The Portland daily press., 1880-03-08
BY TELEGRAPH.
AUGUSTA.
John q. Goddard Pardoned by
the Governor.
THE BELLIGERENT SAWYER
TO BE ARRESTED FOR
CONTEMPT.
Important Bill Concerning the
State College.
Especial Dispatch to the Press. ]

AUGUSTA, March 6.
An effort was made in the House today to
have three daily sessions, commencing ON
Wednesday of next week, but that branch did
not think it necessary. In fact the business is
being SO rapidly disposed of that the House did
not consider it necessary to hold session this
afternoon, but adjourned over as usual to Mon
day afternoon. P. A. Sawyer having refused
to appear before the Hale investigating COM
mittee to testify as to the theft of the state
seal, the House directed the Speaker to cause
his arrest and have him brought before the
committee. The Senate concurred with the
House in giving passage to the resolve call
ing for four per cent. loan of $780,, 900, and
also to the resolve favoring an act of Congress
to grant pensions to the veterans of the Next
can and Aroostook wars. Among the bills
passed by the House was one authorizing the
Norway Branch railroad company to lease its
line to the Grand Trunk The Senate con-
CURED in the action of the House in defeating
the bill relating to the management of the In
sane Hospital, the objects of which have
been changed from what the friends of the
measure wanted.
The Governor has pardoned John II. God
dard OF Cape Elizabeth
Gov. Davis left for his home this afternoon,
but will return on Monday.
The resolve appropriating $4,000 for re-
uniforming the militia was signed today by
the Governor.
The bill restoring the salary and number of
judges of the S. j. Court will be taken up on
Tuesday in the House. There is disposition
to put the salary. back again to what it was,
but Mr.. Hatch, one of the Republican repre-
sentatives from Bangor, has given notice that
he shall oppose the restoration of the number
of judges.
The State printing and binding accounts of
last year will be investigated at once, as we'll
as the expenditures on warrants issued by Gov.
Garcelon for which no. vouchers are on file
and which are as follows for the year 1879:
Warrants in favor of Alonzo Garcelon, Dec.
oath, for $1,000 from the appropriation for mil
itary purposes, to be expended in protecting
the public property; Dec. 31st, for $4,000 from
the Free High School fund for police expenses
Dec. 31st, for $1,000 from contingent fund for
Governor and Council, for counsel fees and
professional services for State. (This amount
was probably paid A. P. Gould for his services
~ oiiO iiA"uudiiiuo CdoO.I lOIdl, |OUUU on war
rants drawn in favor of Garcelon. Dec. 31st,
warrants drawn in favor of A. j. Cameron for
$4,000, for stitching and binding undelivered
from Free High School fund.- Dec. Doth, in
favor of e. F. Pillsbury & Co., for $1,000, from
State printing appropriation; Oct 7th in favor
of e. f. Pillsbury & Co., for $500. advance
payment on printing House Journal There
was, Dec 31st, another warrant in favor of
Adjutant General Leavitt for $1,000, taken
from the military appropriation. This amount
has recently been covered into the treasury by
Leavitt.
In accordance with the unanimous instru c.
tions of the House today, Speaker Weeks is
sued his warrant this afternoon for the ARE st
OF Prince A. Sawyer, late fusion Secretary of
State,for contempt in refusing to obey the sum-
mons of the committee CD Investigating cleo
ton returns to appear before them. 1t is the
second case in the history of the State where
party has been brought before the bar of the
House to purge himself of contempt, the first
instance happening in 1858, when Josiah H.
Drummond of Portland, then of Waterville,
was Speaker. The warrant has been placed
in the hands of Asbury f. Haynes, Messenger
OF the House, who will start on Monday morn
ing next for Phillips, where Sawyer resides,
and, if Sawyer is found, Haynes will take
him into custody aud bring him here SO that
he can be arragned before the bar of the
House at once.
The power of the Legislature to punish such
contempt, as we'll as the penalty imposed, is
derived from the constitution of the State.
Sec. 6, part 3, of article 4, reads:
Each house, during its session, may punish
by Imprisonment any person. not member,
Tor disrespectful or disorderly behaviour in its
presence, for destroying any of its proceedings,
threatening, assaulting oriabusing any of its
members for anything said done or doing in
either house; provided, that no imprisonment
Shall extend beyond the period of the SEES
sions'
The House will resolve itself into COM
mittee OF the whole when Sawyer is brought
before it, and if, in his contumacy, he refuses
to purge himself of contempt he will be COM
mitted to one of the committee rooms in the
Capitol and there imprisoned until the session
closes.
Ii Sawyer shall not avoid arrest by absent
ing himself, he may attempt by a writ of
habeas corpus to test the legality of his arrest
or he may go further and undertake to test the
legality of the organization of the House be-
fore the Supreme Court.
J. w. Spaulding of Richmond has been
made Reporter of Decisions.
The report of the joint standing committee
on the State College of Agriculture, published
in this mornings PRESS, was presented by Mr..
Springer OF Yarmouth. Accompanying the
report was the following bill, which will come
up for consideration on Wednesday next, and
which will occasion lively contest:
SECT. The course of study at the college shall
be restricted to three years.
SECT. 2 During the three years physical geog-
raphy, arithmetic algebra, rhetoric geometry bot