Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-01-03
ORGANIZATION,
The 10th Legislature Sworn in
and Elects Officers.
Last Evenings Caucus to Name State
Cffcers.
The Drawing Of Seats inauguration oil Gcv.
ernor H:'l, Today.


Aesislature was effected with due form
and ceremony, Wednesday forenoon
The members elect were sworn in tn,
officers nominated at the ReprbIicar
caucuses, Tuesday evening, were
erected and at noon, after a two hours
session. there was adjournment until
| ~ y. NJ, today, when Governor Hill
VIII be inaugurated, the State officers
i''liii'iated at last evenings join;
caucus Will be elected, the Joint stand
i'S Committees announced and more Oh
less routine business transacted.
1here was a good number of spec
tdtoES present to witness the business
OF organization. The two House gal
ierles We're well filed and many ladies
were among those present Mrs. Pow
ers, wife of the governor, was an inter
| ested spectator, and the daughters of
speaker Manley, with large party of
friends, had seats on the floor of 1.-The
House. Previous to the formal orgau-
| ization an hour, from 8 to 10, was de-
voted to the drawing of seats in rhe
House, ceremony around which much
interest always centers. AS the names
| were called in alphabetical order each
man stepped up and drew q number.
from the box over which Clerk Cotton
presided. In some years, a few mem
bers, through age or length OF service.
are allowed to select their seats, but
this year every member had to take his
| chance in the lottery. Adams of La
grange came first. drawing 80. then
Allan of Portland drew 101, Allen of
Sanford drew 125 and so on down the
list. Many exchanges were later made
among the members and the bartering
was an interesting side feature of the
morning. Libbey of South Berwick an
old member, drew seat 81 which MI
Manley had two years ago and which
was SO long Major Dickey's seat No
l. in the front row under the north
gallery. went to Parkhurst of Bangor
BY strange coincidence Putnam of
Houlton drew GS, in the front row just
before the Speaker. the seat in which
he had been sitting when he went for
ward to draw his number. Mr.. Man
ley, soon to be made Speaker. drew 70
in the front row. He gave the seat to
his colleague from Augusta, Mr..
Dudley, who in turn gave it to BodWen
of HallOWcll who occupied it, two years
ego. Mr.. Dudley has an excellent
seat sc, near the middle of the hal1.
Young of St. George, the last on the
list, drew 40, one of the best seats in
the hall. II was voted that Hutchings
of Brewer draw for all absentees ana
he accepted with the provision that he
also draw their salaries later.
Promptly at 10 o'clock the House was
called to order and prayer was offered
by Rev. Mr.. Newbert of Augusta. By
some oversight the members We're not
called to their feet and the unusual
spectacle was witnessed of the men,
bers seated during prayer. The certi-
fled list of members was read and IA
out of the 151 members answered TO the
roll call Later several of the abb
Sertees appeared so that IA We're pres
ent when the oath was administered.
In the Senate 80 of the 81 We're present,
Senator Weeks of Somerset being the
only absent member. Rev. MIR. Hay
den made the opening prayer in the
Senate and at once Governor Powers
was sent for and the senators, stand
ing and holding up their right hands.
repeated after him the two solemn
Oaths of their office. The Governor aC-
companied by his Council at once pro-
ceeded to the hall of the House where
the same ceremony was repeated. be-
ing more impressive on account of the
larger number who took part. N
neither body was there a MEMBER WHO
preferred to affirm rather than 10
swear
The oaths administered, the next
business was the election of Officers
and the full lists, as named at the i}f-
publican caucuSeS of the previous eVt-
ming, were elected in both bodies. Tie
sole Democratic senator, Staples of
Knox. gracefully submitted to the II
evitablc without running a parry
ticket but the handful of House Dems-
Gratis faithfully voted for their caucls
nominees from Speaker down 10 secol
door keeper There was applause loH
and long continued when the eiectln
of Mr.. Manley as Speaker was az
nounced and when Davis of Watd-
willie escorted him to the chair. Sd
| eral times during Speaker Manie5S
graceful little speech of acceptaife
there were interruptions of appiauh,
particularly when ne made rcfenenqs
to the Importance OF the WORK. SptA
the coming session and the need of
performing it faithfully and with a1-
solute irnpartiality for the best inte'-
ests of the whole State. After ne
election of the remaining ohces,
which occupied fully an hour, JOINT
committee was appointed to canvass
the cubernatorial vote, and an orter
was passed for committees TO. att7iu
to the matter of the legislative ana
councillor redistricting of the state +or
the next decade. AT a few minutes pc
fore noon both branches adJouf3eo
.l,;,
After the imposing ceremonies OK ne
inauguration OF the new Governor, me
election of State officers and the oahs
of more or less routine buslhess' III
come the announcement of the cfn-
mittees. today, an event around "hch
the greatest interest always ceierS.
Speaker Manley had his list an refay,
Yesterday, but President Hamilh lad
one or two places still to be seteie's .
have announced the Conmltteesl on
Wednesday would have beeh u
breaking performance. untli t"o sarS
ago the committees were no. IN
nounced until the first of the se7ho
week. but at the last session, fresiuht
C,ason and Speaker Stetson eSoo-
lishei a new precedent by announcing
them on Thursday of the hrst "eK.
Most OF the members know theii On