The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-01-17
AT AUGUSTA.
The Registration Law Is To Be
Repealed.
BUT SENATOR sEIDERS WILL RE-
PORT A BETTER in ITS PLACE.
A Brief and Unimportant session-Com
mission to Revise the Militia Laws
League for the Protection of American
nstitutions-PersonaI.


League for the Protection of American
Institutions-PersonaI
Especial to the Press.l
AUGUSTA, January 16.-The remon-
strants to the movement for the division
of the town of Phippsburg, seem Ito be
pretty numerous. It is unders God that
the people of the ancient town are will
ing to make better roads than formerly
should the town be left in one piece.
Possibly the movement looking to divis-
ion may have been influential in bringing
about this state of opinion. At any rate
the people say that there is no question
at issue except that of the road to Park
er's Head. Those who have travelled
over this stretch of highway, piece
about two miles in length, say it is a
place where the wheels Of carriage
sink nearly to the hubs. As to the
bridge over Atkins bay, that, say the
remonstrants, is still an open question,
it being by no means proven that it would
pay anybody to erect such structure at
that point. So it is not impossible that
town NAV result in the improvement of
the highways of the old and the ''sum-
mer resorters'' and the natives may
still dwell in peace together in the an
cient borough.
A New Registration Law.
One of the important measures of tho
session will be introduced in the Senate
tomorrow. 1t is bill which repeals the
law passed by the last legislature provid-
ing for boards of registration of voters
in cities, and enacts in place of it a new
law embodying some of the features of
the old, and many new sections.
The bill has been carefully drawn, and
it's trainers have had the assistance of
Senator Seiders, by whom it will be pre-
sented, Mr. Seiders, as chairman Of the
Republican city committee in Portland,
has been able to see many places in
which the present law failed of its pur-
pose. For instance, the law as it now
stands provides inadequate means for
determining what voters have moved
from city and removing their names
from the lists. Unless this change is
made. it is said in a few years the lists
of registered voters will contain the
names of many not entitled to ote.
Again the law does not allow the regis
traters in the larger cities the necessary
time in preparing the lists, while in other
particulars it's meaning is not clearly de-
fined Another important change was
made necessary by tho constitutional
amendment requiring an educational
qualification of voters. 1t was at Sena
tor Seiders's S suggestion that the trainers
of the changes embodied them in new
statute instead of presenting them as
amendments, so that the law on this sub
ject may be easy of access and readily
comprehended.
With this in view the first sections of
the bill define VIII may vote under the
existing law. The first important
change in the law provides that voter
shall vote in the ward in which he re-
sides on the first day of the April pre-
ceding the election, but If any voter
shall remove his residence to another
continue to vote in the place of his for
mer residence for national or state pur-
poses only until the expiration Of three,
months from date of removal. The last
clause is designed to accord the right OF
suffrage to persons who have moved
from city during the three months re-
uuired for them to gain residence IN
the towns or cities to which they have
removed.
Section 2 of the present law provides
that no registrar shall hold an elective
municipal Office during his term as regis
trar. The bill makes this read 'any city
officer. however elected, or a pointed
thereto.'' The method Of choosing the,
registrars, the chairmen being appointed
by the city committee of the two great
parties, is not changed, but tAe provls-
ions for filling vacancies are made much
stronger, mayors having the right to ap-
point where city committees neglect or
refuse to reasonably act, and in all va
cancies, however caused, if public exlg-
ency requires it in the case Of vacancy,
two members of the board may act.
This portion of the law has been SO
strengthened as to leave no opportunity
for such trouble as that which occurred
at Waterville some ime ago.
Then follow many provisions not in
the existing law, the first being that de-
signed to remove from the lists the
names of persons no longer voters in the
wards to which the lists refer. Asses
sors, or their assistants, are TO visit every
building in their respective cities during
the months of April and May annually,
and make accurate lists of persons 81
wears old and over. liable to be assessed
for poll tax, their names. ages, oeeupa-
tions and residences on the first day OF
that and the preceding year.
The assessors shall also ascertain what
voters have removed from such build
ings and where they have taken up their
residences. The assessors lists shall be
printed for distribution and copies shall
be given the boards of registration be-
fore the first day of July annually. PEN
alties of fine and Imprisonment are es-
tablished for cases where assessors will
fully make wrong returns or persons
give wrong information.
1t is provided that boards of rcgistra-
ton shall keep general registrar of
voters under these heads, when regis
tered, name, residence, residence April
/. age, occupation, place of business,
how long resident OF the city, where
last vote was cast. married or single,
residence of wife or family. where nat
uralized, when naturalized, by what
court.
The xt section provides that appli-
cants for examination shall be required