Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-02-05
LEGISLATIvE PROCEEDINGS.
Concluded from first page.1


He spoke of the action Of the committee to which
the matter had been referred, and commended that
in his belief, if the appropriation was granted 1t
| would establish wrong precedent lie replied to
the statement Of facts accompanying the resolve,
| and gave his reasons why Knox county should not
| be reimbursed for the expenses OF this murder
| trial He recollected that Oxford county had
similar burden imposed upon 1t once, ana came
here for the same kind Of legislation, but the mat
ter was referred back to that county, ana they
were obliged to pay the bills.
Mr. HASKELL believed that justice and equity
demanded that the claim should be paid by the
State.
equity and good faith, then why not reimburse
York county for the expenses OF the agner trial
or Sagadahoc county for the expenses incurred in
the trial Of the Bowdonham robbers. He believed
that if this resolve passed. other counties hereaf
ter would come forward with similar claims to be
paid by the State. He did not think that the re-
suit of the trial was creditable to Knox county;
all that he commended for was equitable dealings
with all counties.
Mr.. EERMY moved that the rules be suspended
and that the resolve take its second reading. He
favored the passage of the resolve by saying that
he was so impressed with conviction OF the Jus
tice of this claim, that he was impced to state his
reasons to the Senate. The case OF the tilai Oh
from the cases cited by the Senator from Oxford:
The offence was not committed by citizen OF
Knox County, nor upon citizen OF Knox Coun,ty'
nor was the offence itself, in fact, committed WIN
in Knox county. The assault was made upon
British subject on the deck of British vessel on
the high seas beyond the jurisdiction of any coun
ty in the State. The offence was piracy and was
properly cognizsblc by the courts OF the British
Empire; as soon As Robbins landed he was appre
hended at the request Of the British Consul, and
held by the United States officers for the purpose
of extradition, that he might be tried on British
SOIL before British judges and British Juries. Inc
county OF Knox, nor its officers had any occasion
or right to bring him to trial. In the meantime
| the mate British subject who had been struck
mortal blow on British deck on the high seas
| was brought on shore in Knox county, and then
| died of the wound This fortuitous event gave
concurrent jurisdiction to the courts IN knox
county upon the familiar rule, that when mortal
blow is struck in one jurisdiction, and death en-
sues in another, the criminal may be tried IN
either. Application mas made TO the Governor as
appears from the Attorney Generals report to IN
terpose to the end that Robbins, cihzen Oh Maine
though not of Knox county, might be tried upon
the soil of Maine, in the court OF his own state,
and before q jury Of his countrymen The Tower
nor very properly, with watchful care for the rights
of citizen Of Maine, who was to be presumed m
nocent of the offence, interposed and obtained the
| surrender of the prisoner that he might be tried
| in Maine, rather than in foreign country, at q
| distance from his friends and witnesses and per-
haps under less humane rules.
This action of the Executive most praseworthy
1
of Maine, put this burden upon the county OF Knox
which had no more interest in the matter than any
| other county. -,
There was another aspect of the case. The
| British Government having lost the power to try
Robbins in its own courts, by tho action OF this
State had o right to expect this state to fully and
| faithfully try the man. International good faith
| required that no effort nor expense should De
| spared to secure a complete investiganon. ne
officers of Knox county had done that duty faith
| fully, and the treasury of Knox county had borne
| the expense The British Consul was present at
the trial and expressed himsefthoroughly satisfied
| For these reasons the Senator thought that the
State should in equity and justice assume the bur-
den and not leave it where it SO fortuitously and
| technically fell upon single county.
| The rules were then suspended, the resolve read
| twice. and then passed to be engrossed
READ AND ASSIGNED.
An act to empower the town Of Brewer to es-
tablish wharf limits act to incorporate the Cum
beIland Farmers Club an act to repeal chap. lo'
of the public laws of 1874, relating to idiotic per-
sons in the insane hospital an act to provide in
part for the expenditures Of government; resolve
| in favor Of Sarah j. Vance; resolve IN favor OF
| John Sterling; resolve in favor Of the town OF
Kingsbury resolve in favor Of c. w. and Mary A.
Tibbetts resolve in favor Of the Maine Centennial
| Board; resolve in favor OF Thomas Ball and
William p. Ball an act to amend sec. l4S ofchap.
g. Revised Statutes, relating to abatement oftaxes
an act to prevent fraud in certain cases. an act to
relating to paupcrs; an act to amend sec. II OF
chap. 5, of revised statutes, relating to highway
| surveyors.
PASSED ToBE ENGROssED.
| An act to incorporate the Bristol Agricultural
| Society and Farmers Club; an act to amend chap.
ll3 of the revised statutes; an act to authorize the
| Continental Mills to reduce the par value OF its
| stock and to issue new shares; act authorizing
| Michael Hurley to extend his wharf at the west
end of Union River bridge, in Ellsworth, into the
tac waters of Union river; an act to authorize IL.
+. & w. G. Alden to extend wharves into Cam
| den harbor; an act to authorize VIM. +. Desisles
and others to build wharf in tide waters at La
moline IAN act to incorporate the Winterport savings
| bank; an act to incorporate the Sonth Pittsfeld
and Burnham Cheese Factory Co.; resolves pro-
yiding for a pension to Charles W. owen, mln0l
| child of Eben +. Owen.
PASSED TO BE ENACTED
| An act to repeal chap. 2S7, of the private and
| special laws Of 1873, entitled an act to author
| ize the town ofGouldsboro' to regulate the run
ming at large of neat cattle in said town; an ac'
to authorize Albert s. Eells to extend wharf into
tide waters of Rockport harbor an act authorizing
Nathan Ceaves and Henry b. Cleaves to extend
Q wharf into Casco Bay; an act to authorize Chas.
Deerng to extend his wharf ut Bar Harbor,
East Eden; an act to incorporate the Bluehill
| Granite Co.; an act to incorporate the Woodbine
Cemetery Association; an act to incorporate the
Petit Menan Cranberry Co., an act relating to the
| Maine Central Institute.
FINALLY PASSED.
| Resolve relating to printing the reports OF the
Insurance Commissioner; resolve to authorize Pc
| nobscot county to procure loan.
| On motion Of Mr.. CoRTHELL,
| Adjourned.
| House.
THURSDAY, Feb. ith.
| PRAYER by Rev. Mr.. CRAWFORD of Gardiner.
Papers from the Senate disposed of in concur
renee.
| A communication was received from the Secre-
| tary of State transmitting the Bank Examiners
| Report for the year 1874, which was referred to
| the Committee on Banks 4 Banking, on motion OF
| Mr.. WHEELwRIGHT.
Mr.. RANDALL presented the following and
moved suspension of the rules in order that they
| might be referred to appropriate committees
Resolve in favor of Silver Ridge petition of in
habitants of Crystal plantation for aid on road
The House refused to suspend the rules, and the
resolve and petition were referred to the next Leg
| islature.
Mr.. GRINDLE, under a suspension of the rules
presented resolve in favor of the joint standing
committee ON Education. Read twice under q
suspension Of the rules and passed to be engross.
cd. [Appropriates Sll205 for expenses of COM