Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-23
A LIVELY DAY.
The Academies Win a Sweep
ing Victory.
Long and Interesting Hearing on the
Mileage Bill.
Date Of Election Of Mr.. OingIcy's Successor
Set Tor Third Monday in June.

luGIc Ia always HI VIZ $50
when the Maine Legislature tackles the
resolves for the academies. Sometimes
there are discords in the grand chorus,
but in the end there is nothing to jar
the swelling volume of harmony. Yfs-
terday the vibrations arising from The
eloquence and arguments of the friends
of the academies made the big dome
shake over the lawmakers heads.
There have not been many lively days
in the present session of the Legisla-
ture, but yesterday was one Of them,
perhaps the very liveliest of the wno:e
winter. The friends of the academies
won a complete victory and were 4
happy crowd when they had swept
everything before them. and they went
home to dinner after a session almost
three hours long.
The long expected fight on the acad-
| envy question was precipitated. after
the regular business had been disposed
of, Wednesday forenoon, by motion
OF Jordan of Lisbon. to indefinitely
postpone the resolve for the George
Stevens Bluehill Academy. 1t needed
Just this to explode the whole maya
zine. and for over an hour the debate
WdXcQ IlS1l anu Iltdlcu otSI Tie ScU-
eral matter of the aid of academies by
| the State. Only one or two speakers
had anything to say about the Bluehill
Academy. The talk was on the broad
err question, and it was the hour for
which both sides had been waiting and
preparing. The Senate finished its
routine business early and adjourned,
most of its members coming in to en-
joy the House debate. The galleries
and spare floor space were packed with
spectators. Interest was high and APP
plause greeted, and often interrupted,
every speaker.
The leaders of the battle against
State aid for the academies were Jor-
dan of Lisbon, McFadden of Dresden,
and Bennett or Hollis. while the cause
of these institutions was defended with
warmth and vigor by Burns of West
brook, Gardner of Patten, Walker of
Starks. Chick of Clifton, Peaslee Of
Wiscasset, Philbrook of Watervilie,
and Merrill of Skowhegan. The fun
in the stenographic report. 1t was
exciting and interesting at all times,
and very amusing at times when some
little incident broke the high tension
to which all We're strained. ,
1t was evident from the start what
the result would be. When put to a
vote the motion to postpone indefinitely
the Bluehill resolve was lost without a
division, and the resolve accordingly
was put upon its passage. This opened
the gates and they remained wide
open. The other academy resolves
were passed along in order. An at
tempt was made on one oretense or
another to table. one or two of them,
but II was voted down with vigorous
emphasis. The last stand of the oppo-
sition was made against the resolve
for Westbrook Seminary, but after an
other brief debate the motion to in
definitely postpone was lost in great
chorus of Noes" Virgin of Portland,
gave notice that he should introduce
resolve that the money appropriated
for the academies come from the mill
tax and school fund and not from a
special appropriation. This may settle
a much agitated question, and if made
a law 1T is likely the victory of the
academies. two. years hence. will be
more easily won than this year.
- ~@--
morning session, just as the mileage
bill hearing was the chief feature
among. the many committee hearings
in sthe afternoon. During the sess'c.
of the House. Ex-Governor Robe, the
new department commander OF the =
A.. r.. and eX-Judge Enoch Foster oc-
cupied seats beside Speaker Stetson.
Both of these distinguished gentlemen
were warmly greeted by their hosts OF
friends at the Capitol The most i'm
pofstant of the many committee reports
OF the morning session was one from
the legal affairs committee repeating
the road commissioner law of 1897 and
leaving the election of a road comnals-
sioner optional with towns.
| Among the new business, the Waldo
! county bar sent in a bill providing that
each county court house shall have
| suitable room set apart for law IL
brary. Guernsey of Dover. introduced a
| bill amending the laws relating to free
public libraries SO that any town having
! a library owned by a corporation or as
| sociation may appropriate IA sum not eX-
| ceeding 81 for each poll to procure from
such library the free use of its books for
! the inhabitants of the town. and such IL
brary shall then be considered free
public library and entitled to the provls-
| ions of the law for travelling libraries
There was batch of petitions for the
annexation of Ocean Park to Saco, and
several score Of petitions for the two
cent mileage law
Before the session, Wednesday morn
ing the senators and representatives
| from the section of the State embraced
in, the second congressional district called
upon Governor Powers in the council
chamber, and the matter of specia
election to choose successor to MT
Dingley was informally talked over. The
Governor explained why no election hat
been called in time for the new member