The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-09-17
Lewiston Journal.1
The Legislature of '31.
"Reminiscences Written by an Ex-Leeisla-
tor 80 Years Old.

In the Journal of May 18th, read the
"reminiscences of the State government of
1929, by w. D. Little; in the Portland Tran
script the death of Col. Geo. Jewett, the
last member of the Legislature of 1929. I
well remember Col. Jewett and many other
prominent members of the Legislature Of
1892, Of which was member,-the Hon.
Ruel Williams of Augusta, the Hon. VIM.
Clark of Hallowell, the Hon. Edw. Kent of
Bangor, the Rev. Ebcn Knovlton of Mont
vile, Benz. White of Monmouth, Speaker of
the House of 1892, and Others Among the
new members well remember the Hon.
Nathan Clifford of Newfield, the Hon. VIM.
2. Fessenden of Portland, Jon. Cilley of
Thomaston, Elijah L. Hamlin of Colum la,
Reuben B. Dunn of Poland, and many 9TH
er prominent members of that Legislature,
who have since been distinguished In the
annals of Maine.
tits true as the correspondent w. D. Lit
tie says that in 1929 and 80 the two political
parties were quite evenly balanced, but in
1882 the Democrats were largely in the as
tendency in both branches Of the Legisla-
ture and at this time there were many i'm
portant subjects prominently before the Leg
islature. The north eastern boundary uues-
ton, the re-charter of the United States
Bank, the city charter Of Portland and other
important subjects. At this time the north
eastern boundary question had become en-
barassing to the administration, SO much so
tina ia proposition was made by the admins
tration to the legislature of Maine to mr.
chase the 6ignnfQd torn for L. a.,
demnity or in other words to cede 1t to Great
Britain. This proposition was brought to
the Senate by Geo. Smith and resolves passed
the Senate and House under the Injunction
OF secrecy. While the legislature Was in
secret session you may well beliey4 the
papers and the people were IN great wonder
and excitement to know what the legislature
was doing in secret session but the iniunct-
ion was not removed and would not have
been till after the presidential election in
the fall If it had not been for an article that
appeared in the Augusta Daily Journal
signed Truth" which told the whole story.
The morning the Journal containing the
article was placed on our desks there was a
buzzing among the friends of the resolves.
The result was secret session, a committee
! to send for persons and papers to find out
| the member who had violated his oath of
secrecy. At the first meeting of the COM
mittee Luther Severance the editor of the
| Daily Journal, was before the committee
and answered several questions put to him
| by the chairman. The chair then put a
| question which he declined to answer and
asked time to consult counsel. At the next
meeting of the committee the same question
was propounded. He refused to answer and
demanded to see their journal of the House
SO he might know if they had right to de.
| mand an answer to that question. They
| could not show the journal without showing
all the proceedings of the House; and there
ended the doings of the committee and public
opinion soon put a veto on the proceedings,
the secret session and thus followed the
bloodless Aroostook war. Now, Mr.. Editor,
the doingss Of that Legislature become part
OF the early history of Name The members
OF that Legislature have almost all passed
away. know not one member of that
| legislature living except myself. The late
Hon. n 5. Littlefield of Bridgton, Secretary
OF the Senate, was the last one I knew of,
and am eighty-nine years old now.
j. N. FUTILE.