The Portland daily press., 1891-02-05
SENATORS MAKE FUN OF WILD CATS.
The haInes Bill was Reported to the
Legislature Yesterday.
Today the Hearing on the ciason Bill
Begins.
Maine General Hospital and Tenn.
porary Homo Happy.
Especial to the Press

Especial to the Press.l
AUGUSTA, February 4.-The defence In
that case which has now become legisla
tive cause celebre, that Of the village oi
Camden against the remainder Of the town
In its suit for division, opened this evening
In the Senate chamber, to which the court
composed of the committee on towns, has ad
journed Its sittings. Hon. Herbert M
Heath opened the case for the defence. OF
the village Of Rockport a. d the outlying dis
tricts. Mr.. Heath, In his remaks, referred
q. length to the statements Of Lawyer Mont
gomery and the witnesses on the Camden
side as to the disagreements between
the people in the different sections of the
town, and argued from the fact that social
business and political relations were con,
stantly maintained that the present differ
ences had been greatly magnihed in the pre-.
sentation to the committee, and were only
temporary dlsagreements which would soon
pass away under municipal government
such as that offered by the remonstrants.
He found that In the 100 years of Its existence
the town of Camden had grown and improv-
ed, a thing which could not be said Of all
Maine towns. Now, on Its centennial anni-
versary, because some people were dissatis-
lied. the Legislature was asked to cut up the
town. Mr.. Heath referred to the quantity Of
such questions as these respecting the divis.
ion of municipalities, andsas an illustration,
spoke of the city of Gardiner. when five miles
south OF the chief city Is the thriving settle.
ment OF SOuthGardiner-a Legislature which
in the past should have refused to divide the
trouble would not be called blessed.
Camden is largely indebted for its prosper
ity to the water powers found in 1t. On
these water powers, in that part of the town
which now seeks separation, gre t woolen
mills have been erected and these mills have
been exempted from taxation. in violation
of the provisions Of the constitution, by the
vote of the town including Rockport. This
fact was itself an answer to the strained
and unnatural position taken by the plain
tiffs and sufficient cause for the refusal of
petition. There has been, according to Mr..
CON roversy than, good politics and good
government should permit. Mr.. Heath re-
itrred to the time when the old Rockland.
RlckIOrt and Camden road asked the town
Of Camden to mortgage itself to the .xtent
Of $4,000. This was defeated but not on
village lines The farmers helped defeat it
thinking perhaps of the experience of the
towns along the Knox & Lincoln; looking
forward, perhaps, to 1890, when they should
find both principal and interest lost to them
where all railroads finally land, the treasury
of the Maine Central railroad. Today they
have the So, 0,060, aud 1t Is not In the pockets
of the Penubscot Shore line. AS Rockport
boted for the loan, and did its best to bur-
den the farmers and ruin the town, 1t can
the loan. Mr.. He ath spoke of the granting
of charter to the Penobscot Shore line,
which proved to be the small fish swallowed
by the Maine Central whale, aud then there
came a knocking at the door for bonus
from the Camden town treasury. But In all
as eager as Camden.
At the conclusion of Mr. Heath's opening,
Mr.. 81. l. Shepherd of Rockp0rt was called
as the first witness.
Will Refuse to Legaiize.
The judiciary committee this afternoon
gave hearing on the bill to legalize the do
ings of the town of Cape Elizabeth. Repre-
sentative Tilton, Selectmen N. j. Peables, j.
81. Hartford. George G. Mountford and Clerk
Noah b, Knight appeared in favor of the
bill and Mr.. A. d. Boyd appeared d in opposi-
tion. He presented the remonstrance of w.
S. Jones and others against the legalizlng Of
the doings of the town.
After hearing both sides Of the question
they voted that the bill ought not to pass.
1t is understood that eminent legal author
ity considers the doings perfectly legal and
the committee did not feel it wise to estab
lish a precedent where there seems to be no
occasion for 1t.
Among the COMMITTEES es.
Before the committee ON finance this after
noon. DR.. Martel and F. Y. Bellou, Esx., Of
Lewiston, urged the claims Of the Hospital
of Our Lady Of Lourdes,- In that city, to
state aid to the extent of $4,000. This is the
French institution which was mentioned al
the hearing on the Central Maine General
Hospital last week. DR.. Martel and Mr..
Beilou claimed that the hospital was non
sectarian in that its doors were open to all
people. Several of the physicians who spoke
in favor of the Central Maine Hospital last
week again explained their feelings towards
the French hospital. After the hearing the
committee voted that the petitioners have
leave to withdraw.
Drs Goodrich and Fortier spoke in favor
Of the resolve appropriating $5C00 for the
Waterville city hospital. bat as 1t appe tred
that the hospital was owned by stock COM
pany and not entitled to state aid. the COM
fnittee voted legislation inexpedient.
Mr.. Haines Of Waterville has bill for the
incorporation of the Waterville charity hos
piia', of which it is hoped the present hospi-
public institution. II this arrangement is
mrde another resolve will appear for the
Wattrville hospital.
The fioance committee today voted to re-
port ought to pass on the resolves in favor
Of the Maine General Hospital and the Tenn
porary Home.
Before the fisheries and game committee.
Lawyer Vose of Bangor and others advocat-
ed extensive changes in the game laws, in-
portant among which are provisions provid
ing for the arrest Of offenders by wardens
without warrants. the comforting upon sher.
stables of the powers Of game wardens, and
the re-enactment of the law giving one
half Of the fine to the complainant
At the meeting of the committee on mercan-
tile affairs and insurance this afternoon sew
eral important matters were assigned Tor
oblige all insurance agents to reside in the
state, for February II; on bill requiring the
Massachu. etts standard fire policy, same
date. On February Is they will give an In
p0rtant hearing on the valued policy bill,
which requires that all companies where
there is total loss shall pay the full
amount of their policy without question.
The committee also reported a bill compell-
ing the inspection Of small steam boilers In
hotels, mills. etc.
insane Wild Cats and wild Cat
Schemes.
Yesterday an order passed the House di
recting the committee on agriculture to In
quire into the expediency of-placing boun'
ty on the ferocious wild cat. Today it was
passed by the Senate In concurrence. Ther
Mr.. Poor Of Cumberland, who is chairman
of the committee on agriculture. concluded
that as the wild cat is hardly domestic ani
NAL suitable to be domciled on the farms o.
Maine. SO he moved that the vote be recon
sidered, by which the order was passed. L
was SO voted and the wild cats were thu
freed from the care OF the committee on thl
peaceful interests of agriculture and left al
large on the Senate table. Then q genera
movement was begun for their recapture ant
Mr.. Poor moved that the order be referred u
the com nittee on insane hospital.
Dr.. Grindle Of Hancock, thereupon sad o.
wanted more information as he had not full.
understood the motion. He asked whethel
1t was to send the order, the wild cats, o
the senator from Cumberland to the hospita
committee or to the hospital. Had Dr.
Grindle remembered recent suggestion h
might have added that when the new asy
lum is built at Bangor, II it is to be devote'
to a dangerous class OF patients. the wilt
cats might be sent there.
0Colonel Moore thought that as the orde
provided for an expenditure of money
should go the finance committee, but Sena
tor Thatcher of Penobscet, finally settled tn