The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-11-21
Appearances Are That Mr. Ames Will
Not.
THE RECcRDERSHIP OF THE WEST
HANCOCK COURT.
Yesterdays Meeting OF the Governor and
Council-Judge Peabody's Interesting
Report.
ESPECIAL 10 THE fREss.l


Augusta, Me-, November 20.-The Coy
ernor and Council are holding one OF
their sessions, and this meeting is one
which gives a pretty good idea OF the
variety of matters which the honora Ole
council is called upon to consider. The
the afternoon trains and the meeting be-
gan at four O'Clock.
| What was in some respects expected
to be the most important matter to come
before the Council did n OF come up at
all. This was the hearing on the petit
ion of Parker Spofford. Esq, and others
Of Bucksport, asking the appointment OF
Alva B. Ames of that town as recorder
of the Western Hancock Municipal court.
| The petitioners claimed that an act
passed by the legisl ature of 1895, contem-
plated that the recorder of the court
should be located in Bucksport. The
Western Hancock Municipal court was
created by an act of the legislature passed
in 1893. At the organization OF the
court, Edward e. Chase of Bluehill was
appointed as judge. Mr.. Chase designat-
ed Mr.. Ames as his recorder, and Mr.
Ames served until January of this year.
The statute creating the court provided
that the judge might remove the records
for cause. and in January, Judge Chase
did remove Mr.. Ames on the ground that
the recorder had made statements pre-
judicial to the dignity of the court. Then
at the last session of the legislature, the
law was changed. The new act increased
somewhat the compensation of the judge
and increased the jurisdiction OF the re-
corder in criminal matters 1t further
provided that the recorder should there
after be appointed by the Governor. Now,
citizens Of Bucksport petition for the
appointment of the same gentleman
whom Judge Chase removed. On this
petition hearing was assigned for to-
day at D. M, but the petitioners failed
to appear, and Mr.. Ames, himself was
not present. Judge Chase was here,
ready to appear as remonstrant to the
granting of the petition. Judge Chase
stated that he had no personal feeling In
the matter, but that, having removed
Mr.. Ames for what he considered suff1-
oient reason, he did object to his reap
pointment 1t Is understood that the
petitioner having failed to appear, Gov
ernor Cleaves will not undertake to re-
view or reverse Judge Chases decision
Ames will not be restored to the posit-
ion of recorder. Judge Chase makes
no objection to the appointment Of any
other suitable citizen Of Buck.port, and
would like to have such an appointment
made. Mr.. Harvey W. Smith of Bucks
port, has been suggested by many lead
ing citizens of Hancock county as
,io4h fnr he aIoe Tho Waof.
ern Hancock Municipal court embraces
in it's criminal jurisdiction all the towns
in the county west of Union river, and
has civil Jurisdiction all over the county.
1t was represented to the governor that
it would be convenient to have record
er in Bucksport and if some acceptable
| candidate is presented from that town,
he would, no doubbt, be appointed
| Judge Peabody of Portland, and Judge
| Stevens of Augusta, were on hand at TO-
days meeting, to make report of the
doings of the commission created by the
| legislature at it's last, session, to prepare
| uniform blanks and rules of procedure,
| for use in the Probate ana Insolvency
courts Heretofore each court has had
| Its own set of blanks and system of pro-
cedure, a state of things obviously not
the best. Judge Peabody brought with
him from Portland two large volumes,
and one small book, mb odying the re-
of the large volumes, making 40 pages,
are printed the 173 forms of ilanks for
probate practice, agreed upon by the COM
missioners The second volume is not
so large, making 204 pages, in which
are the seventy blanks of insolvency
practice. The rules, which are the same
for both courts, make pamphlet OF
,txy-o A III the blanks and
rules have been approved by the justices
of the Supreme court. The use of the
blanks is obligatory after two years.
Jduge Peabody, in making the report
for the commission, told how lndustrl-
ously they had been at work since last
February, and how they had gone about
their labors with such care that in many
instances, a discussion OF several hours
over the use of an expression in a blank
had been followed by the examination of
many legal tones to determine just the
words to be employed. 1t had seemed to
the commissioners after they had begun
the work that the end OF the century
finally they had unanimously agreed
upon system in which the Supreme
court had made only few slight chan
ges. Judge Stevens also made brief
statement
Next the Council listened to matter
of finance. Mr.. Andrews of the law
firm of Heath and Andrews of this city,
appeared in behalf of Sarah j. and
Rachel O'Brien, who live in Conneoti-
cut, and who are heirs of Patrick Grady
o. 'Brien, veteran VINO died at the
Togus home number of years ago. Then
it was not known where his heirs were
and Mr.. Heath, as the public admins
traitor for Kennebec county, administered
upon O'Brien's estate. The vetera
left.a little property and this, amounting
to something over S1400, MIR. Heath paid
in to the state treasury in accordance
with the statute requirement. Sarah
and Rachel are the only heirs of the de-
ceased Patrick's brother, who is also
dead Patrick also had sister. but she
has not been heard from for over TWEEN
ty years Should she or any of her chill
dren be living they would be entitled TO
half the little fortune, consequently the
Council are asked to determine whether
Sarah and Rachel should have half OF
it, or whether, the presum ption being,
in view of the long time since she has
been heard from, that the dead veterans
sister is hereby dated without heirs, the
petitioners should have all the money.
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