Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-02-14
WORK OF THE CoMMIrTEr..-
JUDICIARY.

JUDICIARY.
Ahere was hearing on the bill to amend
tue CHARTER of the Lewiston and anhn-n
morse Railway so that steam or electr;citv
may oe used as motor. F. W. Dana. Eso
anu NJ Drew, ESQ.,, appeared for the nett.
''oneIs ana Judge Wing for the remonstrants
'U'ea ought to pass on a bill to INCORPORATE
.ne femaquid Land Co. legislation inexped-
,en. On Dill to allow jailers key fees for re-
no'inR prisoner from Jail to court and re-
turn ought not TO pass on bill to give lin.
uor fees to sheriffs instead of to ipdves a. =,
present; to report the Portland police bill
10 report bill for State board of bealth
with an appropriation of $1,000; ought not
10 pass on bill to allow parties to take our
marriage certificates without five DAYS notice
Inc Dill deprlving the Superior Court of
hehnebec county of jurisdiction of libeIs of
ulVorce, was brought before the comnittee
MI Heath of the committee stated
tnat no one In the county desired the passage
OF the Oil the bar of the county being upan
imously against it. Mr. Moore of the com
mlttee said that he had drawn I'D the hill.
that ne had talked with members of the bar
IN the county who favored the measure. thar
tue hennebec Superior Court was the only
one In the State with jurisdiction of divorce
ana 1t would not be wise to make an excep-
- ~ si'i' INSTANCE. Soteu ought not TO
pass.
Inc committee voted to report bill on
the petition that the mayor of Gardiner NAV
be elected by the city council as one of the
assessors and as an overseer of the poor and
De allowed reasonable compensation therefor:
Out the aldermen and common counciltnen
snail receive no compensation for their ser
vices as such that neither the MAYOR nor
any member of the city council shall, during
the term for which he may be electad, be
CHOSEN to the Office of assessor, city marshal,
chief engineer of the fire department. col.
! rector OF taxes, overseer of the poor, street
commissioner, superintendent school COM
mlttee or treasurer. Arthur L. Perry of
Gardiner, appeared for the petitioners. A
nearing was had on an act to authorize the
city of Saco and the trustees of Thomaston
Academy to conduct for the tuition of schol-
ars. Rep. Foss appeared in favor of the act.
MT. Gerrish ofSaco, proceeded to speak for
the remonstrants, and the committee sus-
pended the rules and relapsed into side
splitting session to listen to his remarks His
argument was so deep and his law so I'M
fathonable that even the keenest legal minds
on the committee were unable to comprehend
them. SO numerous was the occA sion that
all In the room roared with laughter. After
MIR. Gerrish had concluded his facetious re-
marks the committee took the capital pun
ishment question in hand. Friends's minister
William Jacobs of Mansfield, Mass former
ly OF China, Me-, addressed the committee in
favor OF the petitioners for the repeal of the
present law. He took the bible and argued
/ that capital punichment was diametrically
opposed to the laws of God and man, He
cited the large number of murders which
have occurred in this State of late as an evil
dence of the weakness of the law in prevent
ing the crime of homicide. Judge c. w.
Goddard of Portland, spoke for the law taking
text from the Old Testament, and citing
cases where life had been required for
life. He said it was the first
time he had ever attempted to
appear in the pulpit The position of those
who in the case of murder advocated certainty,
while at the same tim they favored increased
penalties for liquor selling, was held up to
light. The Judge related number of illus
trative anecdotes which were highly interest
| ing and held that as no one had been hung
yet the law had not had fair trial The
committee will report against any change in
the present law. This was the last hearing
to come before it during the session.
FEDERAL RELATIONS
Voted legislation iuexpedient on the propo-
sitiOn to make an appropriation for construct
ing bridge between Barring in the State of
Maine and Upper Mills.
COUNTIES.
Voted to set off portion of the town of
Weston in Aroostook county to Washington
county.