Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-24
THE GRAND RUSH.
Tuesdays Work Beats all Rec
ords ofthe Session.
All Hands Determined to Close This
Week if Possible.
The Work Of the Winters Busiest Day In the
House and Senate.

The grand rush ard hustle that was
manifest in the morning and afternoon
sessions. Tuesday, and which gave
the lobby the most animated aspect of
the winter upset previous calculations
as to adjournment and made very
bright. indeed. the prospect of closing
up the session, this week. More mat
ters were disposed of than on any pre-
vious day Of the winter. and the calen-
dar was given through. wedding out.
Speaker Larrabee asked the members
not to make any assignments later
than Thursday. as the Legislature
must adjourn on Friday. He has all
along contended this could be done, but
there are many prominent members
ard officials who do not expect adj
journment before next week. though
all are anxious to finish up. this week.
In the House every one of the IS un-
assigned bills on the table were taken
up. Tuesday morning. Many were dis
posed Of and the rest assigned for the
afternoon session or today The mo-
ton to indefinitely postpone was a
favorite one, and prevailed in several
AhoSahNOSs uC Jill dlOWluB the N1du-
awaska Training school $1,000 more
than it had last year was passed Al to
81, greatly to the joy of Mayor Dickey.
who defended the bill against the as
saults OF Hamilton of Biddeford.
There was but little speaking in the
House session in the morning, and a
mass of measures were pushed along,
many with amendments. The Augusta
ward line bill was amended so tha.
there will be eight wards instead of
nine as the bill first proposed. The
new ward will be formed from ward
one. and the other wards will not be
disturbed. Before going into effect the
act will have to be accepted by the
voters of the city.
The bill relating to free high schools
which has been SO much discussed
came UP by assignment. Tuesday morn
ing, and with an amendment tackled on
that utterly defeated the purpose of the
bill, 1t was passed to be engrossed.
The bill was designed in part to pre-
vent schools from getting State aid as
free high schools, and also special APP
preparations as academies, as is now
done in many instances which are
yearly increasing. The friends of the
academies opposed this and offered
an amendment striking out the vital
provision of the bill. Mr.. Pattangall,
the author of the bill, said it would be
just as we'll to indefinitely postpone the
bill as to accept the amendment, and
on motion of Mr.. Boynton of Sullivan,
this was done when the vote to pass to
be engrossed had been reconsidered.
Cba lot iv1er hn In IF
cultural seeds, for which the farmers
of Maine have asked with almost one
voice, came up for discussion. Mr..
Knowlton of Portland. moved to in
definitely postpone the bill and spoke
in defense of his motion. Mr.. Hamil-
ton of Biddeford, supported the farm
ing interests in vigorous speech, and
the motion to indefinitely postpone was
lost in an overwhelming chorus of
Noes" and the bill was put on its pas
sage. Mr.. O'Nel's attempt to have his
minority report on the 54-hour bill &C
cepted had no backing. and the ma
jority report of the labor committee.
fought not to pass" was almost unan-
imously accepted.
7 The caucus bill has been reported
from the judiciary committee and
tabled to be printed. 1t has undergone
numerous changes since first drafted.
and it is understood will now pass all
right. 1t now applies only to the cities
of the State, and is to be applied there
only, when at least so voters qualified
to vote in a caucus request its applica-
cation. The machinery of the commit
tee has all been done away with in its
new draft. The bill provides for the
use of the check list, and establishes
a penalty for those voting in a caucus
who have no right to vote there.
In the Senate, the morning session
was devoted to debate on several inn
portant matters, and only few bills
were handled in comparison with the
work of the House. The bill reducing
the tax on savings banks was the main
feature. Senators Walls and Reynolds
of Cumberland supported the bill in
able speeches, and it was opposed by
Senators Savage and Stearns. The bill
was defeated by the close vote of 15
| to u. The Senate refused, by vote
Of IA to 10, to reconsider it's vote pass
| ing the Newport Soldiers Home re-
solve, and now the resolve goes back to
| the House, which has once voted to
| indefinitely postpone it. Senator Saw
ages amendment to the Eastern Maine
Insane Hospital resolve doing away
with the commission and cutting the
appropriation from $275,OO0 to $175.00J
was passed by a vote Of % to Z. Now.
what will the House do with the re-
solve in this form, after twice voting
to indefinitely postpone it before it was
changed?
In the afternoon, the House met at
8 o'clock and adjourned at S. In both
bodies the morning rush was continued
and much was done, as is shown by the