The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-01-15
A Strong Secret Ballot Bill Intro
duced by Mr.. CIason.
The Question OF Stamps Raises
a Lively Breeze.
A Blow Struck at the Thrifty For
eIen Corporations.
Especial to the Press.l


The Speaker in the customary formula,
announced this morning that the gentleman
from Gardiner presented an act to regulate
voting, and moved that 1t lie on the table
until printed. This was the Australian bal
lot bill with the amendments made by Mr..
Clason, who has the measure In charge. 1t
will be remembered that the bill was under
the care of Mr.. l4ooney of Portland two
years ago, being then known as the "LOOney
Bill" Mr.. LOoney's measure was almost
identical with the Massachusetts law, which
has since so we'll shown the wisdom of the
Bay State legislature that passed it. Mr..
Clason's measure, with the exception of a
few additions and chang s, the same as
the bill of two years ago. In fact, so slight
are the changes that the bill introduced this
morning consists OF the LoOney bill, as pub
lished in pamphlet form, the changes being
written in between the lines except In two
cases, where type written paragraphs are
pasted in. The bill as printed in Damph-
let. makes over eighteen pages. Its general
features, providing for the printing of bal
lots at state expense, the system OF making
nomination by means OF nomination papers,
and the method by which the ballots may be
deposited so that each voters choice need
not be known unless he sees fit to tell him
self, how he voted, are now so well known
to the general public. who have read Of the
operation of similar laws in other states as
hardly to need recapitulatiOn.
The principal change made by Mr.. Clason,
pertains to filling vacancies In the case OF
the death or withdrawal of candidates. For
this purpose a new section has been added
reading as follows:
Section SIN case a candidate, who has been
duly nominated under the provisions of this act,
shall die upon The day OF election, The vacancy
may be supplied by the politic | party or other
Rsisons making tne original nomination In the
manner therein provided for sucn nomlna Ion or.
II the lime Is insufficient therefor, then the va
cancy may be supp led, If he nomiuation was
made by convention or caucus in such manner
as the convention caucus has previously pro-
Vided Tor the purpose or, in case of no such pre-
yious provision, then by regularly ele ted gem
eral or exrcuti g com ittee representing the po
liilcal party ar persons holding such convention
or cansus. The certificates Of nomination made
for supplying such vacancy shall state, In addi-
tion TO the other fants required by this act, the
name OF the original nominee, the date Of his
d ath, and he measures taken In accordance
with the above requirements for hlliug the yacan-
cy; a. d IL shall be signed and sworn to by the
presiding officer aud secretary OF the convention.
or caucus, or by the chairman and secretary Of
the duly authorized committee as the case may be
The name SO supplied shall, # the ballos have
not been printed for The ofAce already, be placed
on the bail IS inst ad Of the original nomination
or, II the ballots have been printed, new ballots
containing the new nomination, shall, whenever
practicable, be furnished.
The next section is changed to provide for
filling vacancies where candidates withdraw
In the same manner as when the vacancies
are caused by death.
Another change provides for two election
clerks in towns of less thau 100 voters.
To the offences, such as the wilful destruc-
tion, theft or alteration of ballots, for which
guilty persons may be punished by fine Of
$1,000 and one years imprisOnment,aor both,
is added that of removing ballots from the
enclosure while they are being counted.
free Baptist General Conference.
An act was introduced by Senator Libby
committee on legal affairs, to incorporate the
General Conference of Free Baptists, a cor
poration with power to hold property the in
come of which shall not exceed 100000.
Authority Is given to the Freewill Baptists,
Foreign Missionary Society, the Free Baptist
Woman's Missionary Society, the Freewill
Baptist Home Mission Society of New Hamp-
SHIRE. the Freewill Baptist Education Society
of New Hampshire are authorized to transfer
their property to the new corporation, to be
held BY 1t In addition to the amount named
In the bill. The New Hampshire corpora
tlons must, of course, be first authorized by
the New Hampshire legislature to make the
transfer. Oren Cheney, Geo. FL. Ball, Laura
A. De Meritte, Clarence A. BickfOrd, Nathan
z. Brackett, Emeline s. Burlingame, Aman-
da III. Pendleton, Ethuan w. Porter, and
Rufus Deering are among tie corporators
named In the bill.
The Postage Stamp SkIrnnIsn.
