The Portland daily press., 1895-01-23
THE LEGISLATURE.
Continued from First Page.
are sufficient to do all the necessary things
heretofore done by the constables.

are su1nSAeHG TO DO all tne NECESSARY thAAsc
heretofore done by the constables.
TO GUARD THE GRADE CROSSING.
The recent lamentable accident at Bath,
which resulted in the death OF Miss Patten
has awakened renewed interest in the sub
ieot of railway and highway crossings at
grade. and d bill may be placed before the
legislature designed to lessen the danger as
much as possible. One plan mentioned Is
to give the railroad commissioners authori-
ty to require the use of electric alarms In
cases where they deem it necessary. There
ara few of these devices in use on Maine
railroads now. They consist OF electric
gongs placed ON posts by the tracks near
the crossings TO be protected. When train
is thousand yards from one OF the gongs.
it closes an electric circuit which keeps
the gong ringing until the train has passed
the crossing. 1t is thought that the placing
of thase gongs at all blind crossings not
protected ny gates or fagmen would do
much to diminish the danger of accident.
The suceess of the plan would depend on
the perfection of the mechanism, for ii the
gongs should get out of order they might
increase instead of lessening the risk, as
people accustomed to rely on them would
be liable to accident if the gongs went on
strike.
MR.. PATTERNS LATEST.
Mr.. Patten Of Bath presented today bill
designed to prevent deadhead travelling
by state officers. 1t provides that no person
holding public office shall accept any rail-
road or steamboat pass, or any concessions
in telegraph and telephone rates, either
for himself or another, and for SO doing
any such person may be removed from
office and any officer or agent OF corpora
ton Eoffering such free transportation or
privileges, shall be liable to fine not ex-
ceeding $lOu0.
THE LIQUOR AGENCY.
In the bill presented yesterday TO amend
the law in relation to the.state liquor agent,
there was no provisioalfor the testing of
the liquors purchased to determine their
purity but. as the bill was first drafted by
Mr.. Carver it contained section covering
this matter. Under this first form of the
bill, the governor and council were autho-
rized to employ All assayer to test and then
seal each package of liquor. After consul
tatlon, the gentlemen interested in the bill
concluded that If the governor and council
were made the purchasers they could take
such steps as they deemed proper to satisfy
themselves of the purity od liquors and
consequently the provision was stricken
out. The first draft of the bill made it the
duty of the liquor agent to buy the liqu DIS
under the direction of the Cover nor and
council. The amended draft makes it the
duty of the governor and council to buy
the liquors themselves and gives tie store
keeper or agent no power in the matter.
MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS.
Mr.. Moore of Gouldsboro. presented today
the petition of Richard Bendix and IL 9th
ers that it be made unlawful to take lob
sters less than 10 IL inches in length at
anv time.
Mr.. Chute of Harrison, presented today a
numerously signed petition that the Harri-
son Mutual Fire Insurance company be al
lowed to do business In any part OF Cumber-
land andsOxford counties.
"Reminiscences received today against the
proposed extension of the debt limit of
towns and cities were signed by the Peo-
ples Twenty-Five Cent Savings bank of
Bath, the Bridgton Savings bank, all the
banks of Portland and the Mesabrook Trust
company.
The endorsement. by the Maine State
orange OF the nOn-S6CtaTldu
amendment was presented to-day.
A petition from the Penobsoeot tribe of In
dams asks the legislature to appropriate
out of the shore rents ten per cent for each
of the years of 1895 and 1896 to be expended
for municipal purposes. also. an appropria-
tion of $3.50 for new school house on Old
town island, and $500 for repairs on church
building; also a specified list of appropria-
tions for general purposes.
Senator Shaw, today, introduced petit
ton and resolve authorizing the county
commissioners to procure loan not ex-
ceeding $4,000 for the purpose of repairing
and charging the court house at Houlton.
The accompanying statement of. facts says
that the present facilities for preserving
the'reeords are Inadequate and there is no
room for the county library.
Petitions were presented asking for legis-
lation that may provide free bridge be
tween Portsmouth and Kittery, also a pc
tition Tor the repeal of the charter of the
Kittery Point toll bridge.
The petition of Z. O. Beal and 455 others
against granting a renewal of the Bangor
and Brewer Bridge company, is the latest
in that vexed question.
Mr.. Wheeler of Lewiston introduced bill
to provide for state board OF arbitration.
This bill is virtually copy of the Massa-
chusetts law. and confors sonly advisory
powers 1t is the bill described in the PRESS
somo time ago.
MEASURES BOILED DOWN.
The following were.presented today:
Petition that the plantation of Woodyille
be incorporated as town.
Petition of George E. KimbaH and ~
others for law to equaIiZe freight rates.
Bill extending for two years the charter
of the Pemaquid. Damarisco:ta and New
castle railroad.
Bill incorporating n. G. McCausland, G.
H. Hamlin and E. B. Weeks as the Penob-
scot Trust and Banking company.
Resolve for the PURCHASE by the state of
100 copies of the abstract of the probate
records of Lincoln county from l760 to 1889.
now being prepared by the Maine tGenea-
logical society,".
Petitions that the salary of the sheriff of
Franklin county may be fixed at $500 an
nually in addition to fees.
Petitions of Hon. Vim. r. Frye and
many other Lewiston people for the annex
alton of part of Lewiston land Green to