Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-02-11

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the minority. II has passed the Senate
With only ave dissenting votes. 1t comes
into this House this morning. the House
has voted more than tvo to one to accept
the msjMiiy report, and now We are
met With the proposition that the
Senate, the committee. and . ma
jarity of the House don't krow what they
want. and that the bill shall 60 back to the
committee TOR them to have, perhaps, sew
eral more hearings. ard more trouble, and
probably report this same bill back to the
House for the gentlemen here to get mp and
make the same vote that they make this
morning Nov, it seems to me that We are
delaying this thing for purpose, and
hove no doubt in my own mind what TIL,
purpose ia. 1t 10 NOT to get better bill,
because il these gentlemen want better
bill they have but to come nov and amend
it. 1t seems to me tina. the House 10 in
position this morning to amend this bill
fairly. The gentlemen who vish to amend
It have had more than = week in which to
do so, snd nov, why, after it has come into
the House, passed in the Senate to be en-
crossed, reported by all the committees ex-
cept one, and this House has voted more
than two to one to accept the report Of that
committee. Why is it, A.k. that they wish
to seEd this back to the committee and
spend another fortnights time on it: l do
not believe there is . gentleman in this
House, whether he votes for or against,
who does not know the desi IN of this delay.
and hope that they will vote not to send
j. back to the committee.
Mr.. SAVAGE desire 10 say here and
now in reply to the remarks of the gentle
man from Dover. that l am in favor of the
registration bill. and if recommittal binders
OF delays it, or renders its final adoption
more uncertain, l am opposed to rec0mmit-
tai; but it is my judgment that committee
of gentlemen who are all in favor of the
bill, can sit down in their room together,
| consider all the propositions Involved, and
agree on something that shall be mutually
satisfactory, far better and far more safely
than can be done here in the House. If,
however the House demand otherwise aid
desire that this matter shall be considered
here in committee Of the whole, have no
very great objection to that, tits merely
because believe that the committee can
in their manner and after conference with
the members from the cities who are
affected by the provisions of the bill, re-
port to us something perhaps which will
obvjate some Of the objections that rest on
| This bill.
| Mr.. Noble-It seems to me little singu-
lar that after this bill has passed through
the Senate successfully, receiving it's vari.
Gus readings, and hiss come down to US for
tioal action, for the frst time the gentle
man from Auburn, in his alarm lest the bill
be not perfect, should stand on this floor
and ask that be may have time to offer
amendments. I would inquire where he
has been since January l6, when the first
draft Of this bill was presented, and whether
he has presented single amendment or q
single consideration to the friends of the
bill. The gentleman from Biddeford is a
little captious and little eloquent in his
sarcasm, but would like to ask him if he
thinks that if we sat here from now until
Gabriel blows his horn..we should make a
bill that would meet the critical tests Of
those men who, l am afraid, are at heart
opponents of the bill This bill was placed
in the possession of this House and in Il e
hands of the committee January l6, sub
stsntially as the bill of 1889 was.
That bill was culled, examined, criticised
and analysed, and the friends of it and
Senator Hsines, Who introduced it, were
glad on any occasion to accept every hon
es. amendment and all honest advice offered
in regard to it, This bill now comes up in
new draft, it has gone through the Senate
and is now before us. believe that the
House is intelligent eEough ard enough in
earnest to pass this bill today as it is,
and if there are any imperfections,
e. the practical operation of it in
the cities of the State show in what points
these imperfections exist, and then we can
amend it inteliigently and wisely. You
cannot prepare bill that shall meet all ex,
gencies. Any bill of so much Importance
as this, embracing so many provisions as
this does. cannot possibly be made perfect.
You will have to let the practical operation
of it in the different cities of the State
determine year by year what imperfections
exist and what amendments are necessary.
Then, as good servants. come down here
and revise aud remodel it until you have
pure registration law that shall be bene e cial
in all cities of the State.
! Mr.. Harrngtou-The committee had
this bill before them abou. the middle of
January. They considered i. and after
some elaboration made certain amend.
ments to it. All the gentlemen had notice
of what the provisions of the bill were. but
no persons appeared outside of the COM
mittee to offer an amendment. AZ under
stand it, the practical purpose of reporting
bill back to the committee is to harmon
ize the varioH, amendments. We are in
no condition this morning to determine
whether amendments will be offered which
we cannot harmonic here. 1t seems to
me practicable to amend the bill in COM
nlittee of the whole here in the House if
they 20 desire 10 save the time of delibera-
ZION and Nh, going back to the Senate
! again. / am perfectly willing that the
House should act upon the amendments
which msy be offered by the gentlemen
who l assume are in favor of the bill. do
not assume that because man offers an
amendment he wants to kill a bill.
assume he does it because his judgement
tells him it is best and | am willing to
accept and consider any amendment offered
in friendly spirit.
Mr. Csllahan--If we are willing for
fair discussion of this matter, it seems to
me that we ought not to be opposed to re-
committing this bill. IL has been said that
| this Incorporates the best features of the
New York and Massachusetts, laws. There
are some people who hardly think it does.
There is one section here that takes this
matter of local elections out of the hands
of the people. II takes the revision Of our
check lists out Of the hands of the people
and places i. in the hands of q board, one
member Of which is appointed by the Gov
ernor, who knows nothing abou. the people
of the different cities, comparatively speak
ing. and the other TIVE men are to be Sc
'ected by the city committee. As general
thing the city committee will select typical
machiue men, who will be the mos. capable
for getting on the lists the names OF their
own voters aod keeping of the list the names
IT VOTERS on the other side. Now we want
faif bill, AMI that is not the Massa chusetts
law, which provides for board of four two
from each party holding Office for four
years. This is matter concerning the
cities, and the members from the cities are
the ones who are interested. The country
members have not looked the matter up be-
cause it dbl not directly concern them.
This discussion will tend to increase their
interest.
Mr.. Wbite--lt will expedite matters here
today if the bill is re committed Amend
ment after amendment will be ffsred, item
after item diseased, and this will DELAY
legislation. I doubt if any member Of
either party wants to stay here longer than
is absolutely necessary TO transact the bus-
ness of this Legislature in q careful man.
ner. believe 1t is for the best interests
Of this State that this bill be re- committed
and that in the committee this matter Of
amendment be discussed 1t will give us a
chance TO discuss other measures here and