The Portland daily press., 1880-01-31
THE LEGISLATURE.
Bill to Prevent Colonization Frauds
Passed-The State Valuation-Resolu
tions of Thanks to Wisconsin = The
Maine General Hospital Asks for $4,000.

were mischievouS, and that the proposed
amendment was just and proper, as it did not
deprive anybody of the right to vote.
Mr.. Patten Fusion) of Penobscot said that
his first impressions were against the bill He
lived in ward 8 in his own city (Bangor) and
might move to ward Z, in which case, if he
he would be obliged to travel back and forth
for the purpose. He opposed the bill.
Mr.. Harris of Washington favored. 1t only 4,
requires voters to live sixty days in a ward in
stead of thirty as the law now stands.
The rules were suspended and that bill was
passed to be engrossed.
The committee on navigation reported bill
to allow Charles w. Howard to dredge and
navigate Rangely lake for ten years. 1t was
read and assigned.
There are now but four vacant seats in the
Senate.
Mr. Strout, from the Judiciary Committee,
which was directed to inquire into the legaliS
of taking as basis Of State taxation for the
ensuing year the valuation of the State as now
established, made the following report:
Article tx, section of the constitution is as
follows: "Whie the public expenses shall be
assessed on polls and estates general valua-
ton shall be taken, at least once in 10 years.
This is the only provision of the constitution
bearing upon this subject. In constituting it no
aid could be gathered from the context, from
other provisions of the same instrument nor
from the journal OF the convention by which 1t
was framed
The constitution of Massachusetts, which
undoubtedly afforded guide to the trainers OF
our constitution, contains this provision, that
"there shall be valuation of estates within
this commonwealth taken once in every ten
years at least and as much oftener as the gem
eral court shall order" This provision is I'M
doubtedly the same as that found in the con-
stitution of this State, except that the words
''and as much oftener as the general court
shall ORDER are omitted in our constitution. 1t
is quite likely that the clause last named was
considered as surplusage.
The committee are of the opinion that the
constitution requires that an actual valuation
shall be taken the present year and completed
before the first day of April next. Yet if I'M
der the exigencies of the case full valuation
cannot be taken within that time, the Leglsla-
ture may take valuation based upon the pre-
sent valuation and such additional informa-
ton as they can obtain, and that such valua-
ton established by resolution properly word
ed would be held to be a sufficient compliance
with the constitutional provision, although 1t
is designed to stand for only one year. Al
though the COHStlGublOu CUuttulpldbco
the taking of the valuation at least once
in ten years, there seems to be no reason why
it NAV not be taken as much oftener as the
legislature may deem advisable, and that II the
valuation taken this year should prove lnsuf1-
Gent new valuation might be taken by the
Legislature of next year.
Before the report was accepted and ordered
printed Mr. Hale of Ellsworth arose and said
that the question submitted to the Judiciary
Committee was simply to inquire as to the legal
ity of the adoption in some form or other of the
old valuation for a year. l have no doubt, said
Mr.. Hale, that in an emergency, and the ques-
ton is to be settled by the Legislature, whethei
an emergency has arisen, it is competent on
the part of the Legislature by resolution such
as the report says, in proper wording, to adopt,
not in form but in figures and in words, the
old valuation of 1870, and thereby make it a
valuation for a year or for two or three years
have no doubt but that it would be the legal
taking of a valuation for tie time. 1 hope
something of some kind or other will be arriv-
ed at soon, because if valuation is to be taken
there is no time to be lost. The seats have
been filling up rapidly land I hope that all con-
stituencies will soon be represented.
"A DILL WIS fopOItcu NY tuc cuuioiaiJ Oohh
mittee giving charter to the Ocean Street
Railroad Company, the incorporators OF
which are John Reed, Charles Goodridge, John
T. Frye, Jason M. Carleton, S. FL. Tewksbury
j. Porter Tyler, David Moulton and their sue.
cessors and assigns. The object is to construc
horse railroad from point of junction with
the road running to Morrill, Corner, along
Ocean street on back bay to East Deering neal
Portland The capital stock is not to exceed
$4,000 in the first instance, but may be increas-
ed by stockholders representing two-thirds OF
the capital stock. Read and assigned for to
morrow.
Mr.. Strout of Portland presented the petit
ton of j. D. Gilman and others, managers Of
the Maine General Hospital for the usual an
nual appropriation of 5000. Referred to the
Finance Committee.
A bill was presented and referred regulating
the salary of the Judge of the Police Court in
Rockland by giving him fees
The Judiciary Committee were directed te
inquire into the expediency of abolishing the
Calais municipal court; what amendment il
necessary to chap 40 of Revised Statutes fol
the protection of holders of policies of life in
surance.
The Committee on Legal Affairs were di
rected to inquire what amendment of the
statutes concerning the organization of mining
and manufacturing corporations under tho gen
eral law are expedient.
The Committee on Elections were directed
to inquire whether OF not the seats OF the Rep
resentatives from the Minot and Kennebunk
districts have become vacant by operation Of
the law or otherwise and if vacancies are
found to exist to report a resolution declaring
the fact and ordering a new election in said
districts.
The House ordered that all educational mat
tiers concerning the State College be referred
to the Committee on Education, and that they
inquire as to the present condition Of that in
stitution and what changes, if any, are expedi
emit or desirable. The same committee was di
rected to provide for a uniformity of text books
in our common schools and to prevent theil
too frequent change. Also expediency Of
amending sec. IS, chap. II, of r. S., so as to
authorize the graduates from the several Nor
NAL schools to teach in any school in the State
below the High School, without q certificate
from the Superintendent school committee OF
supervisor, and not be subject to the penalties
mentioned in the section referred to-
Mr.. Perry fusion) of Camden presented the
following:
Ordered, That the Judiciary Committee be
instructed to inquire into the necessity of re-
pealing sec. %, chap. of the Revised Statutes,
which reads as follows:
ssNo person shall be allowed to vote or take
part in the organization of either branch of the
Legislature as member unless his name ap-
pears on the certified roll of that branch
Mr.. Perry said that the object he had in pre-
senting this order was a good one, inasmuch as
it aims to repeal law which has outlived its
usefulness and essentially been pronounced I'M
constitutional by the recent opinion of the
court; and if this honorable body takes kindly
to removing the debris from our Revised
Statutes the door will be open for further re-
form in this direction.
The order was passed
Bill an act relating to the removal of electors
from one ward to another was read twice, and
under suspension of the rules was passed to
be engrossed.
Bill an act relating to persons who falsely as
sumo to be State officerss was passed to be en-