The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-03-06
+ amendment that the bonds sha

Another amendment that the bonds shall
not be sold less than par was also carried.
The bill as amended was then passed to be
engrossed.
The bill providing for the punishment of
tramps was taken up and amended by striking
out section five which allows any person to an
prehend offenders.
Plaisted of Lincoln moved to amend nv
striking out section one, which provides that
any person going about from place TO place
begging and asking or subsisting upon charity,
shall be taken and deemed to be tramp and
punished by imprisonment at hard labor in the
State Prison not more than fifteen months.
Also striking out section four, which provides
that any act OF begging or vagrancy by any
person not resident of this State shall be evil
dence that the person committing the same is
tramp, within the meaning of this act.
Verrill of Portland opposed the amend
ments. The bill was transcript of the New
Hampshire tramp law which had worked to
charm. He favored the bill as it came from
the committee
Mr.. Plaisted thought that the proposed rem
edy for the evils of tramps in this bill went
altogether too far. Under his own observation
many worthy but unfortunate men have ap-
piled to him for labor, whom this bill would
put into the State prison. Such a law is I'M
called for. He thought the tramp evil had
abated.
Mr.. Verrill said we read almost every day of
crime being committed all over the country by
tramps. Only short time since a heinous
crime was committed by tramp near Port
1oud q did pot
abated This bill applied to the professional
tramp.
The discussion was continued by Messrs.
GOss OF Bath, Lewis of Springfield and Sproul
of Veazie.
The House refused to strike out sections one
and four.
Mr.. Dickey moved to amend section one SO
thatit shall be applied to persons not residents
of this State.
Mr.. Young thought this would be offering
premium to all tramps to come into this State
and live.
The amendment was rejected. -,
On motion of Mr.. Verrill, the vote striking
out the fifth section was reconsidered, and the
section was amended in concurrence with the
Senate, by fixing the reward to be paid for the
arrest of tramps S..
Mr.. Lewis moved to amend section one, so
that any person refusing to work shall be
deemed a tramp.
Strout supported the bill. 1t was not aimed
at honest, handwriting, laboring men, but at
irresponsible and worthless men who were a
nuisance and a terror to the comm unity.
Dickey moved that the bill be indefinitely
o,,fro ~
Speaker Weeks called Crane of Winthrop to
the chair, and taking the flour opposed the bill
as being unjust, in the interests of Shylocks,
and one which increased our county liabilities.
Lewis withdrew his amendment.
Verrill moved to amend section one so as to
provide that if any person goes about begging
and asking or subsisting upon charity it shall
be evidence that he is tramp. Adopted.
The deba4e was continued by ingalls,, Strout,
Bradstreet, Verrill, Wilson and others.
Verrill moved to strike out the closing part
of section 5, relating to the payment of a re-
ward, and it was so voted.
The bill was further amended on motion of
Mr.. Verrill, by adding the following section
All the provisions of this act for penalties and
punishments sby imprisonment in the State
prison shall be construed to authorize the
courts imposing the sentence, to sentence
tramps to the State prison for shorter term
than one year in their discretion.
The bill as amended was then passed to be
engrossed.
Bill to amend the statutes so as to punish in
toxicated persons by sentencing them to labor
in the county prison was taken from the table
and given passage.
The bill to incorporate the Black Brook and
Swift River improvement Co. was amended
and then given passage.
The State Agricultural College bill was as
signed for Wednesday next.