The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-03-04

The Committee are Rapidly Finishing
Their Work-Many Important Bills Re-
main to be Acted Upon However
What VIII Come Up This Week
Augusta, March Q. think we shall
adjourn finally inside of three weeks"
said Speaker Powers this morning, and
I should not be overmuch surprised IT
we got through two weeks from tonight"
After next week, Mr.. Powers continued,
it will be possible to hold two sessions
daily, and then rapid progress can be
made, The views of the Speaker are
similar to those of MIA bel RUSSELL the
eperossing clerk, who says he sees no
reason why the legislature should not
finish its work on or, before March 30 AS
Mr.. Russell is a veteran in the business,
having superintendent the engrossing OF
bills for many sessions, his opinion is
worth something. Clerk Cotton, of the
House, who is also an expert in legisla-
tive business, is not quite SO hopeful Of
an early adjournment. He thinks it is
about as likely to be the 25th as the 10Th
before the Solons go home.
The committees are rapidly finishing
up their work, and the dookets are grow
ing smaller and smaller every day. The
Judiciary committee, which has more en-
tries than any other, is expected to make
it's final report Thursday or Friday OF
next week. The committee on inland
fisheries and game has still many mat
tiers before it, but they are mostly of Ia
private nature, and if the general law
now pending is passed many of them
may be Withdrawn and the cases to which
they relate referred to the new fish and
ga sc commission. A glance at todayss
calendars of Senate and House shows
many important measures to be acted
upon and in the current talk OF speedy
adjournment recalls the old adage, Haste
makes waste. The five bills reported by
the commission on private and speclal
legislation have now all been acJed
upon, the last two, relating to the organ
ization of telephone and telegraph COM
panies and gas and electric companies,
being the the only ones to receive a
unanimous report of the judiciary COM
mittee. The fish and game laws reported
from the committee and the report OF
five mem bers against any legislation on
the subject, come up for discussion II
she Senate next Tuesday. The Senate
will be kept busy during the coming
week, for after talking of fish and gam'
Tuesday they will have for consideration
on Wednesday the Sorrento-Sullivan tow
fight, the two reports of the taxation
committee on Senator Virgins bill t.
increase the school fund and the resolv
for the purchase of Freeman's Sup
pliment. Thursday will be devoted tt
the listing bill and the resolve in favo
of the Maine Insane Hospital is also OF
the slate.
The House will be busy on Wednesda
if it considers half the matters assignee
Tor that day. Of these the one of til
greatest general interest perhaps, is tn
resolve appropriating 5000 for th
Pennington Normal School, to provid
for the erection of new buildings. Thurs
day is to be devoted to speeches o
woman suffrage and the Savage munic
pei indebtedness amendment. 1t ha
been the impression that the woma
suffrage bill would pass the House by
large majority. A member made tn
statement the other day, however, thu
he thought opinion on the subject Wa
changing and that some at least,w b
had at first been inclined to vote for tn
bill would oppose it. 1T is not know
how many will vote for Blr. Savage
amendment and beyond the gratifcatio
that it might give to its friends, il
passage by the House would have b
effect as the majority against 1t in til
Senate Is too great to admit OF the fam
est shadow OF a hope of changing it. Sci
ator Savage is still receiving compl
ments on his. speechin support of til
lost cause. His speech was SO good tia
the vote was a greater surprise than
would otherwise have been. Several sal
aters were non-committal when the d.
bate began, and it was thought that MI
Savage's eloquent presentation of tt
case might convert them to his way
thinking, but Mr.. Higgins's reasons fl
opposing the resolve were SO cogent, an
Mr.. EngePs few words on the duty of I'll
state to keep faith with the condition