The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-12
THE LEGISLATURE.
The Usual Constitutional Questions
Arise Over Adjournment.
INDICATIONS THAT THE SECTAR.
IAN AMENDMENT WILL PASS.

Movement to Increase the Salary of the
Adjutant observation-disclosures Pro-
posed to the Collateral Inheritance Tax
Law-Yesterday's Doings in the State
Senate and House.
Especial to the PRESS.)
Augusta. January 1.-THE law makers
have crowded the outgoing trains today
and only few are left here to make loot
tracks in the snow and slush in the streets,
while the rain which falls on the just and
the uI just hits only Augusta people and
representatives from far away who cannot
get home for Sunday. These representatives
Ghink that the rain is missing the unjust 1or
to those that tarry at the capital. the IN
just are represented by the Solons who go
home. M
After short session this forenoon the
Senate adjourned to next Tuesday morning
atI03n. The House, however, adjourned to
Monday and thereby raised a great consti-
trtfonal question, for the fundamental law
of the state provides that neither branch of
the legislature shall adjourn for more than
two days without the consent of the other.
The Senate will be in session on neither
Saturday, Sunday or Monday, and if Sun
day is counted. the adjournment is clearly
unconstitutional, but it is said in support
of the Senate's course, that Sunday is not
a legislative day. On the other hand, it is
asserted that the constitution says, days
pure and simple and not legislative days.
Al this point, somebody asks: We'll what
are you going to do about it?'
And that old, old question is likely to re-
main unanswered. The same point has
been made in past sessions and still 1t is
unsettled. The question will do some good
inasmuch as what is left of the legislative
colony will have sonnet hing to talk about on
Sunday.
And something to talk about is not to be
lightly considered at this stage of the
session. 1t has been a dull week here. The
Third House has been conspicuous only by
its absence. and in the evening, the office
of the Augusta House, which has baen
usually, during legislative sessions. scene
of hustle and excitement, OF animated dis
cugsiou and whispered consultation, has
been as quiet as reading room. In fact it
has been a reading room the few gentlemen
to be seen there being for the most part a b.
sorbed in newspapers. The only contests
which have been discussed have been those
settled on the billiard table. However, this
is likely to be changed next week when the
committees will begin to give hearings.
There are now more measures pending be-
fore the committees than there were two
years ago q the end of the second week.
This is due largely to the efforts of Presi-
dent oeiders and Speaker Powers, whose
prompt announcement of the committees
has undop btedly fastened the introduction
of many measures. And these measures in
clude the lime honored visitors. The fish
in Lily Pad pond need protection, ana there
is bill for the purpose. and so are there
bill in relation to about half a hundred
OF her ponds and streams. Then there are
The usual demands for charters for all sorts
of corporations and extension of charters
already granted. The repeal of the special
commission on private legislation is before
The judiciary committee, and if the bills
which acc ompany il should be passed. they
would do away with much of this special
legislation. but the guardians of the fnny
dwellers in Lily Pad pond do not care to
take any chances and SO their bill and all
the others have been put in and referred as
usual.
THE SECTARIAN AMENDMENT.
When the resolve for the amendment to
the Consti tuition to prohibit the use of pub
lie funds for sectarian purposes comes up in
the Senate, it will find many old friends
there and some opponents. OF the present
Senate quite number were members of the
last. Of these. Senators Jackson, Seiders,
Warehouse. Cook and Wood. voted for the
amendment two years ago. Or to be exact,
w
had he not been paired. Senators Hill,
'Nickerson and Spoford voted against the
amendment. 1t SO happens that large
number of the members of the Senate this
year we're members of Inc last House, and
consequently voted on the amendment
when it came up then. These Senators are
eight in number and as it also happens all
voted for the amendment, when members of
the House. They are Senators Higgins,
Ferguson, Morrill,, Mitchell, Day. Marston,
Weeks and Savage. Senator Savage was
Speaker of the House. but had his vote re-
corded on the question. Here then we nave
a list of thirteen Senators who, unless some
of them have changed their minds in two
years, will vote for the amendment. 10
pass the Senate the resolution must have
sixteen votes, or only three more than an
examination of the journals of the last
legislature indicates that it already has. If
tho new members were willing to express
their views thus early, there is little doubt
that enough of them could be found il
favor of the amendment to insure its
passage.
Two wears ago. only an even dozen of
votes were mustered against the measure in
the House. AS the views of the people upon
the subject are certainly not less strong in
favor of the amendment now than then, it
is reasonable to expect that this House. like
the last, will pass tho resolve. But its