Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-16

tween the first day of June and the first
September" Laughter
= Mr.. Poor-lt that is adopted | will witt
draw INV objection to the bill
Mr.. Heath said he offered his smendme,
. in all seriousness. and be did not think Ih.
. great State question like thus should
treated With l-vity. The bill had been =,
ported BY the Committee on Agriculture G
, which his c ,lleasue Mr.. Haines) vas chAi
man. snd he had been waiti-g patiently
hear him explain its necessity, purportiDg q
il does 10 be in the interest of the rural POI
tons Of the State The rest of the commit
tee seemed to be divided. the senator fror
Cumberland Mr.. Poor being opposed
and the senator from Plseatsquis Mr. Dag
geit) in favor. The Senate must be il
grave doubt how il should act. His col
league was on record as agsins, diseriminz
ton II the rural distric,s suffered from tn
depredations OF the crow, so did the cite
from the rayages of the Infamous Englisl
sparrow. If the treasury was to be pun
dered for the sake of the rights of the eoun
try, and the cities weIe to be taxed for it
then the lities de handed, as a matter OF
right, the inclusion Of the English sparrow
shich is so destructive TO the smaller birds
Mr.. Walton of Somerset said that the Sen
ator from kennebee Mr.. Heath was OBJ
ilged TO tell the Senate, that he WAS serious
in his attempt At legislation, for fear h,
would not be believed! bill of this natur,
had been defeated two years ago, and nov
the farmers Game again in large numoers and
ask again Tor its passage. He had leitei
from one of the largest farmers in Somerset
county in which some computations were
made, for the accuracy of which he would
not vouch, = though he had no reason to
doubt their correctness. They stated thai
there are in Maize, "a 800 farms. Estimating
50 damage - each far Ii would give an annual
damage Of 1921 5i5. In the state are $50
towns and plantations, and there would be
200 crows killed in each, making about
$40, 900 10 be appropriated. But in his
judgment the actual amount would not be
o'er $500. He said the crow . increasing <
and PLAYING greater havoc each year with
the native birds and crops. Opponents of the
bill had characterized it as plan to
enrich the boys" AMI ''too small a thing
TO be noticed" and the gentleman from
kennebec Mr.. Heath was going TO have
1t Inde dni,ely postponed! Yet he had heard
no complaints from that gentleman on ac-
count OF other appropriations thatw large.
And grave senators had attempted to be
funny over the question of q crow Law.
And one gentleman, another horny handed
son of toll, from Penobscot Mr.. RYDER
moves TO amend by sd iing potato bugs.
Why, he didn't THU X that ge tleman kuew
enough about farm to know what a potato
bug is Laue unless some tarmtr has
told him. lie was u Al TO hear that the senator
from kennebec Mr.. Heath was serious
L., Al
Ry der) hadn't claimed the same thing for
hlmseif, but from that gentlemans knosl-
edge OF agriculture he was probably about
AS serious AS the senator from krnne bee.
He concluded by expressing hope that the
prayers of the farmers would be needed.
Mr Heath replied, rel Grating his serious
ness in offering the amendment and detailing
some of the ravages BY the English sparrow.
He claimed that the bill was defeated two
years ago at the express request of the farm
ers. and because they believed the crow more
of friend to them than foe. Ii the bill was
to pass at all he wanted his aneaimeut
adopted.
Mr.. Walton said the gentleman from Ken
nebec Mr. Heath asked senators to vote
for his amendment 10 the bi which he ad-
mlttei he would vote to kill at the request
OF the farmers,
Mr.. Heath said he would vote for the bill
if the gentleman Mr.. Walton would vote
for the amendment.
Mr.. Walton said the senator understood
that the English sparrow could be netted by
thousands.
On motion of M. Burrll of Hancock
yea and nay vnte was taken upon the amend
ment offered by MIR. Heath, resulting in the
negative, as foil ows:
YEA Burgess, Heath, Libby, Nickels, Poor
Ryder. %.
NAr,-Austin. Burrill, Clark, Co Inns, Daggett,
tree"nn, FROST, haines Harding. tiiil. h,n, KEY.
HolbroUk, Hunt, Kendall, ord Uf ork, M-rnli.
Nash. Rand, sargent. sleeper, SIMPSON, Walker.
Walton, Wugnt-Zi.
SO the amendment was rejected.
The amendment TO include potato bugs
WAS also rejected.
Mr. Poor said the English sparrow is very
destructive not only to small birds, but to
grain crops, and if the bill was to pass he
saw no improperly in the amendment which
had been offered by MIR. Heath.
MIR Burgess of Knox moved to amend sec
! by striking out all the words after state
in line 2, to the word shall" in the 4'h line
of said section, so as to leave no "close
time"
Mr.. Daggett explained that the committee
cause in the winter and early spring the
crows are on the coast, where they do no
harm. and there was no demand for their
slaughter there. He ohjecte to the amend
ment because he believed it would kill the
bill.
Mr.. Burgess said it seemed to him that
there WAS a desirable principle involved in
the bill, which was the preservation of our
domestic birds in every county of the State
He had offered his amend nent. having in
view the idea that it should be a bill of des-
truction, and he regretted that the English
sparrow could not have been included
Mr.. Walton opposed the amendment.
yea and nav vote was taken upon the
adoption of the amendment. resulting in its
rejection. as follows
YEA-Burres4. Burrill, Heath. Hinckley, Hunt,
Libby, Nickel. Poor, Ryder s,rgent.-I6.
NAY Austin, Clark, Collin. Da.ge t. Freeman.
Frost. Hatnes, Hii, HolhfVok, keBdaI Lord OF
York, Merrill Nash, Rand, Sic, per, Simpson,
Maker, Walton. Wrisbt--ly.
SO the Amendment was rejected.
Mr.. Libby of Cumberland, said that the
Senate appeared to have no deposition to
give bounty on English sparrows, but he
thought it would not be unwilling to legalize
and encourage its destruction. He referred
to the mischief done by that bird in Port
land and vicinity, and characterized it as a
nuisance. To encourage its destruction he
had an amendment and one which, would
draw no money from the treasury. He
would amend by adding the following
ANY person NAV lawfully kill any English
sparrow found at large, and on depositing
the bodies of at least one hundred of such
birds with any city or town clerk, shall be
entitled to a certificate suitable for framing,