Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-02-13

ton, House document No. 81, resolve relat-
ing to the State pension agent, was taken
from the table, House amendment A
adopted, resolve read second time, and
passed to be engrossed as amended.
On motion of Mr.. Higgins of York,
House document No 45, bill an act relat-
ing to costs of trespass quare clausam up
on wild and unimproved lands, and
tender of damages was taken from the
table; and the same senator moved that
the matter be indefinitely postponed
Mr.. Shaw of Aroostook: Before such
sweeping action is taken upon this bill l
would like the senator from York to give
his reasons for it. l think this matter
was proposed by the Maine Fish and
Game Association, and | would like to
be enlightened upon the matter before
voting on the question to indefinitely post
ponc
| Mr. Enge1 of Pcnobscot This bill, as
the senators will readily see makes it dis
cretioGary with the court as to the enforce
ment of the rights of ownership, and
makes difference between trespass upon
wild lands and upon cultivated lands. !
think that this sort of legislation is not
! judicious II takes the arms of the law
right away from it, and that is thing
which I think should not be done. 1t is
against public policy. l have spoken to
several of the committee on Judiciary on
the matter, and after consulting with
them I have come to the conclusion that
this bill should be indefinitely postponed.
This bill was introduced by people and
| clubs who want to hunt and fish in this
State. They hire a tract of land from the
land owner for hunting and fishing, and
they wish to keep all outsiders away from
that tract of land. The land owner docs
not object in the least to other people com
| ing on the land hunting and fishing, but
these clubs do object and this bill was in
PRODUCED so that the club men could
| brighten away all people coming on the
land ! am inclined to think that the
gentleman from Aroostook, as q lawyer,
will see the justice of this bill being in
definitely postponed.
Mr.. Marston of Somerset; As no doubt
many of the senators know, | am CON
siderably interested in wild lands. This
bill has q bearing that is very disastrous
to owners of wild lands. As the legal
phase has already been explained, l will
not touch upon that in any way | viii
simply shy that there is no wild land
owner in Maine who desires to harm in
any way the hunting and fishing of the
State The hunting and fishing mean
money for the State, and money for us.
But we do not want to throw away the
only hold. the only claim we have on the
man who secs fit to come in and slash
our trees and brush, and then says he Is
there for the purpose of hunting and fish
ing We do not want our only hold on
that man removed This bill gives any
man the right Of eminent domain, to go
into our woods for hunting and fishing
and do what he likes in there, and we
have got no hold on him whatever. As
wild land owners in Maine we feel that
we should haze some remedy whereby this
man can be held in check in case he gets
to acting in an unbecoming manner. We
simply want the law left where 1t is, so
that in case of mischief being done we can
call halt.
Mr.. Shaw of Aroostook: l made this
inquiry because wanted some informa-
ton on the matter. think the explana-
lions given are entirely satisfactory, and
have no further objection to make.
The bill was therefore indefinitely post
poned
On motion of Mr.. Gordon of Oxford,
the Senate adjourned.