteen
towns remaining, mentioned in the resolve,
have maid their money and simply ask to be
mt on an eoual footing with the other towns
Of the state.
Senator Swasey offered an amendment as
follows:
Provided that the towns above specified shall
prove their claims for reimbursement to the
satisfaction of his excelency, the Governor, the
Adiutant General and State Treasurer, VINO
hereby are constituted commission for that
purpose.
MI Corthell opposed the amendment, for the
Adiutant General has already passed upon the
claims and declared there was no grocno Tor
the call for the money Again, the amend
ment will put off the day when the state snail
do iustice to these towns. There is no mystery
about it. only as to the matter of what the de-
mand was made for
Senator Haskell hoped the amendment would
not and hoped the matter would be settled
here.
Senator Swasey gave his reasons for the
amendment. The Adjutant General knows
| the matter and is most competent to judge.
| Besides, if the door be once opened there VIII
| be countless applications for reimbursement or
| donations. He desired to have the matter
probed to the bottom and let the blame fall
| where it will.
Senator Donworth spoke for the towns in his
county, and said the only mystery was in the
ways of the Adjutant General. There is no
| mystery regarding the doings of the towns,an
| they should be reimbursed.
Senator Foster wanted light on the subject.
| He thought as one commission had acted upon
this question and had decided that nothing was
| due them, he wanted to know if he was acting
| upon legal right or gratuity.
Senator Corthell said the law of 1868 author
| izing the commission had no reference to these
| claims, but only laid the foundation for these
| claims. He illustrated it by the case of Island
Falls. That commission passed upon mat tiers
| and credited Island Falls with about $1066.
| The State Treasurer deducted from it $780, The
| biggest man in the Legislature came down and
| asked why the reduction was made, and 1T was
| discovered to be mistake, and the full amount
| was paid.
Senator Foster spoke further in support of
| the amendment
| The question upon the amendment was then
| called and resulted yeas IA, nays IA, and the
| amendment was lost
The motion was laid upon the table.
Afternoon Session.
| On motion of Mr.. Emery, amendment No.
| to the constitution, concerning the rights of
religious societies. was taken from the table.
In making the motion he said that they were
reported without the endorsement OF the
committee AID the members thereof would be
| free to vote as they chose. He said he was
| completely 10 the fog about the meaning of the
| amendment.
Senator Haskell explained the amendment
| by saying that certain societies were now only
able under the constitution to elect their teach
| ers.
| The question on the passage of the resolve to
be engrossed was taken, and -esulted-yeas IA,
| nays IA, and the resolve was not passed.
Senator Emery then moved to take up the
\ 1 ola t,h hriha Of
| tons, from the table, and moved the second
reading, and the resolution was read by the
| chair.
The same Senator then stated as an objec-
| tion which had been named to him, that an
| honorable man who he's always been in high
| standing in the community may be challenged
| by any low people, and be made to swear to
| his innocence, while ordinarily the man must
first be proved guilty before he must vindicate
himself. Again the time consumed in making
| afidavits to innocence may consume the time
so that all may not be able to vote, and injus-
| tce done in this way.
| Senator Cutler thought the amendment in
conflict with the bill of rights striking at one
| of the dearest rights man has, that OF the
| ballot.
SENATOR Haskell puiity VI eho
ballot as much and even more Importance than
the ballot itsels, ami moved to strike out the
first section of the resolve, which was carried.
The question then came upon the adoption of
the second amendment, which was rejected, l3
yeas, Is nays.
Senator Foster then moved that amendment
No. be 'aken from the table and the present
time assigned for its second reading. Carried.
The amendmedt is in regard to November
elections There was no debate on this
amendment. 1t was rejected-yeas 4, nays "a.
The amendment relating to biennial elections
and biennial sessions was on motion OF Senator
Atwood, aud had its second reading.
Senator Foster thought the matter should go
before the people.
Senator Cutler thought the ruling powers
should be as near to the public as possible and
they should come to the ballot box once gear
to give their approval of their conduct.
Mr.. Emery thought favorably of biennial
elections, but not of biennial sessions The
question was called and the amendment was
lost-yeas II, nays II.
On motion of Senator Campbell the article
relating to apportionment of representative
was taken from the table and its second read
ing had. The question was called and the
amendment lost, yeas, q nays.
Amendment No. 6, relating to election OF SEN
ators by plurality vote was taken from the ia
BILE on molten of Senator Cutler.
Senator Hale advocated the amendment. He
thought senators should be elected by plurality
vote as much as representatives. The question
was called and resulted as follows: Yeas %,
nays 0, and the amendment was passed to be
engrossed.
On motion of Mr.. Emery amendment No. z.
relating to special legislation and corporations
was taken from the table and unanimously
passed to be engrosSed
On motion of Mr.. Lord, amendment No. 8,
relating to the election of Governor by plurality
votes, was taken from the table and was
passed to be engrossed-yeas 20, nays g.
Senator Foster moved to reconsider the vote
whereby the amendment concerning November
elections was refused a passage, and Senator
Swasey advocated it. He thought the question
was one which only interested the legal vot-
ers, they alone should decide.
Senator Emery thought the people sends the
members to Augusta to act as they think
best and right, and pay them in honor and