The Portland daily press., 1897-01-27
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.l

ESPECIAL TO THE PREssl
Augusta, January 26.-The law max
ers have settled down to business and
the rumbling and groaning OF the
wheels of legislation are now plainly
audible beneath the gilded dome OF the
State House. This is the first week in
which the committee hearings are sat-
tracing attention. Two Of the important
hearings of the session will take place to-
morrow afternoon, when in Representa-
tives' hall the railroad committee will sit
to receive enlightenment on the Engel
bill, and at the same time in their room
upstairs, the judiciary committee will
listen to the ladies who come TO tell them
why the privilege Of municipal suffrage
should he extended TO women.
1t has been customary in the past to
devote q Whole afternoon to the ladies
and to hold the hearing in the Represen-
tatives' chamber. The fact that the
judiciary committee has this winter an
nounced that it would give the hearing
in it's own room and has assigned a num-
Der of the matters for consideration at
the same sitting would Indicate that the
members do not want to spend any more
time than is necessary in hearing argu-
ments with which they are already fa-
miliar The judiciary is the foremost of
the committees in many ways and all or
nearly all Of ibs mem bers have been He.e
before While the women may have
whole assortment Of new arguments in
favor of municipal suffrage, that is hard
Iy probable and the action of the COM
mittee in assigning the hearing TO aate
SO early in the session, and on day when
so many other subjects are to be consid-
erel, indicates desire to get it over
with, and this may be said with dua def
erence TO the petitions. The COMMITTEES
desires to give the subject proper and re-
spectful treatment, but it is not such
novelty that lengthy hearing is neces-
sary to eniighten them upon it. 1t poll
of the COMMITTEES could be procured bs-
fore and after the hearing, it is not likely
that the two would differ. In other
words, it is is'probable that the minds OF
the mem bers are already made up and
that no new arguments which are pre-
sented will be Of /. character to change
their opinions.
Beside the woman suffrage question,
the judiciary committee has assigned for
hearing tomorrow, the bill presented by
NJ. Talbot of Lewiston, providing fol the
waving of trial by jury IN certain civil
causes; the bill to regulate steam engl-
neering and the petition Of Architects
George NJ. Coonbs of Lewiston who
wants nay for some plans he drew forstke
Bangor insane hospital when the estab-
lishment Of that Institution first became
legislative bject.
Different from the hearing en- the
woman suffrage bill is that on the
ENGEL RAILROAD MEASURE.
In this case, a matter is presented which
comes entirely as surprise to many OF
the members aud a large mum er includ-
ing probably some who are on the roll
road committee are In the language of Il
member who spoke about it when the
bill first appeared, against it until they
learn something more about 1t. This
attitude of men took in and out of tbs
legislature is calculated to make the at,
tendance lalge and the hearing interest
ing, but it does not appear that there il
any organized opposition to the measure
Another matter Of interest rather as a
curiosity than because of its Importance
IS the hearing which the committee oH
pensions will give to the petitioners from
the town of Andover, who want pensions
for the veterans of the bloodless cam,
paigns Of the Aroostook war and theiI
children. This matter has been before
the committees of many previous legisla
lures. but the COMMITTEES action has al
ways been a vote giving the petitioner
leave to withdraw, and it is not a rash
prediction to say that this years action
will be about the same. MAJOR Dickey
says that he has once or twice tried to