Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-04
% ABSENTEES.
Saturdays Unique Session in
the Maine Senate.
House Has An Hours Session With
% Members Present.
Adjournment to Tuesday at 10 A. m..some
W Measures.

thS 'eHdte icld Its brief session Satur
oay morning. and % members nrasor,
"hiie the House conducted it, ratb.,
more extended deliberations III,
upper branch met at s O'Clock wiz
virgin OF Cumberland in the chair and
win Nlckery of Kennebec the sole
occupant of the double semi-circle al
seats. Messenger Lovejoy. ALWAYS
lalthful, was the only spectator. Rev
MT. \eWbcrt. evidently believing that
Tue smaller the membership of tba
senate the less its need of PRAYER
prayed less than a minute The io,:r.
MAJ or the previous day was read ana
approved, and then Mr.. Vickerv pr.-
scented an order that when the Senate
adjourned. it be until 10 A. Nj. Tues-
daS- 1t is needless to say that the
order received Il unanimous n.ssare
In TACT. a more harmonious legisIativ,.
body never met at the Capjtol than
that of early SATURDAY. morninr ana
Messrs Virgin and Nickery have Ger
tainly established a unique record in
the history of the Maine Senate. The
session lasted less than five minutes
ana the two members spent the rest of
the morning mildly hazing the few
members of the House as tha,-
appeared in the hall and in impressiny
upon them how ably the upper branch
had carried its point about going HON,
until Tuesday morning.
When the House was called to order
at 10. there We're % members present
just the number of the Senate ali
sentees. Nobody was inclined to raise
the point of no quorum. and the BODY
proceeded to dispose of the routine
business of the day just as though the
seats We're full and the Senate busy in
its chamber. The session continued
an even hour, when the House pass /
in concurrence the Senate order re-
garding adjournment until 10 o'clock.
Tuesday. So in a way each body
triumphed in its Friday contention
The Senate got the adjournment to
Tuesday morning as it wished and the
House. if it failed to get a Monday
afternoon session. had one on Saturday
morning. The hour was devoted 70
routine work, with nothing to ruflle
the surface of proceedings. except
when Speaker Manley called upon Mr.
Carleton of Winthrop to read a bill
containing a lot of Latin names Of
birds which Clerk Cotton gave up in
despair. The committee reports were
received, bills and petitions received
and referred, and a number of meas
ures passed to be engrossed and
enacted.
The new measures of Saturday
morning in the House included few
matters of general Importance. Mr.
Shaw of Bath introduced four bills
relating to electric railroad matters.
The first provides that when any rail
road applies to the railroad commits
soners to determine the conditions of
a crossing and an appeal shall be
taken from the decisions of the com
missioners. the commissioner shall at
once determine the conditions of such
crossing and maintenance of same
pending the appeal or any legal pro
ceedings. The second provides that
when the stockholders Of any street
railroad company shall vote to sell or
lease their franchise or property TO
any other street railroad company. the
railroad commissioners shall after due
hearing authorize such sale or lease
if satisfied that the public welfare will
not thereby be injured. The
third provides that the articles
of association of street rail
way company may be amended at
any time upon petition signed by all
the corporators. after such notice as
the railroad commissioners may deem
necessary: and any location may pc
amended before it is finally approved.
after a hearing. upon filing the con-
sent of the municipal officers or the
town Interested The fourth bill pro-
II
tend it's line to another place upon
application to the railroad commlS-
sioners and by conforming to the gen
eral laws of the State. with IKE pro-
ceedings and like right OF appeal.
From AroOstook there came Z bill VIII
accompanying petitions to cofnpel teie-
graph companies to have a UNIFORM
rate to all places within the limits q
their line and to charge rate nor So
cneding two and one-half cents p1
word. except for MESA ges or less imam
10 words If the company charsT7
more at one place than at anotheIr -
moro of one person than Of another, Il
shall forfeit double the amount
o,.rcbarped TO the complainant. y
hin was introduced giving cities the
right to amend their ordinances SO w
they can forbid any person selhliS ii'i'
in their limits without loo"
Another new bill provides that u
officer shall have authority peyollu ~
limits of the town in which ne WAS r.
nointed or elected except to arrest q
escaped prisoner This is an eA'1i'''o'
of the York county plan over 'lie VIZ,
state Billsappeared regulating 90 20
Franklin county salaries as loiio
county commissioners, $40 ior ''
chairman. $500 for the others cleah I
courts. $500: register of deeds' $oVo'
fees for any of them. There
dozen long petitions from fei,o',oo
and Aroostook for change OF tne a.
that dealers shall not be limited III -,
amount Of game they may nav va
IN the omen season. There VIZ
hatches of petitions for greater taA !,
corporations. and lot or ANUS 49,,
netitions for State maintenah' u
large bridges. The first petit'oh' II
res1hrissiCn also appeared
Few lawmakers were prese"'' IL,
/ dav morning. except those VIZ !,
MANNED to remain over ~
| there were about as many d. III.
| .lo oftorppOn. IneIt ""