Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-02-16


TO INCORPORATE the Skowhegan and Athens
Railroad Co came up on their passage to De
engrossed and were recommitted TO the Com
mittee on Railroads on motion Of Mr.. BRAD
street Of Bridgton.
Bill an act TO regulate the practice in equi-
ty proceedings was taken up and recommi'ted
10 the Judiciary Committee, on motion OF
Mr. STRouT of Portland.
On motion of Mr. HATcH Of Bangor the
House took up the bill to authorize the Gov-
vernon, upon application Of the Attorney
General. or of the County Attorney OF coun-
ty where a murder is supposed to have been
committed. to employ some suitable person
to investigate such supposed murder, such
person SO employed t. be paid his necessary
expenses and a reasonable compensation, his
account to be approved by the attorney gem
eral and such county attorney, and audited oy
the Governor and Council.
Mr.. H.1cH moved 10 amend By striking
out all after the words ''attorney general In
the 9th line and inserting the words ''auihor-
ize some civil officer or suitable person 10
conduct such investigation" Also to amend
so that the bills shall be approved by the At
tornev General only: also that the ex-
pense in any case shall not exceed $500. Mr.
Hatch explained the necessity for his amend
law. which he doubted then the abuse of il
should be guarded against.
Mr. STRouT Of Portland said the measure
was suggested by the attorney general, and
that in some cases that had arisen it had been
found there was necessity for it. He
thought the bill carefully guarded. he
had no particular objection 10 the first amend
ment, which provided that application to the
governor should be made only by the attor-
new general He objected to the other amend
ments.
Mr. HATCH spoke further in opposition 10
the BILL and in favor of his amendments. He
claimed that such Law would food our
State with detectives, eager to magnify
matter into a crime in order to profit by it.
Mr. HurcHINsoN of Houlton gave his
views as to the construction to be placed up
on the bill. He opposed the amendment lin
iting the compensation TO $500, and thought
that in such a matter the officers should not
be crippled in their financial resources, per-
haps at moment when they had nearly sue
ceeded in arresting culprit.
Mr.. FoLsoM of Oldtown, opposed the bill
because he believed 1t to be a measure to in
crease somebody's salary, or to run some
body's arms into the State treasury.
The first amendment offered was then
adopted.
Mr.. TALBOT, of East Machias adv ocated
the bill without further amendment. Sta
tistics would show that murder in this State
had become about as common as new moons.
The proposition was to put up some safe
guards. Five hundred dollars would be en-
tirely inadequate to the purposes of the bill.
Mr.. HATCH, withdrew his second amend
ment, and proposed another to sec. 2, which
was adopted. He stated that the Attorney
General had seen his amendments and ap-
proved of them.
Mr.. KEEGAN, of Van Buren,. was rather in
different to the fate of the BILL but desired if
passed that it should not be so amended As to
make it ridiculous.
Mr.. BRADsrREEr of Bridgton thought the
amendment limiting the compensation would
defeat the object of the measure. II the bill
was to be killed it should he accomplished
directly and not by amendment
The amendment as to compensation was
then rejected.
Mr. EATON of Camden thought the bill in
sufficient to accomplish the purposes desired.
He claimed that the trouble was in the
law for the punishment of murder.
Mr.. FREEMAN of LincOlnville spoke in favor
of the bill. He was opposed to stinting Off
GERS in the matter of funds to ferret out the
treasury being robbed in this matter.
Mr.. FoLsoN Of Oldtown moved to indefn-
itely postpone, which was voted down.
The bill was then passed to be engrossed.
On motion of Mr.. BRkDsTEEr of Bridgton
bill an act to incorporate the Oxford and An
droscoggin Telegraph Co. was taken from
the table and passed to be engrossed.
The House took up by special assignment
the majority and minority reports of the
Committee on Temperance on bill an act to
amend sec. IS. chap. 81 of the revised
statutes. relating to the sale of intoxicating
liquors. The bill provides for the return to
police and municipal judges and trial JUS
tees, lists of convictions in the higher court
under the liquor law, which shall be deemed
knowledge on the part of such justices of
such former convictions. within the meaning
of the law. The majority report is in favor
of the bill, the minority report against it.
Mr.. FISHER of Boothbay the gentleman
making the minority report. moved that it be-
substituted for the majority. and spoke in
favor of his motion. He regarded the bill as
piece OF complicated machinery, expensive.
and an attempt to create an official or ju-
dicial knowledge by mere act of the Legis-
lature.
Mr.. Cook of Lewiston spoke in favor of
the majority report, and explained that the
purpose was to enable the lower courts to
allege former convictions in their warrants
when such convictions actually existed.
The bill was further discussed by Messrs
keegan of Van Buren,. Verrill of Portland,
Morrill, of Augusta, Talbot of East Machias.
Folsom of Oldtown and others.
Mr.. MORRILL, Of Augusta, called for the
yeas and NAYS, which were ordered and taken,
resulting in the substitution of the minority
report that the bill ought not to pass, as fol
lows:
YEAs.-Messrs. Allen. Averill, BARTLETT Boothbv
Bragg, BRIGHAM. Brown. Buck, Crosby of Whit
ing. Cushman. Eldred. Emery, Estes, Fisher. Fol
Hudson, Goodwin of Shapleigh, Harding, Hatch,
Heath. Hersom, Hutchinson OF Lewiston, Hutchin.
son of Houlton, Jones of Winthrop, JOY, keegap.
kennison. kimball. Leighton, Libby. Linscoti,
son o. Linneus. Nickels, Moves. Packard, Parker,
Parsons. Pitcher. Rove, Richie, Staples of DAYTON
staples OF Farsonsfeld Staples OF Elliot Sturdivanf
ialtot, Thatcher. Torrev, Trafton. True, Trufant.
of EtDa, Wilder ,.
NAYS.-Messr.. Achorn. Andrews, Berry, Bird
Boody, Bradstreet of Brdgton. Bragion, Burneli,
Burr Clark, Cook. Freeman OF Cherry field, Goodslc
Jordan. Kendall. King. Lang. Leavitt, Livermore
Lord Of kennbsunk, NaIlett, Marble, Marston.
Means, Morrill, Norris, Nutter. Partridge Perley.
i'urinton, Redon; Rowell. Sargent. seavey. shaw.
Sprague, Strout Of Portland, Strout of Cape
Elisabeth. Tarbox, Varnev, Wentworth Of Gar,ii.
ner, Wheeler of Eas'on. White. wymsn.-5I.
On motion Of Mr.. STABLES of Elliot.
Adjourned.
READ AND ASSIGNED.
An &C: to amend item 9Th of sec. "a, of