Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-22
COMMITTEE HEARINGS.
judiciary

judiciary
Hon j. P. Bass Of the Bssgor CONNER
cial, Ex-Governor Plaisted of the New Age
and c. b. Burleigh of the kennebec Journal
were bef1r the judiciary Committee yester
day afternoon and asked that new lAw on
newspaper libels similar TO the one which
has just been unanimously reported by the
judiciary committee of the Massachusetts,
legislature should be placed on the Maine
statute book. This la~ provides that
No action or prosecution for libel shall be
maintained for the publication of any matter
Of legitimate interes, 10 the public, if such
Publication is made without actual malice,
and Il the author or publisher thereof causes
effeetual retrsclion or correction to be made
of anything untrue or mistaken in such pub
LEGATION, as soon as practicable after being
| requested so 70 do by any person agsrieved
BY The original publication.
While the gentlemen who appeared did not
ask for = measure quite 50 wide in scope as
| this, yet they considered the principle in
| voived fair one, and one which was very
generally endorsed by Maine publishers. In
hsndliug associated press matter hurriedly
as II comes from the wires inaccuracies ani
Measurements sometimes occur for which the
editor 10 in no wise responsible and which
he " oula cheerfully recilfy were his atten-
ton called TO them. As the Boston Herald
sptly says:
1t is readily shown that such errors of the
press are necessary i c,,lent of the business
of news collection; that they are made with
out malice; that the strongest incentive al
ready exists ou'si of The law 10 guard
against them; that all possible reparaton is
made for them in the way OF correct or. Be
yond this, in cases of ire, parable MUIR, ex-
emption is not sought, AMI damages Tor i,
may be still obtained if the proposed law is
passed. What the newspaper press does ask
is that, in cases of innocent wrong one on
| its part, the explanation or retraction and
apology may be accepted Al its hands, as it
would be at the hands of an individual
Ii asks to be relieved from the OPP ration OF a
system which while it prevents this. brings
no bene tit to the community that justities the
Wrestling of law for the purposes of persecu
sion of the press. We submit that this re-
quest is entirely reasonable.
Ii was voted, six 10 four, that the bill pro-
viding for the establishment of SUI erior
court in Androscoggin county ought not to
pass. There will probably be a minority
report.
Voted to report favorasly on = bill pro
viding that all corporations shall keep their
records OF stock open to the examination of
all.
The Committee on
Claims
voted that the only claims pending against
the State should be dlsallowei. They will
have their final meeting next Monday.
The Committec IN
Legal Affairs
reported ought to pass on a bill providing for
the appointm Mt of commission by the
Governor 10 examine the system of taxation
of other States. There will be an unfavor-
able report On the following:
An act to incorporate the Ssgadahoc Club
of Bath.
An act allowing the use of the deposition
or testimony of deceased witness taken in
one case to be used in another case with
different parties on 'he same subject matter
An act to amend special and private laws
relating to the city OF Bld!t ford ought not
to pass.
Voted that petition of Farmington Water
Company for extension of charter for two
years ought to pass.
The petitioners TO Incorporate thu village
of West Paris were given leave to withGraw.
The Committee on
Interior Waters
voted to incorporate Monticello Boom Co,
John b. Madigan and .johu K. Weed.
Voted that permission be given 10 n. l..
Marshall and Ansel NJ. Dudley to cree.
piers, side dams and booms IN the 4 ifns-
coggin river.
Tho ~,
Railroads, TeleE,sphs ard Expresses
voted that the bill providing for the correct
Transmission and prompt delivery OF tel.
grams aud telephone messages ought not to
pass.
here will he favorable report on "A bill
providing that the railroad commission shall
have final authority in deciding whether rail
ways shall cross roa's NJ grade.
ted, that "A resolution appropriatng
$4,000 to aid the Name Shore Line from
the Bar llarbor branch to Calais ought not
to pass.
Legislation as to the increase of tax ard
regulating the charges of telephone com
panies was deemed usxpe ilent.
The committee drew up the following bill
upol VIII CHI fav jrable report will be made
Section /. Nopassenger. mail or baggage
car on any railroad IN this State shall b..
heated by any method of heating or by any
furnace or heater unless such method or the
use of such furnace or heater shall hr.t have
been approved in writing by the board of
railroad commissioners, provided however.
that in no event shall common stove he
Ollowed in any such car, AMI provided also
that any railroad corporation may with the
permission of said board make such expert
ments in heating their passenger ears as SAID
board may deem proper
Section z. No passenger car on rail
road shall be lighted by napltha nor by.an
Illuminating oil or fuii made in part of
naphtha, or which will ignite at a temppra-
tnre OF less than three hundred degrees
Fahrenheit.
Sec. 3. Any railroad corporation violating
any of the provisions OF this act shall forfeit
a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars
There was sharp discussion over that
portion of the Haines railroad bill relating to
tariff rates, but no j. finite action was taken.
Senator Collins of Aro ,stook vigorously on
posed this portion of the bill, claiming that
it would paralyze alike the roads and tine
business interests in many parts of the State
The Committee on
Mercantile Affairs and Insurance
finished their business yesterday. They
voted to report favsraby on the following
An act amending the charter of the Mutual
Life Insurance Company Of Portland. An
act to amend section G5 chapter - Revised
Statutes in relation to Fire Insurance Com. !
panies; bill to incorporate York Mutual Aid
Association; bull to incorporate the Hancock
Fire Insurance Company; an act additional
to chapter 40 Revised Statutes in relat on 10
Fire Insurance Companies; an act TO prah bit
determination on life or endiowment policies
in new draft
1t vas voted that three orders, the only /