The Portland daily press., 1893-02-13
Important Measures Before the law
Makers.
ALL THE BIG BILLS ARE YET TO
BE ACTED UPON.
The Listing Bill-The Banking and Tax
Neasures-The General Fisheries Bill
That Druggists Bill-And Long Lis
of Other Matters-Final Adjournment
Not Yet in Sight.
Especial to the Press.]

AUGUSTA, February 12.-Where are
they at? Well, the legislature is just
about getting settled down to work.
That means the legislature in its daily
sessions, and does not apply to the legis-
lature as represented by its committees.
The committees have already done
great deal of hard work, the results Of
which are now coming before the main
body. The week just past has seen the
first deba tes Of the session, the Franklin
county election ease, and Representa-
tive Parker's order in relation to the Adj
infant Generals department being the
subjects. Committee reports are now
coming thick and fast, and they will at
ford material for more oratory. The
proposed Bangor insane hospital is like
iy to give rise to lively contention, when
it comes up in the House on Wednesday
of this week. Members from the east
ern section of the state are determined
to fight the appropriation through 1t
| they can. but the size of this contem-
plated expenditure and the possibility OF
caring for the insane by adding to the
present hospital, have led many to doubt
| the wisdom of the desired legislation.
| A hot fight is expected.
| Reports from the committee on tax
alton will also bring forward the speech
makers. The committee on taxation
reported Friday morning bill imposing
| a state tax of of one per cent on the
| interest bearing deposits of loan trust
and banking corporations except loan and
| building associations, and in addition
thereto the shares of stock in said COM
panies shall be subject to municipal tax
| alton the same as shares in national
banks. The bill taxing collateral in
heritances has already passed but as a
| collateral inheritance is thing which
| few persons have any expection of get
| ting the bill has encountered no opposi-
ton. Measures increasing the rate of
| taxation on railroads and express COM
panies and including leased instruments
| in the taxable property of telephone
companies have also been reported from
the committee and their course is not by
any means likely to be as smooth as that
| of the collateral inheritance bill. Then,
/ the taxation committee still has before
| it the savings bank bill and when this
| comes before the two houses, there is ex
| pected to be some vigorous speech
making. A member said Saturday that
| it was his idea that the bill would pass
/ the House, the real battle coming in the
Senate. Senator Hersey's order proyi-
ding for any inquiry into the expectancy
of allowing depositors in savings banks
the right of voting for trustees Will pc
adversely reported by the committee on
banks and banking, although that com
mittee may recommend some changes IN
| the law. as to methods of bookkeeping
and administration. Nothing so radical
as the change suggested in Mr.. Hersey' s
order is likely to find favor with the
committee however.
The druggists bill has not been acted
upon by the judiciary committee yet but
is likely to receive final attention by the
committee at any time now. 1t goes
without the saying that its reappearance
in the legislature with a report in its
favor and one against it will set the ora
tors talking. Then this committee is di-
vided on the subject of extending the
right of municipal suffrage to women
and with report in its favor the petition
of the ladies will become debatable
question.
1t may have slipped from peoples
minds, so little has been said of it recent
ly, that the Australian ballot law is be-
fore the legal affairs committee for
amendment. The amendment S suggested
by Secretary of State Fessenden, SO far
as they relate to the simplification of the
machinery of the law and the correction
of errors of expression in it's wording,
will receive favorable attention. The
recommendation that some device be
used on the ballots in addition to the
name of each party is liable to lead to
the formulating of a plan intended to
simplify the marking of the ballots. es-
pecially in cases VIII re the candidates
voted for are selected from more than
one of the parties. Just what plan they
will adopt the committee has not decided.
A subcommittee now has the matter un-
der consideration. Other matters refer
red to subcommittee by the legal affairs
committee are the bill for the re-distilla-
ton of contraband liquors and all the pc.
tltions in relation to the hawkers and
peddlers' law.
The insurance committee has tabled
until Tuesday the bill providing valued
policy law. This bill is the one prompted
by the adoption of the co-insurance clause
by the New England Fire Underwriters
Exchange. Here again the committee is
divided. The bills they have reported to
carry out The suggestions made in Com
Continued on Second Page.