Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-01-31

matter would be postponed until after the re
ports of committees had been made. So tina
meritorious appropriations might not be GU
off He moved to table.
Mr. Wilson of Paris saw nothing to bt
gained BY laying it on the table. II con
tanned many general statements to which al
could subscribe. but as a whole it appeared
to be an attempt to forestsll legislation upor
several matters. 1t grouped the higher in
situations under one head and attempted to lay
down one rule which should apply to them all
which he thought would not meet with the
appreciation of the House. His idea wa.
that each Institution should depend upon it.
own merits, and be passed upon as each ques
ticn arose. He was decidedly opposed to
binding the legislature to any course of &C
ton upon any of the particular institutions
which might ask for an appropriation. and
therefore hoped the motion to indefinitely
postpone would prevail.
Mr.. Heath of Augusta called attention to
the fact that the resolve hal never been Il
any committee, and he therefore moved to
refer to the Committee on Education.
For the purpose of allowing this motion
to be entertained Mr.. Moves withdrew his
motion to table
Mr.. Heath then renewed his motion.
Mr.. Gilmore of Dedham regarded it as un-
wise to pass such a resolution. He would
leave the matter to each legislature to do as
it thought best.
MIR. Moore of Thomaston did not wish TO
be persistent bu. thought it necessary for the
House to do some business at some time. 1t
could not be possible that there was any men,
Der who had not made up his mind. Ii seemedt TO
him that the proposition of the gentleman from
Augusta Mr.. Heath was to bury it in COM
mi II WA tn no burlpH than lpf the
House attend the funeral in body. There
were some propositions in the resolve which
he could indorse. They were self-evident.
But the legislature should be careful not to
commit itself against public institutions of
learning He hoped the motion to recommit
would not prevail.
Mr.. Heath was just as willing to join in the
funeral procession of the resolve as any one,
for he was utterly opposed to it; but he
thought it customary. when a member had
introduced a resolution, to allow a reference
of it to a committee. He made the motion
for that reason.
Mr.. Rogers of Bath. favored the motion
II indefinitely postpone. The State was ex-
pending nearly $3.50, 600 yearly for education,
and he had come here this winter in favor of
some change in the raising of this money and
its distribution; but upon investigation he
most judicious For this reason he should
vote to indefinitely postpone.
The motion to refer was lost.
The resolution was then indefinitely post
poned,
On motion of Mr.. Thompson of Brunswick.
the House took up bill an act for the promo
ton of safe and accurate legislation by the
employment of a legislative draughtsman.
Mr.. Thompson said the bill was strange
one. 1t had never passed the scrutiny of any
committee having membership from the
House. For some reason of his own the
Senator who introduced it preferred not to
expose it to the criticism of any member of
the House until it had been reported by a
committee of Senators. The subject matter
of the resolve was already, by concurrent
action of both branches, before the committee
on Revision of Statutes, and the measure un-
der consideration was apparently intended to
forestall the action of that committee. Ii
proposed to secure safe and accurate legisla-
ton, but it was departure from the settled
policy of the State for more than so years
1t laid down. instead of a rule of one or both
branches, a public statute for the regulation
of the conduct of the business in the leg
slature. The author of it had assumed to
sit in judgment upon this as well as
former legislatures, and to declare their in
capacity to do the work committed to them
BY the people. He desired to set up over the
legislature a guardian to do its work The
bill sets up joint committee of seven mem
bers of the House and three of the Senate
who are to be charged with the heavy and
grievous responsibility of inviting a man 70
superintend the legislature for such compen-
saton as the Governor and Council may see
fit to give to him. He thought the burden too
great for ten men, and If it was to pass he
should hope to see it amended by the add-
ton of forty-sevtn members of the House
with such as the other branch might join.
Mr.. thompson then gave an account of the
DETERRENT stages through which a bill must
pass from the time of its inception until it
becomes law, which, he said, would show
the safeguards which are provided against
inaccurate and slovenly legislation. What
other safeguards were necessary? Where
was this inviolable draughtsman to be found?
The supreme court sometimes deem it
necessary to reverse a railing that is found
to be wrong: but did it follow. be-
cause of an occasional error. that it
should be placed under guardianship? that
they ought to have draughtsman to revise
and correct their work. He understood that
it had been said in favor of the bill that the
work of the draughtsman would be clerical,
work to which members of the legislature did
not care to condescend, because they were
sent here for higher purposes. At the same
time he understood they proposed to ask the
attorney general. the highest law officer in
the State, to do it. He contended that there
were no such errors in the legislation of this
State as to require such superintendent of
the legislature as the bill contemplated. How
would the legislature know that their draughts-
man would keep within the line of his duty ?
What safeguard was there in this? His pow
who can only veto. There were no safeguards
against his reforming or amending the law to
make it what he deemed it ought to be, for
under the provisions of the bill it went into
his hands after passing the legislature. If a
draughtsman was to be employed his work
should be subject to revision by the
legislature. He apprehended that the
bill contemplated what would be an
expensive precedent. But he did not regard
this with SO much distrust as the setting up
over the legislature of a schoolmaster. 1t
proposed that members should shirk the du-
ties they were appointed by the people to
do. and provided tor the appointment of a
man to perform them He moved that the
bill be indefinitely postponed
Mr.. Heath of Augusta did not care to dis
cuss the merits of the bill, but had little
personal interest in part of the outside dis
cussion which had taken place. In the push
ing of the bill BY its friends he had been one
of the unfortunate victims whose sins I'D