Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-03-05

Th.ro were no vested rights TO fish IN the
-;xer that he knew of. Therefore the Dill
Ala NOT come within the meaning OF the
statute.
M THATCHER of Bangor took the ground
that il interfered with the private rights Oh
citizens.
Mr.. KKEsAx of Van Buren commended that
il was Of . public nature. and cited IN support
of his position that such acts had oeeh incoI-
porated into the public statutes. Inc Dill al,
fected all the inhabitants on the hennepec anu
also others who might wish to fish there. tie
therefore moved to Law il on the table ana
that it be printed.
Nes.rs. Goss of Bath and RowEL1 OF
uaIloweIl briefly discussed the merits of the
measure.
The motion to table and print prevailed.
ON motion of Mr.. KING of Caribou the
House took ND and accepted the report OF the
Committee on Towns, reporting bill an act TO
set off a part of the town of Caribou and an
mex il to Conner plantation. The bill had lis
two first readings and was laid on the tahie,
ordered to be printed and assigned tor 1 ues-
dav next for its third reading, on motion OF
Mr.. King.
On motion of Mr. VERRILL of Portland. the
order excusing Samuel Waters from further
attendance on this session of the legislature
was taken up and passed.
On motion of Mr.. STEorT of Portland;
Senate document No. Ga, was taken up and
assigned for Monday after the expiration OF
the morning hour.
Mr.. BRIDGHAM appointed on the commit-
tee to investigate the matter of State Bind
ing. being absent, Mr.. Mcclellan of South
Thomaston was appointed to fill the vacan-
cy.
8 nd
bill to restore the salary of the Deputy Clerk
of Courts for Cumberland county was taken
up, the question being on receding from the
vote of indefinite postponement and concur
ring with the Senate in giving it passage
Mr.. VERRILL gave briefly the facts in IA
vor of the bill When the present incum-
bent took the office it was understood that he
would have 81 200 year. After he had
accepted the position if was reduced to ST.
600 The majority of the Cumberland delega-
ton was in favor of restoring the salary, and
he contended that that county, doing business
with a capital of S5l 900. 000-tor that was
its valuation-should have the privilege of
fixing the salary of one of its officers,
especially when it was to pay the bill He
had figured out the cost of this salary to the
taxpayers, and found that he who was
assessed on 81 900 worth of property would
pay just one cent towards it.
Mr.. Folsom CT Oldtown denied that Cum
berland was unanimous for the bill. and said
the vote taken on the bill showed that eleven
out of the twentyfour were present and of
the eleven six voted against the bill and
five for it, He had no doubt what the result
would be if it could be submitted to the tax
PAYERS of that county. He compared the
work and salary of the CLERK in Cumberland
with that of the clerk in Penobscot, and said
if the bill should pass the clerk of Penobs-
cot county would have just cause to COM
plain if he was turned away without having
his salary raised He warned members that
the measure was an opening wedge for the
raising of salaries all over the State, and
argued that the overburdened taxpayers
would not submit to such thing.
Mr.. VERRILL replied.
Mr. FREEMAN of Cherryfield said the peo-
pie of Cumberland county, through large
majority of their representatives, asked to
have the salary of the Deputy Clerk of their
Courts restored to what it was when, through
some misapprehension possibly, it was re-
duced. If they wished this their wish should
be recognized 1t was nothing that con-
cerned the State. Nor had it anything to do
with other applications for increase of
salary that might have been made to
upon its own merits. If members did what
they thought right, then their constituents,
if they were offended, could send different
men to the next legislature who would do as
required. But members should not be asked
to do what they thought wrong.
Mr.. GOODWIN of Shapleigh discussed the
financial condition of the State, claiming
| that the debt of the State and municipalities
is about twenty millions of dollars. or $50
| to every individual in the State He claimed
that it was injustice to the people to increase
salaries at this time, and felt that he must
enter his protest against such a course.
Mr.. MORRILL, of Augusta said the matter
could be settled in moment if it was dives
ted of extraneous subjects and gentlemen
would cease to look upou it as the prelude to
an avalanche Of petitions for the raising of
salaries. He declared himself opposed to
the raising of the salaries of officers who had
been elected. understanding what their COM
pensation was to be. He would say to those
gentlemen that they must work for the wages
they had agreed to, unless there was some
overpowering reason why they should not.
The plain proposition here was whether the
wealthy county of Cumberland, having nearly
e-seventh of the wealth of the State. should
be allowed to raise the salary of one of its
faithful, Woodworking officers, from 81 900
to 81 $50. He thought this proposition need
ed no elaboration. He could give excuse for
himself or for anybody else who said to the
county of Cumberland, ''you shall not pay
your clerk another cent"
Mr.. FoLsoN replied.
Mr.. STROUT of Portland, closed the debate
supporting the bill. He did not propose to
discuss the gloomy pictures that had been
drawn of the State. The time might come
when that matter would be open to discus
cussion, when it would be found that there
were lighter shades to the pictures which gen.
tlemen were so fond of drawing. If every
member of the House should parade only
the amount he owed. not stating the
amount of property that he had with which
to pay, they might sit down by the cold
streams of Babylon and indulge in the
lamentations of jeremiah that would
put to shame everything which had been said
to-day. That was not the issue 1t was for
the House to say whether the county of Cum
berland could take care of itself.
On motion of Mr.. McCusIcK of Calais. the
bill was amended by reducing the amount
from 81. $50 to ZOO.
On motion of Mr.. STrRprvANT of Cumber
land, the yeas and nays vera ordered and
taken. resulting in the affirmative bv vote
of 50 to A.
The bill was then passed to be engrossed
under suspension of the rules
On motion of Mr.. ELDER of GRAY.
Adjourned