The Portland daily press., 1881-02-11
FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY II.
BI TELEGRAPH.
AUGUSTA.
IMPORTANT HEARING RELA-
TIVE TO THE SPRAGUE
ESTATE.
Bill to Regulate Railroad Charges
Killed.
Appropriations for Educational and
RefOrmatory Institutions.
AUGUSTA.
Especial Dispatch to the Press

Especial Dispatch to the Press.]
AUGUSTA, Feb. 10.
The following is the text of the bill in addi-
ton to chapter four of the Revised Statutes,
relating to elections:
Be it enacted By the Senate and House of Rep
resentdtiues in Legislature assembled, as fol-
lows:
1t shall be the duty of ward officers of cities,
selectmen of towns and assessors of planta-
tions, after the ballots given in at any State
election shall have been counted, and record
made of the same by the ward clerks of cities,
and clerks of towns and plantations, to cause
the ballots so given in to be enclosed in suit
able envelopes provided for the purpose by the
Secretary of State, sealed up in open meeting
endorsed across the sealed side thereof with a
statement of the contents, dated and signed by
the clerk and warden of every ward, the clerk
and selectmen of every town, the clerk and
assessors of every plantation, and deposited
with said clerks to be by them kept for the
period of one year after such election, subject
to the order of the Governor and Council, or
the Senate or House of Representatives.
The following is the amendment to this bill
offered by Mr.. Wheeler (fusion) of Etna:
Amend by adding to the last section the fol-
lowing: "And in any contested election case
in this State, which shall come before the
Governor and Council or the Legislature, the
ballots so preserved shall be legal evidence of
the acts of the voters at such election"
The Valuation Commission has finished its
labors and a report of its doings will be sent
to the Legislature on Friday of next week.
The Bangor parties who have been waging a
hot fight before the committee on the Pleasant
River Dam and Improvement Co., settled their
differences today by allowing the Katahdin
Company fifteen cents per thousand for logs
passing over the banks for two years.
The Rockland division case comes up N the
House tomorrow by special assignment, when
the question will be on the substitution of the
minority for the majority report of the COM
mittee. The minority report, which is signed
by one, gives the petitioners leave to with
draw, while the majority report signed by nine
members of the committee authorize ward 7
to be Incorporated into the town of West
Rockland.
Up to the present time the Governor has ap-
proved % acts and 2 resolves passed by the
Legislature.
The Judiciary Committee gave hearing,
which consumed nearly the whole afternoon,
to persons interested in the A. & W. Sprague
estate. Orville D. Baker of Augusta appeared
for q. Chaffee, trustee, and E. F. Webb of
Waterville and Judge Titco NIB of Augusta
appeared for the creditors of the estate hold
ing notes secured by trust mortgage from the
Spragues to Chaffee, their trustee.
The hearing was very important as we'll as
interesting one, and the committee gave their
undivided attention to the arguments of coun-
sell. Chaffee asked for bill to form new
corporation by the holders of the trust notes,
the same as new corporations are formed by
the bondholders of railroads when there is de-
fault, the new corporation to embrace all the
property in Maine and property in other States,
and the capital stock to be increased from
time to time. The claim was set up that the
Legislature had right to pass such bill and
that it is for the interest of the Sprague credi-
tors to dispose of the property belonging to the
estate by converting it into stock and selling it
in shares; that in this way the creditors will
get their money more speedily and more of it.
Those opposed to this proposition took the
ground that the Legislature could not pass any
law which should modify the original contract
between the Spragues and Chaffee, and to
which the creditors have assented in writing;
that when the creditors received their notes,
law in Maine authorizing majority of the
stockholders to form new corporation and
issue stock to take the place of the notes; that
the term of the trust deed directed Chaffee to
sell the property and apply the proceeds pro
rata among the creditors; that his duties were
defined by the deed and the Legislature could
not interfere, and that the A. & W. Sprague
Company being the company incorporated by
the Legislature of Rhode Island, was foreign
corporation, and our statutes relating to fore
closure do not apply to foreign corporations,
nor to property outside of the State.
The committee adjourned the hearing until
next Tuesday for counsel to prepare written
briefs to be submitted on these legal PROPOSE
tions.
During the hearing it was stated that Mr..
Chaffee has under his control nineteen mil
lion dollars worth of the Sprague property, of
which $1,2O0,0O0 is in this city, and the rest in
Massachusetts,, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island, North Carolina and District of Colum-
bia.
The committee on commerce voted to re-
port resolution relating to the He'll Gate
pilot laws of New York, the preamble to which
invites the legislature of that state to the fact
that last winter the Maine legislature called
the attention of the New York legislature to
these pilot laws, and that the ship-owners of
Maine are justly indignant with them as they
compel their vessels using the passage through
the sound to the sea to pay pilotage, whether
the services of pilot are required or not,
thereby imposing burden not warranted by
the constitution; and that whereas the gov
ernment of the United States has expended
several millions of dollars in removing the
reefs of the He'll Gate passage making it COM
paratively safe for vessels passing through,
and rendering the services of pilot unneces-
sary, the New.York legislature is respectfully
asked to so amend their pilot laws that the
grievances of our citizens may be removed.
The same committee will also report resolves
relating to the removal of the obstruction to
navigation over East river, New York, by the
bridge across it, and calling the attention of
Congress to the fact through our delegation.
The State Prison Committee, with Gov.
Plaisted and Messrs Robie, Wilson and Hink-
ley of his Council, returned tonight from
visit to that institution. The prison was sub.
jected to thorough inspection and the books
and methods of doing business carefully ex-
amined.
The Committee on Legal Affairs will report
bills to incorporate the Union Cemetery Asso-
citation of Auburn; to fix the time for the en-
forcement of liens; relating to civil actions in
which the State is a party. The committee
will report adversely on orders relating to the
the appointment of inspectors of stationary
steam engines; relating to deputy sheriffs pay
ing certain portion of fees to sheriffs, and Pc
tition to abolish the Common Council of Au-
burn On Tuesday next they will give hear
ing to those interested in minority representa-
ton.
The Agricultural Committee will report the
standard weight Of Turks Island and other
coarse grades of salt shall be seventy pounds
per bushel, and Liverpool and other finer
grades sixty pounds per bushel They will re-
port adversely on petition asking that the stan
dard weight of oats be increased from thirty to
thirty-two pounds per bushel. They will re-
port enlargement of the Agricultural report
from 200 to 400 pages.
The educational committee will report an
annual appropriation of $500 for the next two
years for Oak Grove Seminary in Vassalboro.
The committee gave hearing to parties who