The Portland daily press., 1876-01-29
FIFTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURES,
SENATE.
Especial Despatch to the Press.l

Tolman moved to take from tie table the re-
solve to move the state capital to Portland.
Senator Stevens thought the matter was in
tended as joke, and thought it undignifed
for the body to indulge in such jokes, He
then moved to indefinitely postpone the. re-
solve.
Mr.. Wheelwright objected to the resolve on
the ground of expense.
Mr.. Peaks perpetrated what seemed to be
dim joke, by. saying he was opposed to
capital punishment.
Mr.. Tolman said he was in earnest about the
matter and thought the House was too.
Mr.. Haskell said that as the matter had
originated in the House and was introduced by
members from the Eastern part of the state,
and as several members there stood badly with
their constituents for not having opposed it, he
thought the resove should go back there and
give them chance for explanation.
Mr.. Thurlough moved to strike out the words
Cumberland and Portland, and substitute Pc
nobscot and Bangor. Lost.
The yeas and nays were called and the vote
was as follows:
Nays-Baker, Brown of Cumberland, Gray,
Haskell, Tolman and White-6.
Yeas-24.
The Committee on Agriculture reported
resolve .appropriatng $23,55O in favor of the
State College of Agriculture
The Committee on Education reported
Sought to pass on bill an act in relation to
fiscal school returns to be made to the State
Superintendent of schools.
The same committee reported Sought to
pass" on bill an act to amend the public laws
relating to high schools, SO that any town may
establish two or more high schools and draw
state money as for but one.
The vote whereby the bill to incorporate the
Bangor & Calais Shore Line Railroad was
passed to be engrossed, was on motion of Mr.
Haskell reoonsidered, and the bill was tabled.
This Committee on Towns reported leave to
withdraw on petition fol incorporation of Oak
| field plantation.
The Committee on Towns reported leave to
| withdraw on petition of j. N. Davis and others
to be set off from Webster to lewiston
An act to incorporate the Maine State Tenn
perance Campmeeting Association was admit
| ted under suspension of the rules and refer
| red.
The Committee on Judiciary reported legis-
the provisions of Chap. 1O4 of R. S. relating to
| real actions and betterments. This was the
Oxford school house matter.
The Committee on Judiciary reported refer
| ance of all matters relating to temperance sent
| to them, to the temperance committee.
The bills passed to be enacted in the House
were passed to be enacted by the Senate.
| The Senate then adjourned till Saturday
morning at 9 o'clock.
| Senate papers were disposed of in concur.
| renee.
There was quite discussion about the ad-
mission of petitions for new matters. Mr.
Keegan wanted the door open but the House
| refused.
| The following petitions were presented per-
tanning to old matters:
Petitions Presented and Referred-Of Jefferson
| Drawn ct ais. that expenses bridges in towns be
| charged to counties; of the seectmen of Burnham
for pension for Melvin Reynolds; of jeremiah Page
to have his doings as trial justice made valid re-
monstranee of B. H. Lewis ct ais against bill for the
Deering Boulevard. Several petitions went to the
| next Legislature under the rule.
At this point Mr. Bass of Bangor, presented
the following order:
| Whereas, The land heretofore granted by
Congress to this state has been sold by our
| state authorities at prices below the market
| rates for such property; and whereas, the at
tention of the people of the state is constantly
| called to the fact in consequence of applica-
| tions for aid on the part of the Agricultural
College, and grave suspicious have been ex-
pressed in different parts of the state as to the
| fairness of such sales; therefore, be it
| Ordered, That committee of seven be ap-
pointed for the purpose of investigating said
sales, and that said committee have power to
send for persons and papers and to administer
oaths.
| Mr. Porter Of Burlington, moved to amend.
There were grave charges in the preamble. He
was in favor of the investigation, but he desired
that the order should not 60 out with a stump
| speech on its belly. Mr.. Bass said that trus.
tee of the Agricultural College said before the
Agricultural Committee yesterday, that that
| institution was forced to ask aid because the
lands had been fraudueutly sold at prices be-
| low their value. Mr.. Phillips of the Agricul-
| tnral Committee said no such statement had
been made or anything like it. Mr.. Bass said
that trustee had said it, somewhere. Mr.
Powers moved to lay the order on the table un-
| til after the morning hour Mr.. Talbot op-
posed. 1t was privileged question and should
| now be considered A discussion sprung up, in
which Messrs. Anderson, Pike and others fay
ored immediate action, and Messrs, Cleaves,
Haines White and Neatly favored temporary
| suspension. All favored the fullest investiga
ton. Finally the order was tabled by vote of
| 81 to 46 until after the morning honr.
The House then resumed the regular bust
| ness.
Reports of anlittees-The Committee on
Fisheries reported the following: Bill fixing a
close time for fishing in the Penobscot; for the
protection of fish in Puffer Pond, Dexter; bill
providing for the preservation of fish in Little
Sebago Lake; bill for the protection of trout
in Rangely stream; bill to prevent the taking
of trout in NewDegin stream, Newfeld. Read
| and assigned.
BY the Committee on Interior Waters: Bill
to amend the charter of the Wiscasset Bridge
Company; to authorize the Sheepscot bridge to
be reduced in width; to authorize Charles Rus
sell to maintain wharf IN Bowdoinham. Read
and assigned.
By the Committee on Education: Bill to ex-
tend the powers of school districts, (printed);
bill to make valid The doings of the town of
Yarmouth in 1869, Tread and assgned); also re-.
ferring resolve in favor of Wilton Academy to
tuO l. iudAOiaA SoululteCC, dioo lutApculoub Ou
an order relating to uniformity of text books.
By the Judiciary Committed Bill amend
ing section 65, chapter IS, R. S., relating to
damage on ways, (printed); also that Nell
Weston have leave to withdraw for the 10th
time.
By the Committee on Mercantile Affairs:
Bill to amend sections 60 and Ga, chapter 40, r.
S., relating to foreign insurance companies,
(printed).
By the Committee GA Claims: Leave to
withdraw to petitioners for aid for b. G. Math-
ews.
By the Committee on State Lands: Leave
withdraw on petition Of f. w. Stimson for lot
of land.
By the Pension Committee: On petition Of
Benjamin Smith for pension.
The bills read twice yesterdaywere passed to
be engrossed
Matters Tabled relating to the inspec-
tion of steamboats,; bill relating to the con-
struction of fish weirs and wharves general
law
The resolve appropriating $4,000 to build Mat.
tawamkeag Bridge was recommitted in con-