The Portland daily press., 1877-02-12
AUGUSTA CORRESPONDENTS.
The Last Hours of the Legislature-Fare
well Words-NOtables of the Senate and
House.
AUGUSTA, Feb. 10, 1877.

AUGUSTA Feb. 10, 1877.
To the Editor of the Press
The State House was lonesome scene at
half-past ten this morning. In the Offices
opening out of the rotunda the clerks were at
work as usual, and one or two belated members
were receiving their pay at the Treasury depart
ment; few visitors sat in the window recesses
or fingered about the fountain, but on going up
to the Hall of Representatives found scene of
emptiness and desolation. The visitors chairs
and the loose desks had been taken away, the
floor was Uttered with bits of paper, and the
air of the unwarmed room was filled with
floating particles of DUST The sole occupants
were some members of Gen. Harriss staff, who
were sweeping vigorously in the rear of the
seats, assisted, or, rather headed by the jolly
and irrepressible Jack Libby, the engineer,
who besides attending faithfully to his special
department of warming the building, finds
time to lend hand in almost everything going
on where it is possible for him to be of service,
and is ever ready to act the helpful part of the
good Samaritan. The air of the place was
chill and ungenial and was glad to descend
into the rotunda.
AT the Augusta House the scene was no
more inspiritng. Almost everybody that had
not taken the morning Pullman train went away
on the II 40 train, and at haf-past eleven the
house, which for the last five weeks has been
busting with life, had resumed the unfre-
quented appearance charact eristic of.the sum-
mer months. The clerks loitered idly in the
Office, and the open page of the register, un-
marked by any name, showed spotless white
beneath an elaborate and well shaded "Sqtur.
day, Feb. TO-" Mr. Whitehead, the proprietor.
spoke cheerfully in reply to my comments on
the loneliness of the surroundings, but there
was tinge OF pathos in his voice as of a man
that had seen his harvest vanish ere it was half
gathered. l don't think any of the Augusta
hotel keepers feel we'll toward Pike of Calais,
whose fault it is that the Legislature are
separating at this unseasonably early day, and
L cannot blame the hotel and clearinghouse
keepers of the capital if they cherish hard
feelings toward that rushing legislator.
The Legislature met last evening at nine
o'clock and adjourned sine die at ten inmates
past one this morning. Besides the routine
bills of the end of the session, there were the
sayings bank bill, the bill in relation to tipping
ohOps, ohN ooA1S oohOAS eAdG h0pG Iu0 OeOat6
we'll occupied through the evening In the
meantime. the normal condition of the House
was one of recess, and the members employed
the time in the delights of mock session.
"Tap" Chase, Hinckley of Bluehll, Brown
of Bowdoinham, Hadlock of Cranberry Isles
Wadsworth of Manchester, and Chadbourne of
WATERFORD successfully occupied the chair
and presided over the action on farcical bills
the most of which were flat enough, but some
were really funny, and all went off funnily,
hanks to the irresistible comicality of the
member from Bluehill, whose appearance is
that of the abbot of convent of jovial monks
Occasionally the House came to order to take
action on some business sent down from the
Senate, after which it went to play again.
So the night wore on until the end of bust
ness came with the communication from the
Governor transmitting the list of acts and re-
solves passed during the present session and
approved by him, and announcing that he had
no further communication to make Then the
usual complimentary resolutions were passed
rendering thanks to the subordinate officials
and the Speaker. Mr. Nealey addressed to the
! House the following farewell remarks: