Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-17
MANY SPEECHES.
House Passes Appropriation
Bill Unamended.
Senate Kills Bill Increasing the
Judges Salaries.
Other important Work Done Thursday in The
Session and Before Committees.

Many speeches were made and the de.
bate was warm and lively. The frs
aye and nay vote of the winter wa.
taken. The House passed the frs
general appropriation bill withou
amendment, though six amendment:
were attempted and the Senate killed
the bill to increase the judges salaries
by vote of IL to IL. There were al
the spectators present that the gal.
laries and floor space would accommo-
date. In the afternoon there were
hearings before half a score of COM
mttees, though the expected hearing
Oh the mileage bill was postponed to
next Wednesday afternoon.
There was an air of expectancy per-
vading both chambers when the hour
of 10 arrived Members and spectators
alike knew that important measures
were UP for consideration, and thai
lively times were ahead. The COM
mittee reports and the reading of bills
were rushed along, and but little new
business of Importance appeared. The
first matter of importance was when
Smith of Presque Isle. took from the
table his motion to reconsider the vote
refusing passage to the resolve of $1,000
annually for the St. Elizabeth Roman
Catholic Orphan Asylum of Portland.
The vote was reconsidered without OBJ
lection. and then McFadden of Ores
den, moved to indefinitely postpone the
resolve. This put the resolve before
the House for discussion. Mr.. Marley
warmly defended the institution and
urged the House to defeat the motion.
An aye and nay vote was called for,
motion to Indefinitely postpone was
lost by a vote of SO to 80. An attempt
to cut down the sum appropriated to
$500 also failed. and the resolve was
put upon it's passage.
The great matter of the day in the
House was the consideration of the
first general appropriation bill which
carries $1,6o5,OOo. This was reported
from the finance committee several
weeks ago. and was tabled by Mr..
Marley, chairman of the committee. at
the suggestion of Guernsey of Dover.
who wanted time to investigate some
of the items. When the bill was taken
from the table, Thursday, Mr.. Guern-
sey moved five amendments. namely to
strike out $6s. 900 appropriated for the
Augusta Insane Asylum $4,000 for
lighting the State prison; $500 for
water for the State House; $4,000 for
State printing; and $4,000 for State
binding: a total of $l27.3O0. Mr..
Guernsey explained that he did not
oppose these items of the bill, but
merely. asked that they be stricken out
Of the bill that he have more time to
investigate them. He held that they
could be Just as well inserted in the
second Appropriation bill at the end OF
the session.
The amendments, were taken UP II
order and each was the theme OF
general debate Mr.. Manley explained
and defended each item. and was @DlS
seconded by Parkhurst OF Bangor. as tt
the insane hospital item; by Macombel
of Augusta, and Hix of Rockland, a:
to the State prison item; and by Burns
of Westbrook, and Smith Of Presqu'
|Isle. as to the State printing item
Bennett of Hollis, came to the and O
Mr. Guernsey and urged that tn
Dover representative have additional
| time for investigation. There wer
numerous speeches and interest wa
high, The full debate is given IN tn
stenograpfiic report. Each amendmen
failed by large majority when put T.
vote. and even an attempt for an ay
and nay vote on one of the items wa
refused by the House. An amendmen
NV Plummer of Portland. striking GU
! the $4,000 item for the University o
1 Maine shared a similar fate withou
! debate. At 1880 p, NJ. after an hou
and a half Of debate, all the propose
amendments had been defeated. an
the bill was. put upon its passage.
!. The Senate in. the meantime ha
been busy with another important mat
ter which has attracted much atten
ton. This was the bill increasing tn
salary of the judges of the suprem
court from $500 to $4,000. Its consid
Grafton had been five times postponed
hut the many visitors who attended tn
senate session, yesterday, were nj
ia;s.nnointed. Hon. J. w. Bradbur
i. was one who listened to the speed
rho hill was defended in a speeo
,e.rlv an hour long by Senator Stearl
80 Aroostook. His able and exhau
Q tive argument was well answered
n Grindle of Hancock. Merrill of Some
q sat and Fernald Of Androscoggin, WI
opnosed the proposed increase. tt
-, rof,sed q passage by vote