The Portland daily press., 1895-03-01


vide that the secretary of the board shall
be elected biennialIy. and that ne shall not
be eligible for more than six years successive
~.
BANGOR AND BREWER.
The Bangor and Brewer bridge bill was
called up in the Senate today, and Nj.
Engel moved that il be amended 10 provide
that the committee wi ich is TO determine
the amount 10 be paid 10 the bridge COM
nitttee shall not include any sum in pay
ment. for the franchise. The amendment
was agreed to and the bill passed under sus-
pension of the rules.
TALK IN THE HOUSE.
There was quite discussion in the House
over the appropriation of $40 for bridge
at FrenchviIle, Daigle, Keegan and Dickey
speaking for it. The appropriation passed.
Mr. Gilbert moved to reconsider the vote
engrossing he resolve appropriating So
for the MadaMaska Training school. Major
Diokey spoke against reconsideration.
There WAS no connection. lie said, between
this resolve and that providing normal
department for that school. He had plead
for these appropriations until the people OF
the state had come to the conclusion that
one, the work of God.
THE WATER WORKS. AMENDMENT.
The Savage amendment was again under
discussion in the Senate today, and after
several entertaining speeches, vote was
reached at half past one. 1t resulted in the
defeat of the resolve to submit the, amend
rnent by tho following vote. two-lhirds be-
ing necessary for the passage of the resolve:
In favor of the resolves Day,
Hoyey. Jackson, Maxwell. Penney. Savage,
Simpson, spofford. stone. Weeks-lO.
Against The resolve Senators Ames, Cook.
| Engel. Ferg uson. Gordon, HARLOW. Higgins,
Hill. Hume, Marston. Mitchell, morrill,,
| Mic kerson. Prescott, Reynolds, SeideTs.
Shaw, Walls, Wa erhouse, Wiegin, Wood--2l.
Mr.. Higgins. Notwithstanding that he was
suffering from very severe cold, made the
principal speech in opposition to the re-
solve. He complimented Mr.. Savage on his
speech of yesterday. Then BEGINNING. his
argument which was candid and convinc-
/ ing presentation of his side Of the case, Mr..
! Higgins referred to the fa9eftwild specula-
tion which had led ito the lending of the
Constitution III 1878 iYtDGlHthe debt limit
| The changing of the Constitution is mat
| ter of grave Importance requiring the most
serious consideration.
| Mr.. Higgins referred to the representa-
| tions made by Auburn people before the
| judiciary committee of two years ago when
they said that they were entirely able 10
buy the water works without exceeding the
| debt limit. Either that is true or the con-
dition Of affairs was misrepresented. Mr..
Higgins said that he had listened faithfully
| to the remarks of the Senator from Andres
coggin, and he submitted that the Senator
1 had not shown The Sc nate that AubuI n
could not pay for her water works without
| exceeding the debt limit It had been said
that other towns wanted this amendment.
but Mr.. Higgins maintained that the
| petitions in its favor had all been secured
at the solicitation of Auburn. 1t had also
| been said that the remonstrances were uni
form in character, sent from one place.
Mr.. higgins admitted that the Iemon-
| strances were prepared for tie savings in
stitutions of Portland. AS TO the petitions
in its favor they were not received until
after the case of the remonstIants had been
presented to the committee by MIR. Verrill.
Then the matter was tabled and later these
petitions came in. With few exceptions these
petitions were on blanks printed in Auburn
and sent out from there. If this is spon-
raneous movement. is it not strange that
4
blanks2 Is it to be submitted here that
these petitions secured by paid agents
travelling about this state are the voice of
the spontaneous desire ofthe. people. Mr..
| Higgins submitted that instead they were
i in favor of private and special legislation
4 for the city of Auburn. The petition from
| Pittsfield and perhaps several others We're
not ON these blanks. There is nc public de-
| ri h,,4 ic
confined to a very few localities. Are we
TO change the constitutional law on any
such demand. coming in this way. which is
laughable if not ludicrous. Should other
Senators make similar demands represent
ing each five cities here would Your Consti-
tuition be? Mr.. Higgins repeated that the
movement was in the interest of private
and special legislation.
| 1t had been said that water syndicate
were behind the opposition to this amend
Iment. Why if towns were allowed to in
crease their debt limits, how long would it
be before shrewd. sharp men among US
would start water companies with the in
tention of forcing the towns TO buy them.
He would say to the gentleman from An
droscoggin that he believed there was moth
ing that the water syndicates would hail
Win greater glee. All water companies
were not successful. There were many
homes in Maine in which water bonds were
owned whose holders would be glad to take
| twenty-five cents on a dollar for them. II
was only when the water companies were
successful that towns were SO anxious to
buy them. Mr.. Higgins thought that the
proposed amendment would be conducive to
wild cat speculation. Mr.. Higgins was glad
to agree with his friend II ON Androscoggin
as to the value of water. Sweet was the
sound of the clinking of the ice in The
pitcher in the morning. The Senator had
drawn beautiful picture of the dying cir
to whose parched lips the refreshing cup Of
water was held, but illness was not the only
thing that caused parched lips. daughter J
! Referring 70 the circumstances. Mr.
Higgins thought that it was not remarkable
that savings bank managers did but right
when they looked ahead and saw the very
results of this amendment which he had
presented. The amendment more than that
must result in the shrinking of values Of