The Portland daily press., 1885-02-28
The New Temperance Bill Passed
to be Engrossed.
Remarks by Mr.. Simont0n in Favor Of
the Bill.
The Portland & Ogdensburg Bill
Amended.
Final Adjournment Next Thursday
Probable.
Special to the Press.)

frstIMonday of November was debated in the
House. principally by Messrs. Moore, Dsm.,
and Hale, (Rep.). The discussion did not par
take Of a political character. Mr.. Moore fav-
ored change on the ground of expense and
that it kept the people in a state OF turmoil
from July to November. He believed the peo-
| pleawere in favor of change. The months of
! August and September were the busiest
months Of the year. 1t was then when nearly
all tho fishermen along the coast from Kittery
/ to Quoddy Head were away. They were there
fore deprived of their right of suffrage. He
! did net speak in the interests OF parties.
! Mr. Hale said this was not political ques-
tion. 1t was plain, business question of what
was best for the people of the State. He be-
lieved the people of Maine would be more in
terested in an August campaign than in an
October campaign, and until we can commute
the climate of Maine for the climate OF the
South, cur elections in this State had better re-
main where they are. The resolve was de.
feated. The Portland delegation were evenly
divided in their votes.
PHYSICIANS PRESCRIPTIONS.
| There was debate in the House On the mo-
| tion TO commit the bill relating to physicians
prescriptions for Intoxicating liquors, the ques-
! ton having arisen whe ther the bin had prop
| erly come before the House. DIR. Thayer con-
! sidered the bill an outrage and insult to every
| decent and respectable practitioner of medicine
! in Mains, and hoped the House would put Its
foot on it.
/ Mr.. Walton said the bill was a transcript of
the Kansas Law.
| The bill was committed.
RECORD OF INHABITANTS.
Mr.. Walton of Skowhegan, introduced bill
| in the House authorizing towns and planta-
tions at any regular meeting TO require their
assessors of taxes to keep a record with the
date as near as practicable of all persons NOV
ing into and from their respective towns and
plantations the first day of May during each
! year, and return the same to the clerk who
shall record the came in a book expressly for
that purpose. Clerks shall furnish copies OF
such records upon payment OF a reasonable
| fee.
NEW ENGLAND TELEPHONE CO.
AT the instance of Gen. Mattocks, the acts
giving the New England Telephone Company
certain rights and Incorporating the Maine
Telephone Company Of Maine, after having
| been giveE passage were tabled again TO
await the passage of general law that is
pending.
WORK OF THE LEGISLATURE.
! The House voted to hold a session tomorrow
! forenoon and adjourn over until Tuesday next
at 10 o'clock. The House is ahead of the Sem
ats in its work, and the clerks table is cleared
of all but nearly dozen matters A large
number of members will leave for their re-
speotive home to attend town meetings during
the recess. The Senate will also hold a session
tomorrow forenoon and then adjourn over uG-
| til Tuesday. Final adjournment is expected
to be reached by Thursday OF next week or
| possibly Wednesday evening.
THE PRoHIBIToEY Law.
| Senator Simonton's amendatory act to the
prohibitory Law was discussed by that g ntle.
man at length to-day, bat no reply was evoked.
| He said substantially that the old question of
licsnse or prohibition not before tue Lsgis-
| lature. The committee that had reportsd his
bill had simply before them what amend
ments they considered to enforce the constitu-
| tonal prohibitory amendment so overwhelm-
| ingly adopted last fall. Several hearings were
| given for suggestions as to needed
amendments, and this bill was the
result, coming from committee COM
| posed of both parties. 1t was unanimously
agreed upon. The legislation recommended
does not interfere with the established rules of
| evidence, revered methods of legal procedure
or sacred personal rights. He believed they
should be unanimously adopted by the Senate.
| Mr.. Simonton then discussed the character
and merits of the proposed changes in tho aw,
| the main features OF which were to II % the
| punishment for first offence of single sale,
| common seller, tippling shop and nus nee,
| both fine and Imprisonment, provided the
court shall decide that the enormily ii the
| offence deserved it.
In regard to the severity of these auead-
| meEts he said no one need to be hurt by IN sm;
| If the liquor sellers would let the people alone
| the people would let them alone. He had no
personal ill will against liquor sellers II their
business would promote the prosperity OF the
| community he could bid any of them God
| speed, but since their business meant the
| destruction of everything lovely and beautiful
| in our social life, he met them az public ene-
| mics, and would provide penalties for their
| crimes as such.
| He thought no punishment too severe for
| men who came here from Massachusetts, and
elsewhere to solicit the violation of our pro-
| hibitory legislation. We propose to make
| liquor selling so infamous that no decent man
! will engage in it. We have driven the traffic
from three-quarters of the towns of the State,
| and have driven the traffic into the dark holes
| of cities. The best evidence that there can
not be open sales of liquors in Maine is the
"dumps" and other appliances for destroying
or Disgusting liquors on the approach of off,
GERS of the law. The proposed legislation for
seizing the dumps" &c., he claimed was
| analogous to provisions of chap. 1876, r. S., au-
thorzng officers to seize TOOLS machines, &c, of
counterfeiters, burglars, gamblers apparatus,
&c to be used as evidence on trial. He further
defined the amendments.
After Mr.. Simonton sat down the bill was
given passage. Subsequently the vote was
reconsidered and an attempt made to refer the
bill 10 the next legislature.
Mr.. Smonton said this was a movement to
kill his bill, and if that was the intention he
hoped members would stand up and fight it
out in more manly way aad be counted, SO
that their constituents will hold them respon-
sible. He gave them warning that If such
temperance men as Dingley, Perham aud 9TH
ers were treated as of 10 account they must
take the responsibility.
THE PORTLAND g. oGDENsBURG.
| In the Senate this afternoon Mr.. Young
called up in behalf of his colleague, (Mr.
Wescott) who was absent on account of slok-
ness, an act in relation to the Port land g.
Ogdensburg Railroad Company. The pending
question was upon amendment GA" to submit
the question to a two-thirds vote of tho legal
voters of Portland. The amendment was
amended on motion of the same gentleman by
providing for majority vote instead Of two.
thirds
: The bill was then amended by striking out
tho oath and 25th lines and the first three
} words OF the Goth line OF said section of the
printed bill and inserting instead thereof the
word "enunciated."
The bill was also amended by striking out
sec. 4, and substituting section SO as to d.
away with the limit.
The bill was then given passage.
MISCELLANEOUS.
> The resolve for the protection OF the sea ant
| cbo eel toto for1 ),