The Portland daily press., 1893-01-05
SOLONS In SESSION.



against taking An oath and consequently
nobody availed himself of the opportu-
nifty offered to such persons to afflrm
After these formalities were completed
the House proceeded to the election OF
officers. On M ton of Mr.. Mitchell of
Kittery. Messrs. Mitchell. Holmes of
Caribou, Cover Of Winthrop, Light Of
Appleton, Abbott of Bucksport, Gates OF
Winn and Power of Norridgewockt were
appointed a committee to receive and
count the votes for speaker.
They reported as follows
Whole number. ......:.l4o
Albert II, Savage ...-.,.,.....;.v1o6
George E. Bird ....-.,..-.--.- ~
Speaker Savage was conducted to the
chair by Mr.. Bird of Portland. The
Speaker did not make extended remarks,
but his few words of thanks and brief
reference to the high purposes which
should govern mis- branch of the legisla-
ture, in order that the whole people
might be benefited and the burdens of
government equitably distributed on
rich and poor alike, were ell CHOSEN
and gracefully expressed.
On motion of Mr.. Woodbury. If Deer
ing, Messrs. Woodbury., Wescott OF Cor
ham, Lothrop Of Leeds, French of vi
emma. Leighton OF Columbia Falls, Jones
of Lebanon, and Kaler of Scarboro were
appointed to receive votes for clerk. The
vote resulted:
Whole number. --...l4l
s.s - w. S. Cotton had. lob
-ss5 A. NJ. Wingate, --,---..,.--.--t.. 30
T To count the votes for assistant clerk,
the committee was Messis. Ross of Cum
berland, Morrill, of Madison, Seward of
New Limerick, Thurlow of Deer Isle,
Roberts of Norway, Webb of Waldoboro
and Body of Jackson. The vote re-
suited:
t55+t Whole number. lZb
E. NJ Thompson had 1o2
Henry A. Wing. .......-.,..,.- 20
G. w. JONES'. -......-....--
This finished the elections, and on mo-
ton of Mr.. Shaw of Bath an order was
passed appointing as the messenger and
other subordinate officials the gentlemen
nominated by the Republican caucus last
evening.
A Honse of Learning.
The House is determined to find out
what the members are doing and what
they ought to do. With this proper pur-
pose in view, the House today voted to
give each member the privilege of tax
ing their newspapers published in Maine
at the states expense.
The order was offered by Mr.. Alden of
Union.
Mr.. Shaw of Bath, wanted to know
what papers the order included; whether
the members might take dailies from
Boston, New York and San Francisco Tor
instance.
Mr.. Lane of Augusta, moved that the
words s'printed in the state" be in
serted. The amendment prevailed.
Mr.. Sprague of Monson, thought two
papers enough. His amendment to that
effect did not meet the ideas of the
House and was lost.
The order was then passed.
Rev. DR.. Randall for Chaplain. ~,
The House this morning, on motion of
Mr.. Bird of Portland, passed an order
appointing the Venerable Dr.. Randall of
Portland chaplain. DR.. Randall has
been the chaplain for past Houses.
The Senate Elects Officers.
The proceedings in the Senate were
similar to those in the House, the oaths
being administered by the Governor.
Senator Spear was then unanimously
elected president and escorted to the big
arm chair under the turkey red curtain
by Senators Hill and Thatcher. The Off
GERS of the Senate were then chosen, be-
ing the nominees of the Republican eau
Gus of the evening previous. Edward +.
Webb of Portland and Francis Wood
bridge of Augusta are the pages. Master
Webb filled the same position two years
ago and is a hustler.
&hay oIxrnc &c
Kennebec journal, one other newspaper
and dictionary all around.
The Ballot Law.
Secretary of State Fessenden has under
consideration several changes in the Aus
tralian ballot law which he may present
to the legislature either in, the form of q
bill or as a recommendation from the
head of the state department. These
changes are not intended to make any
change in the system of voting, but are
designed to make the wording OF the law
more simple and explicit.
There is also some talk of what is
known as the Indiana system in connee-
ton with the Maine law. II that system
should be incorporated in the statute,
the voter who wanted to cast his ballot
for any one of the straight party tickets,
instead of making a cross in the square
at the right of the name of the party as
he does now, would put the mark in a
square over the column containing his
party's candidates. This square would
have printed in it the name of the party
and also some device, as the figure of a
flag, eagle. ETC. This device, under the
law, would be adopted by the party in
convention, and would then become the
distinguishing mark Of the party adopt,
party at the head of the list of nominees
in the ballot. The system of grouping
the candidates by parties in columns on
the ballot would be the same as now. II
voter wished to cut his ticket he would
do so by placing a cross after the name
of each man for whom he wished to vote
1n.,,c III