The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-03-27

Amendments to the Liquor Law-The
Cover Bill-Bangor's Hope of Hos
pitaI Not Realized-The Care of In
sane Convicts-Large Powers for the
State Health Board-The Street Rail-
road Bill.
Especial to the Press.l
AUGUSTA. March 25.-The law makers
will return to their homes some time
during the coming week, and this Goth
session OF the legislature will be thing
of the past. But while the business will
be finished in few days, there are still
several important matters to be eonsid
cred. The vexed question of the liquor
law is awaiting action in two forms.
The druggist bill, backed by the People
Enforcement League, is assigned for con-
sideration Tuesday in the House. This
is the bill described in the PRESS at the
time of it's presentation. 1t has been
amended somewhat since then, the pro-
visions in regard to the transportation of
liquors being stricken out. The machin-
cry for selling liquor in sealed packages,
which have been first examined and APP
| proved by the State Board of Health is
| retained. At this late day in the session
| it is not likely that measure making
| the radical changes in the prohibltory
law proposed by this Cover bill-so
called after Representative Cover who
introduced twill pass, especially as there
are grave doubts in the minds of many
| firm believers in prohibition as to thu
| efficiency jof the elaborate system OF
| handling the liquor traffic set forth in
/ the bill.
The other liquor bill before the legis-
lature is that to reduce the penalties for
| the Illegal transportation of liquor so
| that in the opinion of the court the law
| shall not violate that provision of the
1 constitution which provides that excess
| i've and unusual punishment shall not be
proyided, This bill as amended by the
| Senate last week, is now on its passage.
4 The bill to restore to the courts the
discretionary power in the matter of the
| imposition Of sentences, which the law
of 1891 took away, has passed both
branches.
The Care of the Insane.
The care of the insane has been dis
cussed in both houses of the legislature
! in the Hobbies and on the street all win
ter, and it is still an unsolved problem
Two conference committees have failed
to agree on a report favorable to the
hopes of the Bangor people, whose de
Sire to have several hundred of the in
sane of the state added to the population
Of their city has been as keen as the de
sire Of the boomers for the savings banl
bill. Bangor will wait two years more
unless there is very unexpected change
of heart in the next few days. Senator
Hersey thinks the patter should be lef
to a new commission to recommend G.
ton. but it will probably be urged tina
one commission has already considered
the matter, and there is consequently d.
need of the expense of second unit
| such time as it Is decided to be necessar.
to begin work. OF course, if hospita
was to be built at Bangor, a commission
would be desirable to have the immedi
ate supervision of the work, but that is
very different thing from another com
mission to spend the next two years in
new examination of the question.
The discussion of the care of tn
insane has brought out considerable oh
lection to the present system of sendin
Maine -convicts from the state prisol
to the asylum at Augusta. TIL
House Friday passed bill to do away
with this system. The operation of sucl
a law, besides being a satisfaction t
| people whose relatives are in the hos
pitai. would do something towards re
: iieying that institution from it's presen
crowded condition. The bill provide
thar when a convict in the state priso
or county Jail is adjudged insane by
commission of two physicians appointe,
by the Governor and Council upon appli
cation of the warden or jailer, such in
sane convict will be sent to the insane dc
partment of the state prison until he be
comes of sound mind. If this take
place before the expiration of the tern
| of his sentence he shall be returned t
abe prison or Jail from which he was re
moved; if the term of his sentence ha
expired he shall be discharged free. In
mates Of county jails becoming insan
before final conviction may be COMMITTEE
to the insane hospital. The superintend
emit of the insaee hospital shall visit tn
insane department of the state prison no
less than once each month to advise wit
the prison physician and warden as t
the proper care, treatment and disposi
ton of the convicts in said department
and whenever in the judgment of the ST
tperintendent any convict of the stat
prison who may be insane can be bette
treated at the Maine insane hospital, h
may recommend the transfer of said col
yict to said hospital, and report his col
illusions to the Governor and Council an
therenpon they may order such transfe
and said convict shall be returned to tn
state prison whenever the superintendent
shall consider it advisable to do so, an
if such person RECEIVERS after the expir'
ton of his sentence he shall be discharge
free.
whenever any convict in said depar
= ment at the expiration of his term !
sentence shall, in the opinion Of sal
superintendent, prison physician an
warden be so far insane that his di
charge will endanger the peace an
safety of the community they shall NAL
certificate setting forth briefly I'll
facts of his sentence and its expiratio
and their opinion of his insanity, whic
certificate shall be by the warden recor
ed and he shall detain said convict
said department till in the opinion I
| said SUPERINTENDENT prison physicis