Daily Kennebec journal., 1879-01-30

he called attention to sec. 3, which provides
that the bill shall go into effect when approved
by the Governor. After the bill had been
gone through with, it would be an easy matter
to amend to have the act take effect April LIST,
~. to apply to all except the Governor and
Judges.
Mr.. SrAuLpING of Richmond raised the
point that he had yesterday offered an amend
ment to the amendment under consideration,
and that would be first in order, and the
chair sustained the point.
Mr.. SPAULDING said his amendment was
that the salaries fixed should be in full for
all official services, which explained itself
Mr.. BoYNToN of Bangor, said the bill fixed
the salary of the Clerk of the House and Sec
rctary of the Senate. If the amendment of
the gentleman from Augusta (Weeks) pre-
vailed, those officers would draw their com
pensation without any reduction; because the
legislature would adjourn before the bill took
effect.
Mr. SPAuLDING withdrew his amendment,
and gave notice that he would again offer it
after amendment "B" had been acted upon.
Mr. WEEKS stated that he had offered his
amendment because it had been suggested
that it is doubtful whether the reduction will
begin on the first day of Jan. 1879.
Mr. BoYNToN of Bangor, moved to amend
the amendment by striking out april and
inserting Jan.
Mr. BRowN of Bangor opposed the amend
ments because the bill is now plain. 1t had
been drawn with great care, and sec . was
transcript of the law us il existed from 30 to
'67
Mr.. WEEKS accepted the amendment Of
fered by Mr.. Boynton.
Mr.. DICKEY of Ft. Kent, objected to the
amendment on the ground that the Legisla-
! I'm has pn ri tn y bn of Staf ntH
GERS for services that have been performed un-
der existing Inv.
Mr.. FARRINGToN of Frveburg, believed the
House desire to scale down the salaries of the
State officers. and that they desire that it shall
commence with the year 1879, and he could
not see why gentlemen should desire to post
pone it. Commence the reduction on the first
of January, and gentlemen holding official
positions would take notice and govern them
selves accordingly.
Mr. GILMAN NofMeddybemps, of inquired if the
legislature could reduce salaries which had
already accrued under the old law
Mr. HATCH, of Alton said it was customary
for corporations TO have men commence work
and fix their wages after such commence
ment. He thought that was the case here.
| They have taken the offices with the under
standing that their salaries are to be fixed by
the legislature.
Mr. HILLS of Union failed to see that the
amendment effected anything.
Mr. Fox ofPortland, said he had had some
thing to do with the drawing of the report
and bill. The committee understood and in
tended to report, and did report unanimously
that the salary of the Governor should be
81, 900 per annum: that it should be payable
on and after the first Wednesday ofJan. 1850.
the Constitution prohibiting reduction this
year. On the first of April. 80 as the com
mittee understood it., the Governor would
draw $500, it would be the same on the first
of the following July Oct. and Jan. In re-
lation to the other public officers. on the first
of April. July and Oct 70, and Jan. so they
would draw their salaries. The committee
had so understood it, and directed him to
draw the bill in accordance with that under
standing. If gentlemen would turn to the
! language of the statute they would see that
the same phraseology had been used in the
bill
Mr.. PERny of Camden, was in favor of the
act taking effect when approved.
Mr.. FARRINGTON, suggested that it was
not the intention of the committee that was
to govern the salaries, but the language in
the bill. If there was any doubt, why not
adopt the amendment.
| Mr.. WILSON of Thomaston, thought the
language in the section plain. He ridiculed
the idea that the bill should go back to Jan
1879. The operation of it would be to pay
the salaries from the time the act was ap-
proved.
The amendment was then rejected by
vote Of 40 to so.
| Mr.. SPAULDING of Richmond. then offered
his amendment that the salaries named in the
bill shall be in full for all official services,
which was adopted.
Mr.. WEEKS of Augusta, then moved to
amend so that the salaries shall commence
April lst. 1879.
Mr.. WILSON raised the point that it was
out of order, when Mr.. WEEKS changed it
to March lst 1879.
Mr.. FARRINGToN of Fryeburg then moved
to amend the amendment by making it Feb.
LIST. During the last political canvass the
question Of cutting down salaries to reduce
taxes was earnestly and carefully discussed.
and he knew of no party but that took ground
that the expenses of the State must be reduced.
We face this spectacle this morning. that
this doctrine of cutting down is good enough
a year hence when some body else holds
these positions; but it is not good enough
now. Every gentleman who has accepted
official position has done so with the express
understanding that the salaries were to be re-
duced by this legislature. He moved the
yeas and nays on his amendment.
| Mr.. WILSON of Thomaston, sorry to
differ with his friend from Fryeburg Earring
TOM He regarded the point raised by the
amendment as frivolous. He thought the
section well enough as it was. Let the sub
stance of the bill be disposed of, then its
minor points could be attended to.
Mr. You've of Brunswick. thought the
trouble here arose from general feeling of
distrust one of the other. 1t seemed to be,
to use IA somewhat profane illustration, that
we are all trying to see the other and go a
little better. All Of us are equally interested
There is here no taxpayers party and no anti
taxpayers party, as he understood it. We
all come here to do what we can for the pro-
motion of the interests of the State. We are
all in the position of the man, who when re-
proved by somewhat unscrupulous minister
for swearing, said, sit is all right. You
pray little and | swear little but neither
of us mean anything by it." We fling these
things back and forth if some of us were
here to oppose retrenchment and some ofus to
advocate it. 1t seems that the whole theory of
a republican government lies in the fact that
is so often talked ofin our school houses that
| every boy may become Pres sdent Ofthc Init