Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-25
NEW LIBEL LAW.
Another Bill Taxing Corporate
franchises introduced.
Resolutions Passed on the Death Of
Queen Victoria.
'''urcs OF thursdays Session and Inc MANY
Afternoon Hearings.

| HNeiy incidents as marked tbot ~
wednesday morning, yet II had sev
erai interesting features. and in th,
rouse at least. was fully an horu
iohS- Inc sessions are now of noces
S'ty longer than a week or two ago n.
'neic are committee reports to be rea6
anu oiiiS In the various stages n,
passage 1here is also good sizef
".,oh VI new measures, each day. and
VIII continue to be for a week or twc
lohSer When it will rapidly decrease
me ti'he Ter The reception OF private
ana special bills ends. next weel,
'houSn IT will probably have the usual
extension to meet few urgent cases
mere was not ripple of debate in
either body, Thursday morning tbo,ah
| Two speeches We're made in the Houso
oiie was by SWEET of kittery in sup
Pert Oh Joint resolutions put in by the
| "fk delegation urging the Maine
deieGauon in Congress to work for the
appropriation widening and deepening.
the channel at Kittcry. The other
was a splendid little gem of oratorv nv
Bennett Of Hollis in support of tho
J"int resolutions on the death of Queen
Victoria prepared and presented nv tho
! special committee approved. Wcdpes-
| day. for the purpose. Both resolu-
tons were unanimously adopted. The
| speeches in full and the resolutions are
found in the stcnographic report in
another column. The adjournment of
the House at II a. NJ. was as a mark
of respect to the memory of The
queen. At 10. today. both branches
VIII meet for the closing session of the
fourth week.
The new matters introduced
! edneSday morning. including. as
usual, a taxation bill or two. Farms
worth OF Pembroke put in a Grange
OH relating to the wild land tax. 1t
provides that the rate of the State tax
shall be seven mills on the valuation
as assessed by the State assessors. In
the Senate. Plummer of Penobscot.
put in bill taxing corporations or
SaniZed in this State and not doing
business here. This is directed to the
same end o. bill which appeared in
the House. Wednesday. but gets at ii
in an entirely different manner. 1t
provides that on such corporations
with a capital stock of less than $50
600 there shall be an annual tax of
Flp VIZ lliCSt WIFI Il capital STOCK OF
between $50, 900 and 500, 600 tax of $40:
on those between 100000 and 5000. 900 a
tax of $50; on those between 5000 900
and 81 900. 600 a tax of $40: on those
between $1,000. 900 and 5000. 900 Il tax
of $500: and on those with capital
stock of over $4,000. 900 an annual tax
of 81 600. 1t is estimated that such a
law would yield the State annually
about $3.50 900.
A bill of great interest to the pub
fishers of the State is that relative TO
actions for libel presented by Carleton
of Winthrop. 1t is a measure in the
interests of justice to newspapers and
is designed to replace Names anti
quated libel laws with fairer laws on
& par with those of other states. The
text of the bill is as follows:
Section l. In any action for libel
the defendant. after notice in writing
given to the plaintiff or to his attorney
at any time before the pleadings are
required to be filed therein of his in
tention to publish a retraction of such
libel accompanied by a copy of the re-
traction which he is prepared to pub
lish. may give in evidence in mtga
such retraction: or. if. upon such no
tice the plaintiff does not accept the
offer so to publish such retraction, the
defendant may give in evidence in
mitigation of damages that he offered
to publish such retraction and that
said offer was not accepted and that
the alleged libel was published in good
faith and without actual malice, and
unless the plaintiff prove actual malice
or want of good faith or failure
either to retract or offer to retract as
aforesaid. he shall recover only COM
pcnsation for the actual injury sus-
tanned.
Section =. In any civil action for
libel the defendant may alleSe ana
prove in mitigation of damages that
the plaintiff has already recovered
damages for. or has received, or mas
agreed to receive. compensation III
respect of substantially the same libel
as that for which such action was
! brought.
Section ?. In actions for libel an
improved allegation in the pleadihsa
of the truth of the matter charseu
shall not be deemed proof OF Malice
unless the jury on the whole case hii'
1
! that such defence was MADE WIZ"
malicious intent.
| Section 4. In any action Tor ipei u
the defendant at the first term mes d."
affidavit that he has a good delen'O
uDon the merits and that the stdtc
mcnts complained Of were publisheu III
good faith the court after near rs
nav order the plaintiff to give seculi's
for costs.
Section }. Whoever wilfully states
delivers or transmits by any means
/ whatever to the manager. eu'o'
publisher or reporter of any ne"
paper. magazine. publication Pc
odical or serial. for pupilca.ioi.
therein. any false or lipe'ouS
statement concerning any pei9oii
or CORPORATION. and thereby secures
the actual publication of the san
shall upon conviction thereof DE pu"
ished by fine not exceeding five nun
dred dollars. or imprisonment not
ceeding one year. or by both me anu
Imprisonment.
There were several new bllls Vi p"-
t.cular interest to Portland. one
organizing the fire department w"
IL