Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-02-11

gate the accounts Of the adiutant-xeneral
for the years 1891 and lsa2 II seems TO
a,e Il, he hardly courteous to pass such an
e-aler as that Ii il rather rejection up
on the department. passed ia that form. 1t
is reflection upon the Governor and Conn-
c.l. 1t seems 10 ME that it is also sonse-
what siiscourteoas to the military committee
OF the Legislature. l would like, if this
soie to reconsider is passed, to move that
this order be referred to the military
committee.
Mr. SYragae of Mousea have read in
the papers that tticrp is deficiency in the
accounts of the a,ljatans- general. Charges
have been laaie Let them be investigated.
III he can show clean hand and every
thing is all right, no one is harmed. can
not see why We should reconsider this. II
Will cast no reflection upon him if he is all
right. | do not want to cover up the acts
or ieings of ANYBODY. believe in letting
this be investigated.
Mr.. Harris of East Maehias: It is not
my intention to have the matter covered up
in the least 1t seems to me that the proper
reference would be the military committee.
They can investigate the matter and then
request that a special committee be APP
pointed. if they see fit.
Mr.. Parker of Danforth Ny reason for
presenting the order WAS this Ii is WELL
known fact that it is public scandal
throughout this State, talked not only
by the members of this House but On
the ears and the streets and everywhere,
that this money has been squandered. 1t
is talkei by men who have had charge of
that department. SO far as | am con-
cerned am not here to cover up ANYTHING.
say let Tie order have passage.
Mr.. Lane of Augusta; | happen to be
appointed, against my desire, on the COM
mittee on military affairs. and it seems to
me that the proper place for an investiga-
ton is in that committee. | have not heard
of any objections to the management of the
department of the adiutant generals Office,
and therefore | am not biased by anything
that may have been said in the newspapers
and on the streets or railroad trains.
III believe, however. that the
committee on military affairs is as COM
petent to decide whether there is ANYTHING
wrong in that Office as any other committee
that may be appointed by the House.
| Mr.. Shaw of Portland wish to say, as
member of the committee on military af-
| fairs that that committee are not in the
habit of embarrassing anything. This
matter has not been referred to them as yet.
If the gentleman from Danforth is DESTROYS
of serving on the committee, contemplated
| by his resolution, for the purpose of per-
sonal reasons, that is another question.
resent any insinuations against the military
| affairs committee, as a member of that
committee and as n member of this iiorse.
| Mr.. Parker of Danforth: If this is to be
an impartial investigation, it seems 10 me
| that more than of the minority party should
| be represented on the committee. | have
no doubt but that the military affairs com
mittee would report according to the facts;
but | think that the minority party here,
which brings this matter forward at this
time, is entitled to more than one member
| on that committee.
Mr. Bracket of Limington This matter OF
deficiency in this department has perhaps
given rise to this matter in large measure
This department has purchased this ground
| which the State holis,it has purchased
camp equipments and other things, which
have been in excess of their appropriations.
Now the Governor who has retired from
Office went all through with this matter,
bill by hill, voucher by voucher, and they
are all on file. They are matters of record,
We have a military committee made up of
gentlemen against whom there is no re-
proaeii, aud | think this matter should 90 to
that committee.
This idea that the minority party should
be represented on all matters that pertain
to the business of this House, | do not
fancy. The minority are represented, and
have been. In the matter of seating u
member here, We heard u good deal
about that. You apply their rule,
and whom does it affect? There
are parties in this House, occupying their
seats today by the magnaminity of the ma
jority party. and they don't relish any in
situations that the minority party should
be represented to insure a fair result of
any committee that is male up by the
Speaker and endorsed by the members of
the House. Let us put this matter before
the military affairs committee where it be-
longs.
Mr.. Sprague of Monson: | simply want
10 place myself right with the military af-
fairs committee. had not the slightest
idea Of rejecting upon that committee. |
supposed that the intention of the House,
when they passed that order, was simply to
have a special committee appointed who had
ample time to take hold of this matter and
investigate it in answer to the charges
which have been made in the newspapers.
1t is useless TO deny that these charges
have been made, and not by the Democratic
papers alone, but by the newspapers gem
orally of the State, that this deficiency cx-
lists and that there is something wrong. We
have not made any insinuatlons here, but
the newspapers of this State have male in
situations against this department. could
not see, myself, any harm in this special
committee but if the military committee
want to do it, and feel sensitive about it, |
am willing they should do SO. do not
want to vote TO cast any reflection upon the
military committee.
Mr.. Powers of Houlton: have listened
to this debate trying to see if | conll not
get the true inwarsIness of it. 1t seems that
there have been made Iumors and charges.
1t is easy to make charges, but sometimes
difficult to prove them. 1t does not seem
that any order has ever been intro
duced asking the military committee to in
vestigate that department, CT that they have
refused to do their duty. | believe that we
should investigate thoroughly and COM
pletely. hut il does seem to me that it il
due to the military committee that they
~ eHouHi we dNktNi DN SbiHf bfitF 10
investigate that departing nj before q special
committee is appointed to nsurp
their functions and place. there
fore hope that the motion
Of tho gentleman from East Machils will
prevail. that the vote be reronsiler,'l. and
the order he referred to the military
committee with such instructions as this
House deems best and they investigate
fully and report, and then when their report
comes in it wil. be open 10 discussion. 1t
sec ms TO me that they should have this OPP
portunity before some other committee is
appointed to supersede them.
The question being on the motion TO re-
consider the vote whereby the order
received passag. the motion was agreed
to.
On motion of Mr.. Lane Of Augusta. the
order was amended by striking out com
Iuittee of seven" SO that the order shall