The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-03-07
II TO II.
Vote on a Notion To Accept the
Minority Report.
The Vete Of Speaker WiswelI in Favor
Tied the Result.
The Bills Enemies Stronger Than
Was Expected.
Josiah H. DfummOnd, Jr., Makes a
Personal Explanation.
Especial to the Press. ]

AUGUSTA, March $50 far it Is a draw
battle with the odds in some re
spects in favor of the friends of the
Australian ballot bill. The battle is drawn
owing to the fact that the vote on the &C
ceptance OF the minority report that the bill
ought not to pass, resulted in tie of II to II
The odds are in favor of the friends of the
bill inasmuch as the motion to accept the
minority report is killed and motion to
adopt the report of the majority of the COM
mittee is still in Older. Another point 10
favor of the bill is that it has, unless there
are many changes, a majority In the Senate.
Even should motion to accept the majority
report be defeated In the House, the Senate
could 20 ahead. accept that report and ask
for committee of conference. With the
vote In the House so close 1t is impossible to
say what would be the result of this course.
1t is limited that an attempt might be made
in the Senate to c0nfine the operation of the
law to the cities, but nothing will be done
by the Senate until after an attempt has
been made to. get majority for the bill in
the House. 1t was after o'clock when the
vote was taken.
The House having spent about six hours
in the discussion of the bill, then Mr.. Chad
bourne of Biddeford called for the previous
L
Lewiston called for the yeas and nays and
they were also ordered. The previous ques-
tlon having been thus ordered MIR. Smith Of
Turner made short speech against the bill
under the five minute rule and the vote was
then taken.
As the question was upon the acceptance
of the report against the bill, the friends of
the measure voted no and its opponents
voted yes. All the Portland delegation
voted for the bill except Mr.. Drummond.
These are the men who by voting yes went
on record against the bill.
YEAs.-Messrs. Allen of Presque Isle, Bird,
Bracket, Bradford, Brainard, Brown, Coolidge,
Cr0cker, Cummings, Dearing of WaterbOIo O,
Deering OF Saco, Dole, Drew, Drummond, Dunn.
Edaeriy, Farrand, Fisher, Fuller of fremont,
Gilmore, Gould, Hargrayes, Hartman, Harring
ton, Harris, Hathaway, Hawes, Hersey, Hersom,
RSer Ksss Keey ki1S Rpaht q
Leighton of Deblois, Lewis, McAllister Merrill of
st. Albans, Mitchell, Mooers, Nash, Newcomb,
Fort. Patterson, Peaks. Porter, Rand, Kicker,
Rideout, Ridlon. Rollins, Russell, Sargent, Skol-
field, Smith Of Turner, Snow, Stearns, Taft, Tot
man, Weeks, Wescott, Wiswell, Wyman-7I.
The friends of the bill who voted against
the acceptance of the adverse report were al
follows:
NAYs.-Messrs. Allen of Denmark Archibald,
Aver, Bucknam, Burgess, Callahan, Chadbourne,
Clark, ClasoD, Cote, Cousins, Davis, Dennen,
we or LewsEon, Eastman Faler d 0I haio o.
Newcastle, Glidden of Yinalhayen, Graves. Gup-
till, Gushee: H.m of Dresden, Ham of Lisbon,
Kregan, Kendall, Leighton of Trescott, Leveque,
Libby OF BIZ CHAM, Libby of Standish, Litlleh.d
Martin, Maxim, Merrill Of Eddington, Miller.
son.. Noble. Orcutt, Osgood, Packard, Payson,
Penley. Plummer, Ross. savage, Sewall, Shaw of
Bath, Shaw of Portland, Stone, Thayer Tilton,
White, Whitten-7l.
There were nine absentees, as follows:
ABsENr-Messrs Dicxey of Fort Kent, Ervine
Gray, Greeley, Lamb, Marston, Morse, Roberts,
Trafton-9
AS the vote progressed great interest was
manifest Many Of the members were keeping
tally and the result was sent along from seat
to seat before 1t bad been announced by the
Speaker. The vote was tied several times
as the roll was being called, first one side and
then the other having the advantage Finally
the friends of the bill we're two votes in the
lead when the last two members were called,
one of them being the Speaker, voted against
1t and again made tie. The result of the
vote was hailed with loud applause by the
friends of the the bill. Immediately after
Mr.. Shaw of Bath moved that the House ad-
j0urn and the motion prevailed.
After the adjournment Mr.. ClasOn and
Messrs. Stearns and Peaks arranged that to-
morrow the question of the acceptance of the
majority reports should be assigned TO Wed
nesday of next week. OF the nine members
who did not vote today. Major Dickey was in
the city and had been present in the House.
1t is understood that he will not vote upon
the measure. Mr.. Roberts Is confined to his
house, having fallen on the ice and broken
his Leg Mr.. Marston of Sk0whegan Is in
favor of the bill and will be here next week.
Messrs. Lamb and Morse also favor the bill.
The others are understood to be against it.
The debate has probably been as exciting
as any which have occurred in the legislature
In recent years, the uncertainty as to the re-
suit adding to the interest. While the re-
suit is disappointing to the friends of the
measure, 1t Is not surprising in view of the
efforts made against it. Not for many years
has there been a lobby SO large and per-
sistent as that which has mustered here 10
the last few days with the ayowed Intention
OF overthrowing the Clason bill. The work
against it had been vigorously pushed before,
but up to two days ago there was a majority
In its favor. 1t fact. II is probable that had
the complexion of the House remained
through the day as it was when the members
gathered this morning there would still have
been small majority for the bill.
Among the members of the third house
who have been especially active in their
efforts against the bill are, A. J., Lumbert of
Houlton. County Attorney Hoyey of Somerset
county, Geo ID. Bisbee, State Treasurer Beal,
George G. Wing of Auburn, John Woodsum
and John Carson. Mr.. Carson, who is an
empl0ye of the United States government,
has found plenty OF time of late in the midst
OF his official duties, to redOuble his endeav-
trS to beat the bill But 1t would not be sur
prising II areaction set in. and there is hope
of better result next week.