The Portland daily press., 1883-03-01
A ~ ~ ~ ~ = 1As
Bills Designed to Tighten
Pauper Burdens.
Capital Punishment Bill Passed
With Important Amendments.
A Blow at the Proposed Consolidation
of the Boston Roads.
Mr.. Haskelrs Reform School Bill
Favorably Regarded.
The Legislative Apportionment Bill
RecOmmitted.
A Blew at the Proposed Consolidation
of the Boston Roads.
Mr.. Haskelps Reform School Bill
Favorably Regarded.
The Legislative ApportiOnment Bill
RecOmmitted.
Especial Despatch to the Press.l

UiSatO eh0 AhdbtS1J IL 10 pAieAuS Wudb DuEuOBS
the pauper bills are upon some of the hack
towns in the State, especially those surround
ed by plantations. Lexington in Somerset
county and Chester in Penobscot county have
been SO crushed under the weight of their pau
per expenses that they are anxious to relin-
quish their charters and revert into planta-
tions again. The evil has grown so great that
legislation is invoked to check it, and two
bills have been introduced this session for that
purpose, which are now on their passage.
Senator Lebroke has reported bill from the
judiciary committee relating to the support of
persons having no pauper settlement and re-
moving from unincorporated places into
towns. Under the present law, if one of these
alien paupers falls sick in an unincorporated
plantation, he applies to the adjacent incor-
porated town for aid. which is furnished, and
the town is reimbursed by the State; but if
said pauper becomes i'll in an incorporated
town, the authorities are obliged to make pro-
visions for his support, and receive no remun-
GRAFTON from the State. Senator Lebrokes
bill provides that in an instance like that last
mer toned, the State shall reimburse the
towns for the relief furnished. The other bill
was reported by Senator Stubs of Franklin,
from the committee on legal affairs. 1t pro-
vides that whenever any person, having pau
per settlement in a town, has lived or shall
have lived FIVE years in any unincorporated
place in the State, such persons and those
WIN derive their settlement from him shall be
deemed to have lost theiI settlement in such
town. This bill also strikes at great evil.
Pauper families not infrequently obtain set
tlement in some border town, and then re-
move to an outlying plantation, where they
are still burden upon the town for years. In
tn case OF Lexington referred to (whose pc
culiar experience l have already given in
previous letter in the PRESS one family of
paupers, who gained settlement soon after
the town was incorporated, their children and
grandchildren have cost the town $4,000,
computing interest on the money expended On
their behalf at per cent. If these two bills
become law it will lift burden from the lit
tlo frontier towns too heavy for them to carry.
SALE OF UNwHoLEsoME FOOD.
bin has been reported which Furnishes the
selling of the meat of calves under four weeks
old with imprisonment for thirty days or fine
of $50, or BOTH 1t also provides that whoever
sells any diseased, corrupted or unwholesome
provision for food or drink, knowing it to be
such. without informing the buyer, or fraudu-
lently adulterates for the purpose of sale, any
substance intended for food, or any wine,
spirits or other liquors intended for drink, SO
as to render them Injurious to health, shall be
punished by Imprisonment not more than five
years, or by fine not exceeding $1,000.
TAXATION OF DOGS
The law at present allows towns to vote
whether they shall tax dogs not. The dog
tax bill before The Legislature imposes an an
nual tax of 81 20 on each dog. Any person
keeping au unlicensed dog is liable
to fihe of $10 and the dog is to ne killed.
The penalty for stealing licensed dog or his
collar is $40. Towns are made liable for the
loss of sheep or other domestic animals killed
by dogs.
THE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT BILL PASSED.
in Name, after week of fierce debate, the
bill was today passed to be engrosssd in the
House, but ia such modified form as to be
denuded of its most Objectionable features.
The bill came up las unfinished business after
the morning hour. Mr.. Horr Of Lewiston
moved to refer it to the next Legislature
which proposition after an extended discus
sion, was voted down-74 to So. This was re-
garded as test vote. Mr.. Heath of Augusta
then submitted several important amend
ments, which were adopted Judge Hall of
Rockland closed the debate in a mastery and
eloquent speech, after which the bill was
passed to be engrossed. 1t goes to the Senate
tomorrow for its first reading and it will prob
ably pass that body and become a law. The
bill as amended provides that if the jury find
the respondent guilty of murder in the first
degree they may accompany their verdict with
recommendation of clemency, in which
case the judges shall commute the sentence to
imprisonment for life. The trial of person
indicted for murder shall be held before two
or more justices of the Supreme Judicial
Court and the prisoner shall be entitled to
twenty peremptory challenges instead of ten
and to challenge two of the jurors from the
panel when made up. and the closing argu-
ment shall be for defence. The date of exc
cution of capital sentence shall not be less
than one year nor more than fifteen months
from the day on which the sentence is
passed.
THE LEGISLATIVE APPoRTIoNAIENT
The Senate today, after protracted dis
cussion, voted to recommitt the resolves to
apportion the State for Senators and Repre-
sentatives. Sagadahoc county claims that she
is entitled to five Representatives and asks
that one be taken from Kennebec and assigned
her. On the other hand Kennebec claims
that she carries large Senatorial fraction,
which fact should be taken into consideration
in making up the Representative apportiou-
ment. Some compromise will probably be
adopted in committee. Two Senators will
probably be assigned to Somerset and one of
the Representatives awarded her in the appor-
tionment which has been recommitted will go
to Sagadahoc.
THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.
The committee on reform schools. at their
meeting this evening" voted to recommend an
appropriation of $4,000 for the Industrial
School for Girls at Hallowell, to be expended
iu the erection of new buildings, provided
the trustees raise similar sum.
MR.. HAsKELL's REFORM SCHOOL BILL.
The committee considered the bill presented
by Thomas FL Haskell, Esq, of Portland,
which prevents the sending of boys to the Re.
form School who have committed high crimes;
school to enable the boys to be in
structed in mechanical trades; requires trus-
tees to establish new rules for the direction of
officers and the government of the inmates.
specifying the punishment to be inflicted on
boys, which rules shall be approved by the
Governor and Council. The bill requires the
SUPERINTENDENT to keep a record of all punish
ments inflicted which shall be open to public
inspection. 1t also provides for the classifying
of boys for outdoor exercise, and that each
boy shal have his own clothing. Solitary con-
fnemtnt is prohibited except under the rules
of the trustees, and when inf cted it shall he
/ in suitable rooms with plenty of food. A
board of visitors is provided for, consisting of
two ladies and TWO gentlemen, who shall re-
! port 70 the Governor and Council. The COM
| 10 ho