Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-05
CIGARETTE BILL
Arouses a LIVELY Debate and
Furnishes House With Fun.
Important Bill introduced to Reg
ulate Use Of Bicycles.
Other Fsaturss Of Thursdays Session and
Committee Hearings.

The members of the House with the
crowd OF spectators that filled the gal.
lery and thrOnged the floor, got moft
real enjoyment out of Thursdays SEES
sion than is commonly known at thu
Capitol, except when "Unc1e tue'
Holden lectures on astronomy. The
feature of the session was the lively
debate and the two yea and nay votes
on the anti-cigarette bill which was
taken from the table. This bill which
totally prohibits the manufacture, sale
or gift of cigarettes in the State had
been reported favorably by the tenn
perance committee, and the storm was
raised when Mr.. King of Caribou
moved to recommit the bill to the Judi.
ciary committee that it's constitutions
atty which is seriously questioned,
might be examined into.
The motion of Mr.. King was opposed
by Rounds of Paris, Hamilton of Mat
tawamkeag, Boynton Of Sullivan
Winslow of Portland. Walton of Show
hogan and Andrews of Garland, in a
speech which discussed at length the
evils of cigarette smoking. They
| said 10000 petitioners demanded the
law and the Legislature ought to pass
it and let the courts settle the con.
stitutionality. The vote was 1O5 to II
against sending the bill to the judi.
ciary and the friends Of the bill were
HAPPY.
Then Mr.. Merrill of Portland, threw
a bomb shell into the House with
startling effect. He proposed ar
amendment which included cigars AMI
all forms of tobacco In the bin. Tht
nature of the amendment was
SO extreme that 1t was farcial
and the curious spectacle was
presented of all the constant
Ismokers of the House voting against
the use of tobacco. and the enemies OF
tobacco voting against the amendment
Both sides were inconsistent, but tbs
lsmokers felt they had the anti-cigar.
cite men in a most embarrassing di.
lemma. There was applause ant
as the aye and nay vote was taken.
The amendment was defeated - TO 40
and the bill was put on its passage. What
the Senate Will do with 1t. or what the
courts will do with 1t If it becomes d
law, are matters that do not worry the
House:
The House session was two hours long
twice as long as the Senate, ana muci
WAS accomplished e the stsoFrnpnic re-
presided ably over part of the session
1.-The bill TO repeal the bounty on bears
met a sudden death. AS soon as 1t was
wheeler Of Gilead. The adjournment
was until 3 A. NJ. today. which evidently
means no Saturday session this week.
1 nf tho Introduced tha
most important was the bin to regulate
the use of bicycles. presented by Mr.
Walton of skowhegan. himself r., wheel,
no present State law on this matter ana
he wants the use of bicycles regulated by
the State rather than by the municipal,
provides that all bicycles. and similar
vehicles, propelled by hand or foot. ant
all persons by whom they are owned OF
used. shall have all the rights of publ.
parks common now to carriages an
other vehicles, provided each person SC
nns ay e o May yhd pro ahnu Himself saf9 NTH
license from the town clerk for which NJ
shall pay 81. The amount so received by
town shall be expended for the improve.
bicyclist shall carry suitable alarm De.
on the handle bar, and after dark sha,
carry a lamp of SUFFICIENT power to %
ridden Upon the sidewalk of a city. town
OF. village corporation. A,o bicycllst shall
ride on the streets at rate exceeding
miles an rno hour of n %he SaX OF
provisions shall be punished BY, fine o.
s. and costs. half to TIE complainant. and
half to the town. This law does not az, ap'
is already licensed. The law shall not
apply to toy: yelocipedeg and tricycies
constables shall enforce this law, and
trial Justices and police and municipal
courts shall have jurisdiction of offences
Iarising underit. Municipal officers sha IL an
nually before May 1, post notices setting
forth this law and naming the person OF
whom licenses may be procured. All bicy-
Giles and similar vehicles found IN use II
viola ton of this law may be seized and de
clared public nuisances and there shall
be lien upon them for he~amount OF
the. fine and costsnA Al iy,5 other new rev
50 that SCI. eco instead Of s27.O is to be de
voted to use Of the three normal school.
lschool. This shall be deducted from the
common school fund and shall be eX.
pended under the direction Of the trus
lpresented bill making Sunday. Il clost
time on fishing as it IS now on hunting
4 II provides that on Sunday no person
spear under the same penalty. as during
Iother close time. The penalties already
imposed for violation of the Sunday law.
are not repealed.-A resolve was intro
duced for $2l.S7 in favor of the town O
Topsfield on account of a mistake in thu
school returns.-A remOnstrance came
against the establishment of municipal
court in Sanford and there was batcl
OF petitions on the same subjects that arr
touched upon every day.
In the Senate. Walls of Knox. pre-
scented an act amending act relating tt
the. Bath Military and Naval Orphan
asylum by adding after word of in It'll
line the words poor and neglected or
phan children residing in the State."-
Grindle of Hancock. presented an ac
amending section 81. chapter II. Re
vised Statutes of 1883 as amended b.
chapter 100, Public Laws of 1889 and PIG o
the Public Laws of 1893. relating to stud
les in high schools, by inserting aftel
word Studies and before word 'espec
tally in third line the words (which ar.
taught in secondary schools:'I and b,
striking out in the 10th and 18th line tn,
i, words "or such attachments of scholar
ship as shall be fixed by committee hav
ing supervision thereof and adding tn,