The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-02-05
BY TELEGRAPH.
FROM AUGUSTA.
Legislative Matters.
The Usury Bill De bate-COmmittee Re.
port, Etc.
FROM AUGUSTA.
Especial to the Press.l

AUGUSTA, Feb. 4.
The debate on the Pike interest bill to-day
was in all respects the best Of the session. The
debate was ch aracterized with earnestness and
the most of the speakers discussed the pending
question on its merits. The control of the mat
ter should have been with the committee, but
the opponents of the report and supporters of
the bill assumedtcharge and arranged for the
debate. The bill was taken up at 1890 with
ont much apparent consultation with the other
side. Mr.. Pike proposed to debate the question
until IL. 30 when vote would be taken. The
two hours were to be divided equally between
the two sides. Mr.. Lynch began at 1890 and
spoke twenty minutes. He did not meet the
expectation which be SO justly raised WedDes-
day. Hefnished his speech then, and this was
rehash with little flavor of appeal to the pit
at the end. Toward the close he criticized the
capitalist who would not take government
bonds without having them exempt from taxa
tion. As Mr.. Lynch was dwelling upon this,
Mr.. Pike came from his seat down into the
area in front of the main aisle and said impa-
tiently in an undertone, "Oh, stop, STOP" Mr..
Lynch occu pied twenty minutes.
Mr.. Hobson of Wiscasset next got the floor.
Mr.. Hobson is business man and not an ora
tor, but the highest praise that can be accorded
him was that of Gen. Anderson when he took
the floor, (which was that the remarks of the
gentleman from Wiscasset when printed will
be found to be conclusive reasons of a business
man and sufficient to refute all that has been
argued ON the other side Mr.. Hobson spoke
thirty minutes.
Mr.. Frank Of Portland next got the floor and
made one of the best ten-minute speeches of
the session. 1t was practical, delivered with
effect, and carried conviction. He was con-
graduated by his friends, who lwere evidently
surprised.
Mr.. Keegan Clipped in next. He had been
promised ten minutes. He spoke with his US.
ual fuency, and towards the last with more
than his usual power. The Speakers hammer
called him down, but Gen. Anderson generous
ly offered him five minutes of his time, but
Keegan said it would take full hour for him
to impart all his knowledge on the question to
the House, SO he sat down.
II was now 40 SO that Gen. Anderson had
but twenty minutes. He devoted himself to
Keegan, and it may be justly added, swept
them away. Promptly at the hour of - Mr..
Pike claimed the floor. 1t was his half hour.
Gen. Anderson asked for five minutes to
close his point about the savings banks. "No,"
said Mr.. Pike, "the next half hour is mine and
need it ALL" Gen. Anderson again respect
fully asked the indulgence, of the House,
which was listening with the closest attention,
and it gave assent by silence, but Mr.. Pike We
hemently insisted and Gen. Anderson sat
down, almost in the middle of a sentence.
The moment Gen. Anderson was in his seat,
up jumped Mr.. Bass. 81 don't YIELD" shouted
Mr.. Pike, but Bass. imagining that the floor
belonged to the man who first gets it, isn't the
sort Of rooster to tamely yield. He merely
said that the Finance Committee wasn't agreed
relative to amending the bill. II yield five
minutes of my time," said Mr.. Pike, '"to the
gentleman from Burlington" Mr.. Porter then
produced the original papers to show that the
usury bill passed in 1870 was not signed by the
revising committee and also stated that be IA
vored the amendment of the bill. Mr.. Pike
then took the floor. He opened with some
warmth. The House was amused with his
satire and sarcasm, but he failed to treat the
question on its merits or answer 1.-THE telling ar
guments Of his opponents 1t was the old
story, intensified. When the hands of the
clock indicated IL 80 there were cries of slime"
question" Mr.. Pike demanded five minutes
more, on the ground that he did not get the
floor until five minutes after 70 o'clock. Shouts
of"Question," "Question," came from all parts
of the hall as often as Mr.. Pike undertook to
speak. Old frequenters of the House say they
w a on ot1nh
Mr.. Pike appealed to the chair for the five
minutes which he claimed. The Speaker STAT
ed that the question was to be taken