The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-02-19
Especial to Press.1

Dauger-The Land Scrip EnvesfisaIoh
Over-Dr. Jordan a self Convicted
Slanderer. etc.
Especial to Press.1
AUGUSTA, Feb. 18, 1876.
In the House nearly all the forenoon was de.
voted to the consideration OF the Maine Gen.
eral Hospital appropriation. Gen.. Anderson
ablv set forth the aims and claims of the Hos
pital in a speech of three-qaarters of an hour.
Mr.. Bass consumed, and as the vote shows,
wasted about the same time in advocating his
amendment. The Bangor member rather
wearied the House with the reiteration of his
objections and manifested its feeling by cheer
ing his oratorial flights to a greater extent
than their merit would warrant. Mr.. Bass was
signally defeated at every point as the votes
indicate. The emphatic vote is quite sur
prise to the friends Of the institution.
The emphatic vote in the Senate for the bill
abolishing capital punishment was not expect
ed by either party. The measure is not yet out
of danger as there is project to attack it in
both branches ON its formal passage. The
friends of the measure must not think their
victory secure yet. Victorious armies have
been defeated solely by having won too great
victories, which are followed by carelessness.
Mr.. Talbot of East Machias is taking the
yeas and nays by name on all important mat
tiers, probably to be used in campaign speech.
Il is said that he is quite anxious to carry the
bunting about which the Democracy will ''ser-
ry" for defeat the Centennial year. The Demo
cratic leaders. however, are looking for can
didate who has the ''snews of war; and will
pay for the honor by contributing freely.
The State College appropriation was dis ,uss-
ed in the House for two and half hours and
then unanimously passed. Mr. Talbot repeated
his speech of last year, which included some
thing of family biography, in which was de-
pcted the struggle of worthy and ambitious
young men to get through college.
Mr.. Porter secured the passage of an order
giving speakers ten minutes in which to rid
themselves of their eloquence. Later Mr.. Tai
BOT had the order re-considered and stated that
on an important question pending it was his
duty to the state to speak at length. There is
some anxiety as to the subject of this lengthy
infiction but it is surmised to be in advocacy
of Mains cider bill, which is now on the table.
Mr.. Talbot is striving for the Democratic can
didacy for Governor.
1t was the fees of the insurance department
and not the revenues of the Office which paid
the expenses of the Office to within eleven dol
lars. The tax collected was over twelve thou
sand dollars.
DR.. Jordan of the Bangor Commercial, was
the most uncomfortable man in Maine last
night. He was before the College Scrip Inves
tigating Committee and was questioned by
Senator Swasey, who had evidently forgotten
that there is statute for the punishment of
those who practice cruelty to animals. The
letters which Jordan published in the Standard
and which which were copied into the Argus
were used as basis of the examination. To
fully appreciate the examination one must read
the steuographic report which will be print
ed, but to appreciate the Doctors position one
must have been present at the examination.
He hesitated, equivooa ted, put on little bra
vado and made CHASTITY attempts to be joTial,
reminding one forci5ly of a man laughing at
funeral-and that too his own. He said that a
man is not to be held responsible fer what be
writes in hot political campaign, and testified
that although he had no evidence that the Gov
ernor and Council of 1866 sold the lands them
selves, yet he called them thieves and robbers
He could testify nothing about the sales of the
scrip and the list of prices which he said other
states sold scrip for. He could not fix the date
of the sale. 1t is enough to say that by his
own testimony DR.. Jordan stands convicted of
SANDER and lying. Hon. Hiram Ruggles, who
was chairman of the Executive Council when
the scrip was sold, next testified. He began
with the advertising, gavesthe papers 10 which
it advertised, alluded to the fact that in his
address to the Legislature in Jan. 1866, the
Governor said that the scrip was then adver-
parties in Maine to the proposed sales. When
the bids were opened he said it was found that
the offers were so low that it was question
with the Council whether or not they should be
taken, but as the trustees of the college had
asked for the sale they concluded to take the
highest. In addition to the pressing needs of
the college he said that the Council was further
induced to make the disposition they did of the
scrip because it looked as though Congress
might make a law comforting 100 acre war
/ rants to every man enlisted IN the late war,
such a measure being under consideration At
| the time these bids were accepted covering
II
| of Bangor men and such as he knew to besin-
| terested in land speculatiens to the prices at
| which it went. He brought it to the attention
| of Lancy. He said that Gov. Cony told him
| that he had never had a better offer of any ma
| ture than the bids under that advertisement.
| 10 reply to question relative to the price of
scrip at the time of, and just after the sale he
| produced circular Of large western dealer
| six months after the Maine sale, in which the
broker offered to sell college scrip for 800 to
1892 for 16O acres, and.offered to pay $e7 for the
| same quantity or Sc and 81 cents per acre re-
l spectively. This circular was found among
| some private papers of Gov. CoDy's by Mrs.
| Cony since this investigation begun. Mr.. Rug
| giles testified that he no interest in the bid.
| Mr. Kimball of Hermon, without consulting
| him bid for 5000 acres, and few months after
1 wards he purchased quarter of it when Mr..
| Kimball asked him to do SO. he was the only
state officer that to his knowledge ever owned
! one acre of the scrip
John Kimbal Of Hermon, testified that he
| was in Augusta as clerk, and after that legis.
lature adjourned, Misunderstanding any one,
| he bid for 5000 acres which he got. He kept it
some time and found some difficulty in dispos-
| ing of it so as to make profit of $50 on the
| entire purchase. He offered it to Mr.. Brown,
| who testified that hs bought some scrip OF
Kimball, but Brown refused to purchase at his
solicitation. He sold to Gen Hersey and Mr..
Ruggles.
This closes the testimony. Mr.. Bass, it may
be added, did not appear happy. There never
was greater failure and Mr.. Bass has done
the officials OF 1866 great service by forever
dIsposng of campaign scandal. s.