The Portland daily press., 1901-02-04
Brief Session of Legisla-
ture Saturday.
Only Two Members Were Pres
ent i'm Senate.
ESPECIAL TO THE rREss.l

ness was transacted beyond the introduc-
tion OF new measures and the reading OF
bills in the House. In the Senate, Mr.
Virgin of Cumberland and Mr.. Vickery
of Kennebeo wers the only members pres
emit. Mr. Virgin took the chair and reoog-
nized the member from Kennebeo. The
member from kennebec made a motion
to adjourn 20 Tuesday and it was enter
tained by the chair notwithstanding t he
absence of q second. The chair put the
question and 1t was carried by the unan-
imous vote nf the Senator from Kenns-
bee. Then the chair announced that the
Senate stood adjourned until 10 so o clock
Tuesday morning and the proceedings
were over.
In the House there were ~ members
In attendance. The point Of no quorum
was not raised, however, and the routine
business was transacted after which the
HOUSE adjourned in concurrence vita toe
Senats until Tuesday MOI ming.
1t is expected that during the coming
week tae taxation committee will make a
report on the railroad tax bill and 1t IL
stated on excsIlent authority that the
measure they will report win not be
based on the figures Of this railroads and
will not be as high as the figures in the
Grange bill. 1t Is believed that the re.
port will he unanimous although that Is
not quite certain now.
Another rumor from the committee
rooms is that tae attempt of the Eastern
Telephone company to secure amend
4,4 chs 10
tend It's servios throughout the Stste will
be supported by a majority report from
the railroad committee. 1t Is said that
the committee Ia likely to stsnu six &C
four on the matter A great fight is in
progress with the Eastern on sne one side
and the New kngiapd company on the
other. 1t has been the general impress
sion that the Eastern people would have
victory IN the House with the result in
doubt In the Senate. Some Tof the East
ern forces have been growing more and
more confident in the last few days and
now say,that they have good reason to be-
lieye that they will carry their measure
through both branches. The Eastern
Telephone company is an organization
controlled largely By Rookland parties.
who according to the statements made al
the hearing refore the committee have
invested 500, 900 in ths enterprise. They
made an attempt some time ago to secure
rights in Lewiston and Auburn and Ie-
gal proceedings were brought to keep
them out on the ground th at their char.
ter did not permit them to do business
in the manner proposed. Now the co M
pany seeks the amendment which Is the
subject Of the present controversy.
Reports from the committee rooms ara
coming thick and fast nowadays. Still
another comes from the room of the com
mittse on taxation and ts TO the effect
that the bill increasing the tax on ex-
press companies will be reported notwith-
standing the remarks Of General Manager
Julier who came from New York and pro-
tested against the passage OF the bill. His
remarks seemed to make desp impress
sion on the committee at the time and In
deed the members said SO but they have
been thinking things over since then ana
have concluded unless rumor is false that
the big company can pay i little more
money into the treasury of the state and
still do business at profit.
1t Is said that the legislature is to be
spared this year the customary war of the
coast fishermen. Last Wednesday there
was a meeting at the Augusta House OF
gentlemen interested in the fisheries and
at that time they reached a substantial
agreement as TO what they wanted In the
way of amendments to the present laws
These amendments are mainly designed
to remove antiquities ana do not ma
terially change the present system of fish
ery regulation.
Among the new business In the House
are the following measures introduced
today by the gentlemen named:
Sanborn of Webster, pstition of l.. ).
williams and II others against granting
excursion rates on the Lords day.
Foster OF Oakland. Petition OF A. G.
Hill and 40 others Of Oakland forbidding
all public oonveyanoss granting exclusion
rates on the Lords day.
Chase OF Portland. An act add ditional
to Section SO, Chapter 3, of ths Revised
= Statutes relating to city ordinances. The
act provides that cities may establish
ordinances requiring all persons selling
IN ilk therein to be licensed and that no
persons unless SO licensed shall SSH milk
In any city where license Is required.
Farrell of Van Bur en-. Act relating TO
sh5riffs, coroners and oonstabies. The
bill provides that no ofiicer shall have
any authority in criminal matters be-
yond the limits Of the town or city in
which hs was chosen or elected, except
for the purpose OF retaking a prisoner
whom he has arrested and who has Q S.
capsd or for the purpose OF pursuing a
person who has gone into another town.
Thornton OF Ashland presented patti
tions asking for g law to make uniform
ths prices Of telegraph messages.