Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-26
mo CHOICE"
The Committee Shuts Out
Both Eaton and Davis.
A Bill to Reach the Mistaken for a
! Deer Cases. 30 ,....
closing session Of Fou tn Week Adjournment
/ to 1890. Tuesday.

last session OF the Legislatures fourth
Week was the report of the Committee
! on hlectlons declaring that there was
no cncice IN the Waterviile represen-
tatfon election in September The re-
port, winch is signed by all seven mem
, pers OF the committee states that after
examining the evidence ard hearing.
the arguments the committee comes TO
the conclusion that 81 votes We're cast
10Y harvey ID. Eaton and 81 for CYRUS
4 " DaNiS anu that there was no choice
lof representative. The report is ac-
coInpanied Dy resolve unSeating Mr.
Davis from the seat which he holds by
tSftillcate from the Governor and
council. The result was totally unex
pccted by most of the members If
has been generally thought that there
would be two reports, one favorable IN
Mr.. Davis and one favorable to Mr.
EATON, leaving the matter to be fought
out in the House. The matter as il is
however. is still in the hands of the
House. for the report and resolve, on
. motion of Mr.. Carleton of Winthrop
4 We're tabled for consideration. next
= Wednesday morning. Judging from
The general comment after the session
II is very doubtful if the committees
report is accepted as final. Mr. Eaton
is confident the House will give him
the seat which he firmly believes is
Justly his, and tits certain that Mr..
Davis VIII not give up the seat while
: he has a lighting chance to retain it.
! The report was compromise and
many look upon it as the effort of the
! committee to put the responsibility for
! settling the contest upon the whole
! House. The committee was in execu-
( tive session, Thursday afternoon and
evening, and they had lively time of
it. 1t looked for some time as if there
would be three reports submitted to the
! House, one declaring Eaton elected,
one declaring Davis elected and one
declaring the vote tie. At length the
committee adjourned without reaching
any conclusion. Friday morning. Just
/ before the session. Chairman Dunn
succeeded in getting the committee to-
sether in Librarian Carver's private
office and for half an hour they
thrashed the straw over again. and
then, as a compromise which came the
nearest being satisfactory to ALL the
seven members signed the report de-
claring the vote to be ST. to ST. and the
accompanying resolve unseating Mr.
Davis. Chairman Dunn hurried UP
stairs and before the signatures were
fairly dry the report and resolve We're
read to the House. Mr.. Davis and Mr..
Eaton We're both in the rear of the hall
There was no demonstration. but the
surprise at the report was plainly evil
dent. At first it looked as though the
report and resolve would be accepted
without a word of opposition. and the
Speaker had already declared the re-
port accepted, when Carleton of Win
throp and Chase of Portland arose to
their feet. The former was recognized
and on his motion the vote accepting
the report was reconsidered and both
report and resolve were laid on the
table to be taken up next Tuesday.
Later this day was changed to We'd
nesday. Now the all absorbing ques-
| ton is: What will the house do with
the matter next Wednesday.
| The most important new matter that
was introduced, Friday, was a bill
which aims to decrease the number of
| 'mistak ken for deer cases which an
nually mar the Maine hunting season.
! The bill was introduced by Virgin of
| Cumberland in the Senate and caused
that any person who. while hunting,
carelessly wounds or kills another
shall be punished by Imprisonment for
not more than ten years or fine of
not more than $1,000. Another clause
compels county attorneys and sheriffs
to prosecute all such accidental shoot
ing under penalty of fine of $1,000 and
expulsion from their office. This last
clause is what gives force to the bill
and makes the proposed law mean
more than the present law to punish
mansIaughter. The supporters of the
bill hope that its passage Will make
hunters more careful, even if it's eX-
| IRENE penalties are seldom invoked. -
There was IA large batch of new mat
ter introduced in the house, about 40
bills, petitions and resolves being re-
ceived and referred to various com
! mittees One bill amends the law re-
lating to forest fires so that town
shall not be holden to pay for the eX-
| tinguishing of fires to an amount
greater than one per cent. of the vaiu-
| alton for purposes of taxation. Inc
present limit is two per cent. Another
! bill exemptS all veterans of the ciVii
war, over 60 years of age, from pay
ment of a poll tax. There was n bill
| regulating party caucuSes in toWhS'
4 and providing for the use of check
i lists when called for by ten voters. A
| bill abolishes the city. marshal ana
deputy marshal of Biddeford and gives
the police board power to appoint
chief of police and a captain. Among
the resolves were those carrying slVoo
for the Young Women's Home in Lew
iston $5O77 to cover the amount au
vanced for work on the tOpoSraphical
survey in 1899 and 1900, $500 yearly Tor
Litchfield Academy. $500 for PenneH
Institute. $500 for Yarmouth ACADEMY
81, 900 for a bridge in Milbridge over tne
Narraguagus. and $500 for repairs 10
bridge in Oakfield. bill was lntIo-
duced making all deposits OF over
s., coo in savings banks and trust coi'i-
panies subject to the state, county anu
municipal taxation. and conpeiiins
bank officers to make returns 10 'he
assessors AS an example of how soiiis
petitions are presented by the soou
people to the law makers there may NC
mentioned batch of IA petitions ~
troduced, Friday morning. All ia"
! rio nd