There are certain vexed questions which
are the occasion of a little controversy every
time the Maine legislature meets. Among
these is the customary endeavor to secure for
the members supply of postage stamps for
use in mailing matter furnished them by the
cf0 10 thnfr NJ.
little battle has been fought and won by the
friends OF the measure. Mr.. Trussell of st.
George, brought up the question in the
House, presenting an order this morning al
lowing members Sc each for postage stamps.
Mr.. Trussell advocated the order In a neat
and Effective little speech. He said that h.
believed 1T to be part of the duty of the
members to keep their constituents posted
as to their doings by means of the printed in
formation furnished ny the stare. But Mr.
Irussell did not believe that the people of
Maine expected their representative to pa,
Tor sending this mater through the mails out
OF their own pockets. So he urged the pas
sage of the order.
Mr.: White of Bangor, opposed the appro-
priatiOn, saying that Sc for each member
INFANT an expenditure by the state of about
$1,000 SUN which he did not think the case
warranted.
Tne first yea and nay vote of the season
was callrd for on this order and resulted In
its passage-yeas, SO; nays, Gas follows:
YEAs-Messis. Allen of Denmark. Allen of
,esque Isle, Aver, Brackett, Bradford. Buck
nam, Burgess, Clark, Coolidge, Cote, Cummings,
Davis, Dearing of WATERFORD DicKey of Fort
Kent, Dickey of Lewiston. brew, Elderly, Er-
vine Flu ler IF Tlemont Cannon, Glidden of
G aves; Gray, Greeley, H m of Dresdep, Harri-
man, Hathaway, Hussey, Kane X egan, Kelley,
Kendall, Kimb II, Lamb, Leighton of Deblois,
Leveque, Libby of Standish, Martin, Miller. Nash
Nelson. Nl,kerson, Orcutt, Parker, Plummer,
Porter, Kicker, Rideout, Riolon, Roberts Ross,
savage, Sewall, Shaw OF Bath, Smith of Portland,
Vaughan Waterhoase, Webb, Weeks, Wescoit,
VIII tten-69
NAYs.-Messrs. Adams, Archibald, Bird. Brain
ard, Brown, Callahan, Cousins, Croker. Deerlng
Of Saco, Dennen, Dole. Eastman, Farrand Fisher
Fuller OF Hallowel. Clifford, Gilmore, Iuptlil,
HrTsey. Hsrsom rs m hsIGh H Hissocs. Hunt Johnson
Jones OF BroOksvllie. Kaler. Knlght, Leavitt,
Leighton of TrescoIt. Lewis, Lit lefield, Marston:
Maxim, McAllister, Merrill OF EudingIOn, Merrill
OF St. Albans, MDoers, Morse, Mullen, Newcomb,
Newton, Noble, Osgood, Packard OF Scar >port,
Patterson, Pay son, Peaks, Psnley. Rollins. Rus
Tncomb Totman, White, Wynn ,n-6i.
ABSENT OR NOT voTING.-MeSsrs. Chadbourne
DrummOnd. Uunn. Gentleman. Hargraves, Har
ham, Milcnell, Moore, Monroe, Newell, Packard
of Coriuna, Rand, Sargent, Sewail, Skolfeld
StearnS-19.
Said To Be a Crying EVIL.
Mr.. Savage of Auburn, today introduced
an order in the House requiring the judic
iary committee to inquire into the expeden
cy of amending the statutes relating to cor
porations organized under the general laws
so that all such corporations which have
their principal offices outside of this statt
shall be required to pay special franchis,
tax and to make annual returns to the secre'
tary of state of the amount of capital stuck
actually paid Ia under penalty Of fOrfeitur,
of their charters. The judiciary cOmmitt e
is dlrecied to report by bill or otherwise.
Mr.. savage said that this order wOulC
draw attention to what is said to be a crying
evil in this state regarding the organization
here Of foreign corporations.
Railroad Returns.
A bill was introduced in the Senate today
to put Maine railroad returns in the sam'
shape as those made to the interstate com
merce committee and effect certain othel
changes. Section amends the statutes s.
that returns hereafter shall cover the yea
ending June 80 instead Of September oO. ant
sha i be made by September instead OF De
cember /. - %
Beginning with the year ending June ~
1891. returns must be in the form prescribed
by the interstats commerce commission
with such additions for any year as may D'
prescribed before the beginning OF the yea
by the railroad commissioners.
Beginning In 1892 the state tax on railroads
Is to BIZ assessed TO the gross transportlon re
ceipts for the precedir year endlng June 30
instead of SEPTEMBER 3O
Camden and Rockport.