The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-03-11
BOTH BRANCHES WILL TAKE
HOLIDAY TODAY.
Some of the Bills That VIII Find an Early
Grave-Business Assigned to the Com
ing Wcel-Whar the Committees are
Doing.
Especial to the PRESS. y


ing beautifully less, and the session is con-
sequently drawing to Il close. This has been
week in which number Of important
matters have been consider ed in one branch
or the other. Woman u4rage, having been
carried in the House, has been assigned by
the Senate TO March 20. so it is likely to he
one of the last measures to he consigned to
a grave in the Legislative burying ground,
beside the last resting place OF the listing
bill. The House has on its table number
of important measures. The bill amending
the law in relation to the collection of vital
statistics is there, and SO is the revised
edition of the gospel of prohibition as
embodied in law by Gen. Neal Dow. With
this bill is that other reported by the tenn
perance committee and entitled an act to
provide for the treatment of alcoholism. 1t
is something new in legisla ton. and is
short enough to be printed in full for the
information of the curious:
section 1.-The county commissioners of
each county are hereby required TO provide
suitable medical trea tment for alcoholism
in the county jails OF their respective
counties at the expense OF the county. such
treatment shall he of the same character
and administered in the same way as
medical treatment for alcoholism is given
in the Kelley Institutes of this country;
and such commissioners shall from time to
time improve such medical treatment in or
der to provide for prisoners il such jaiIs
the latest and best treatment known for
alcoholism.
Section 2.-PrisoneIs committed to county
JalIs for being intoxicated who are con-
frmed and habitual drunka1ds shall be re-
quired during the time of their sentence
there, in case such sentence is not less than
thirty days. TO take the treatment for alcos
holisIn, as provided by section one.
5Ihen the House has on the list the bill re-
vising the state pension law. As pointed
out in TIE PRESS some days ago, this bill
among other changes str tx es out of the law
the proviso that it must be shown that a
claimants disability arises from wounds OF
injury received in the line of duty This
change was made in accordance with the
suggestions Of State Pension Agent
Mllliksn, whose experience in the off ce has
taught him that there are many deserving
persons, who. were this provision of the law
strictly enforced, would be debarre from
receiving of the states bounty to its de-
tenders whom misfoI tune has reduced to
necessitate of asking for aid. So Mr..
Milliken recommended this altera ton and
the committee endorsed his vi ews. Wednes-
day of the coming week, Mr.. Xeegan will
reopen the Aroostook war. Mr.. Keegan's
cause is hopeless, but Van Buren's claims
will be hotiy contested. Senator Wiggin's
bill in relation to the assessment of the
common school fund is also assigned for
Wednesday. The state printing contract is
still among the pending bus ness. 1t is on
The table on motion of Nj. Whelden Of Fort
land, and has been assigned for Tuesday.
The Senate, on Tuesday. will again dis
cuss the resolve for the purchase of Free
mans Supplement 10 the Revised Statutes,
and Mr. Shaw will speak against it. The
non-secrarian amendment to the Constitu
tion is also on the docket in the Senate for
Tuesday. 1t will proha bly, give another op-'
portunity for q burial in the legislative
grave yard.
All The important matters have not been
reported from the committees. There is the
Oleomargarine qucsti on with which sub
committee of the judiciary committee is
struggling hoping against hope to construct
legislative wonder that will be acceptable
to both the farmers and the dealers in oleo
a matter of great interest to Cumberland
county is contained in a bill in relation to
the support Of bridges. The oil provides
that where towns in adjoining counties are
connected py bridges spanning rivers or
other waters seTara ing the counties. such
bridges shall he maintained by tho counties
In proportion to the parts of the bridges in
their respective limits This bill was intro
dEced by Major Dickey OF Fort Kent. Now
it happens that in Aroostook many bridges
have been built in whole or in part by the
state and it would be a natural assumption
that this measure was one designed in some
way to help some small towns up in the
Garden of Maine. but il is said that the
case which led to the intPoduc ton of the
measure is of bridge between Brunswick
and West Bath. Should this bill become
law Cumberland county would be called up
on to help support half dozen or more
bridges now kept in repair by towns The
| bill will be the subject of hearing next
Tuesday, and its passage will 10 vigorously
opposed.
The legislative hopper has been grinding
fast and like the mills of the gods. grinding
exceeding fine the past week, especially in
the matters of appropriations, but there is
still so much to do tLat those who have pre-
dicted adjour nment by Marc 20, and shown
a willingness TO be on it, now display tea
dency TO hedge.
These last days of the session arc pretty
gay ones. Thursday night tine guests of the
Augusta house gave a dance, which was
largely ATTENDED and was Il successful
affair. The dancers were just depa1 ting
fol their abiding places, in The wee sma'
hours, when the Massachusetts delegation
| arrived. The Sons OF Maine who came from
the halls of legislation of their adopted
state TO see the wheels go round in the old
state House in Augusta. were botn sur
prised and gratifed at their reception.
hey had expected Il cordial greeting, but
did not anticipate the elaborate entertain
ment which wGs provided for them. TO
Senators Marston and Hume and the other
menbes of the committee of arrangements
great credit is2duo for the entire success of
The visit. Especially successful was the
dinner al Hotel North, which was cooked
and served in a manner creditabIe to the
landlord, Mr.. Burns, and his assistants
The Massachusetts, delegation left in their
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