The Portland daily press., 1899-02-07
ESPECIAL TO THE PRKss.J

Augusta, February 6-By the terms Of
the act of annexation. the city of Deering
became q part OF tho city of Portland at
exactly 2s minutes past five this after
noon. The act provides that 1t takes
effect when approved and it was at the
name beneath those Of Speaker Stetson
and President Clsson on the official copy
of the law. In the Governors room, when
few strokes of his pen added one city to
another, were Senators Drummond and
Hodsdon of Cumberland, Representative
Hopkins of Deering and Representatives
Virgin, Chase and Webb of Portland.
Before the beginning of the session of
the Legislature this afternoon, the en-
crossing committees of the Senate and
House had read the bill and found 1t TO be
truly and correctly eugrossed. 1t came
first to the House. where 1t originated.
Ordinarily the House session Is longer
than that of the Senate, and the final pas
sage of engrossed bills Is about the last
thing in the order of business, so there
was some chance that the Senate might
sd journ before 1t received the measure.
The routine business in the upper branch
had been concluded and there was lull
but 1t was generally known to the Sena-
tors that the bill was on Its way and in
stead OF looking at Senator Stearns, a
signal which that gentleman usually re-
sponds to with a motion to adjourn,
President Clason read newspaper. Then
the messenger appeared with bill, but
1t proved to he ono relating to the powers
Of the Webster's Woolen company. There
was another pause. during which Judge
Hopkins and several members of the
Portland delegation entered the room and
moment later the annexation bill was
laid before the president, who read the
title and then repeated the usual formula
And is 1t the pleasure of the Senate that
the bill be passed to be epactedg'
silence gave consent at is q vote" con
tinued tho president, adding: This bill
will now be signed by the Speaker of tht
House and the President OF the Senate
and sent to the Governor for his ap
proval."
As soon as Mr.. Stetson and Mr.. Clasor
had signed the bill, it was taken to tht
executive department by Secretary Dun
bar, with whom went the Cumberland
county members already named Gov.
Powers read the bill through before hi
signed. This is in accordance with his
usual custom, no matter how familiar he
may be with the provisions OF a bill. In
only one paragraph did the Governor fail
to read every word. That was when he
came to the section describing the
boundaries of wards eight and nine. The
long list OF streets of which he had never
heard was too much for the Governor and
he skipped it. He wrote his name care
fully and then the pen was taken by Dir.
Virgin, who gave it to Judgo Hopkins.
The Greater Portland was fact Judge
hopkins, by the way, wns warmly CON
graduated by a number of the members S
ON the success of the bill which he had
introduced, but the congratulations were
mingled with some humorous aliusions
to his present position in the halls of
leplslation. he was told that rs Deering
had ceased to exist, he mad no con-
stitueney and might as we'll go home.
Speaker Stetson wanted to know how he
was to address Judge Hopkins and after
various suggestions. finally announced
that Mr.. Hopkins would hereafter be