The Portland daily press., 1893-03-17
BANK BILL PASSES.
The Bold Boomers Get There With
Both Feet.
BUT THE BILL MUST RUN THE
GAUNTLET OF THE SENATE.

Remarks of Representative Emerson
Pulling the Teeth of the Police Bill
4 Senator Peakes for and Senator Shaw
Against the Druggist Billie is Indefi-
nitely Postponed, Sixteen to Six.
Especial to the Press.l
AUGUSTA, March 16.-The balls # the
State House fairly rang with victory to-
day, many important being under dis
cussion. The listing bill. the savings
bank bill, the bill to tax corporation fran
chises and the Biddeford police bill were
among the measures discussed. The de-
bates were largely attended, many ladies
being present.
The Police Bill.
There was second edition of oratory
on the Biddeford police bill in the House
this morning, and it ended with the pas
sage of the bill but not until the meas
ure had been amended, to provide that
of the two members of the board to be
appointed by the Governor, one should
be taken from each of the two leading
political parties, So long, therefore, as
Biddeford elects Democratic mayor,Iif
the bill becomes a law, the Democrats
will have two members of the board and
the Republicans one. This amendment
was supported by all the Democrats and
enongh Republicans to carry it.
Mr.. Parker of Danforth, moved the in
definite postponement of the bill when it
came up in third reading. This gave
Mr.. Bird an opportunity to make a
speech. Mr.. Bird characterized the bill
as a piece of class legislation, such as
had recently passed here 1.-THE ward line
bill and this morning the city of An
burn was asking a special law to relieve
it from the operation of the act passed
only ten days ago. 1t was said that the
city of Biddeford was corrupt, but Mr..
Bird submitted that the case had not
been maintained The charges against
the Biddeford police were similar to
those Mr.. Bird had heard against the po-
lice of other cities. The gentleman
from Saco Mr. Boothby] had been forced
to admit that three of the Biddeford po-
lice were removed when charges were
made against them. 1t was pointed out
that the city of Boston had police COM
that this little city of Biddeford should
be put under similar system. Mr..
Bird, in conclusion, said that the major
ity could do this thing, but he believed
they would afterwards be ashamed of it.
Mr.. Higgins of Limerick said that he
understood the gentleman to refer to the
law recently passed, as it applied to the
gentleman's own city. Mr.. Higgins
thought that recent events in that city
had justified the action of the legisla-
ture in thatmatter. He mentioned the
fact that one of the distinguished men,
bers of the gentleman's own party was
behind the bars, and said that he did not
believe that the gentleman from Port
land would deny the infamy connected
with that election. Mr.. Higgins said he
mans party from any connection with
the wrongdoing in Portland. He be-
lieved it the act of only a few individu-
ais, but he maintained that it neverthe-
less showed the necessity of what had
been done here. Mr.. Higgins thought it
hardly fair that the gentleman should
talk of partisanship to the majority
when the gentleman was himself acting
as a partisan in the matter.
Mr.. Belleau of Lewiston gave a history
from Democratic standpoints of the poll
tics of the last three or four years in
Lewiston and Biddeford, with Incidental
reference to the recent overthrow III the
city of Augusta Mr. Belleau, among
other things, said that the Republicans
of Lewiston mad burned the City Hall
and had been kicked out in consequence.
He also remarked that the legislature
had nothing to do with the affairs of
town and cities.
Mr.. Powers Of HoultOn entered his
protest against the charge that this
House had been engaged in bad legisla-
ton when subsequent events had justi-
fed what had been done. He referred
to the state of affairs in Portland where
had it not been for this ward line bill, he
believed the popular will ON this matter
would have been thwarted by wrong do
ing. Mr.. Powers said he did not propose
to argue the wisdom of the bill now un-
der discussion but he wanted to make it
clear that the right of the legislature in
this matter was undoubted. Mr.. Lane
of Augusta said he had supported the
ward line bill because it made applica-
BILE to all cities in the state, He would
support this bill if it required a majority
vote of the registered voters of Bidde-
ford to put it into operation. Laugh
ter. He was willing to trust these
things to the people. He did not be-
lieve that governor, however capable
could know everybody and he knew that
appointments made to such commits
sions would inevitably be more or less
under the contIol of politicians. He
didn't want such law applied to Au-
gusta because Augusta was non-Demo-
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