Daily Kennebec journal., 1878-02-06
House..
use.
TUESDAY, Feb. ).

TUESDAY, feO. ..
Speaker LORD in the chair
Prayer by Rev. Mr.. SARGENT Of Augusta.
Papers from the Senate disposed of in concur
renee.
Mr.. BoDwELL of IIallowel laid on the table,
to be printed, memorial of the executive commit
tee of the lndustr al School for Girls ut Hallowel
representing the condition of the school, and that
without an appropriation of S6 900 the school will
have to be closed.
On motion OF Mr.. WOODBURY. Of Houlton.
Ordered That the Committee on Legal Affairs
are requested to inquire into the expediency of
aboshing the Office of Insurance Commissioner,
and transferring the duties Of that Office to the
State Treasurer and Secretary Of State.
Mr.. FULLER, from the Committee on Interior
Waters, reported leave to wi hdraw on petition of
selectmen of Byron, for authority to coatIol the
waters of .Sw fl river.
Mr.. CHAPMAN from the Committee on Agricul.
ture, reported ought to pass on bill act to en-
courage the planting of trees. Printed under
rule.
Thr report of the Committee on Towns on bill
an act to Incorporate the town of West Rockland,
and the bill taken from the table on motion
OF Mr.. BIRD of Rockland, who NOV ed to indef
nitely postpone the whole matter.
Nr Bliss of Washington moved to postpone
until Thursday.
Mr.. BIRD opposed the motion.
Mr.. VERB of Winlhsm spoke in favor Of the
motion to postpone until Thursday.
The last motion was lost, and the motion to in
definitely postpone prevailed.
Bill act to amend the laws Of u, relating to
savings banks, came up on its passage to be en-
crossed
Mr.. PIERCE of Portland. moved to indefinitely
postpone.
| Mr.. KIMBAI.L of Bath said the bill proposed to
reduce the tax deposits in savings banks from
per cent. to ia per cent, a measure which the
situation Of the banks and the public demand.
Savings banks had suffered severely and their
surplus fund is small, aud he thought the small
relief which the proposed reduction would give
them should be granted by the legislature.
| Mr.. CURRAN of Calais agreed with the remarks
| of the last speaker, and favored a postponement
| for further discussion, that the matter might be
thoroughly understood.
On motion of Mr.. PnsBURy of Lewiston, the
bill was laid on the table and "Wednesday at 10
O'Clock assigned fer its further consideration.
Resolve laying a tax on the several counties Of
the State, on its passage to be engrossed was re-
| committed on motion Of Mr.. MOORE of Thomas
ton.
On motion of Mr.. WINsLow of Portland, bill
| an act to establish a bounty on bears, was taken
| from the table and indefinitely postponed.
On motion Of Mr.. WEEKS of Augusta, the re-
solve in favor of bridge Aroostook river, in
| the town of Ashland, was taken from the table.
| Mr.. PARKHuRsT of Maysve offered to amend
so that the money shall be expended under the
| direction of the county commissioners of Aroos-
| took county, pending the adoption of which the
matter laid on the table and assigned for Fri
| uay, on motlOn oil MI MOORE oil IhOfnastO0.
On motion of Mr.. WEEKS, resolve in favor of
i road leading from kingfeld TO Eustis, was taken
| from the table. read a second time and laid on the
| table and assigned for Friday, motion OF Mr..
| MoULToN of ScarhorO'.
| On motion of Mr.. BROWNE of Bowdonham,
bill an act TO vest the franchise and property OF
the Merrymeeing bridge in the inhab ants of the
| county Of Sagadat oc was taken from the table,
| and on motion of the same gentleman amended
by striking from sec. I, all between the words
| declared" in the twelfth line, and "to" in the
| eighteenth line, and inserting the words las votes
| for town officers are, shall be recorded by the
| clerk in the town record; true copies thereof
| sealed and attcstod shall be transmitted" lie
| stated that his amendment only simplfed mat.
| tcrs
| Mr.. LANCASTER of Wiscasset opposed the bill.
| (See remarks elsewhere).
| Mr.. BROWNE of Bowdoinham advocated the
bill and replied TO The last speaker. lie took no
| paItizan part in the matter. His constituents
| were divided. Bowdoinham was unanimous for
| it, Top-ham divided,and West Bath had said moth
| ing. lie said that the bridge is common
| thoroughfare connecting two parts of the county.
1t would be impossible for the western part of the
| county to reach the shire town without Merry
meeting bridge except by going miles out of the ir
| way. The bridge bad been built for great many
years and maintained by Bath for the greater part
| of the time. 1t had fallen into decay Bath no
| longer wishes to maintain the bridge. Towns in
terested IN the bridge have been obliged for the
1 J
is to submit to the people of Sagadahoc county
| the question whether they will loan their credit
to rebuild aud maintain the bridge. 1t does not
| contemplate placing the burden the county
| but leaves the county to manage the affair. He
denied the correctness of the statement that towns
in the south eastern part Of the county had asked
| for no aid to maintain its bridges. One of those
| towns had asked last winter to put one of its
| bridges on the county. If those towns were not
able TO maintain their bridges they had the same
privilege of asking aid that the petitioners for the
Bay bridge had. lie did not regard the charge OF
"novelty" as an argument against the bill. There
must be first time to everything. The question
over a main thoroughfare shall be allowed to go
to decay whether the county shall, if 1t so votes
assist in repairing the bridge. lie gave statistics
support Of the bill, and said that the last year
the bridge was in repair the city of Bath took for
tolls would decrease any