Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-28
THE LEGISLATURE.
Wns4sa
Both Branches Adjourn Until
Next Tuesday Afternoon.
Law Proposed toGive Juries Enlarged
Powers in Trials.
Appropriations for 1908 Now Approved
Aggregates $1617,o4o.03.

The Legislature adjourned, yester-
day. until Tuesday afternoon at /
O'Clock. Heretofore during the pres
ent session the houses have been meet
ing at 1870 in the morning of Tuesday,
| but Monday is town meeting day i'm
/ many towns, and legislators like to be
i ut home to exercise their right of suf-
Il frage along with their neighbors and
Il fellow citizens. When the order was
4 presented to the House, Davis of Wa
1 aerville raised a laugh by saying that
Il he would withdraw his objection to the
4 change in the hour of meeting, because,
/ not being in politics, he had forgotten
1 that Monday was election day.
/ There was little new business pre-
scented in either branch. yesterday. The
| most important measure was the bill
presented by Thompson of Orono, de-
1 lining and charging the duties of jul
| ries in the trial of misdemeanors.
| The bill is copy of the United States
| statutes and of similar statutes in
Iowa, Illinois and other states. 1t is
| as follows:
| Section !. In all cases where jury
| trial is demanded and had, and where
the accused is found guilty of viola
ton of any misdemeanor where it is
provided by statute that the punish
| nent may he fine or imprisonment or
both, the jury may qualify the verdict
| by stating therein whether the prisoner
shall he punished by fine or imprison-
| ment or both and the presiding justice
| shall then sentence the prisoner in ac-
1 40 ,,,;xf
i Section 2. If in any case the jury
4 should find that only fine should be
/ imposed the presiding justice may, in
ordering payment of the same, also
Il give an alternative sentence of impris-
onment, providing said fine is not
paid
II The advocates of the measure con-
tend that the enactment of this law
would do a great deal toward bringing
Il about a better respect for the liquor
laws, the game laws, and. the laws re-
lating to other crimes and misde-
meanOrs. r Z
1t has been said, on the contrary,
that the measure is intended to pre-
vent the justices of the supreme court
from imposing Jail sentences upon
Penobscot county liquor dealers, as
has been announced will be done at
the next criminal term in that county.
the supporters of the bill insist that
this accusation is unwarranted and un-
Just
Farnsworth of Pembroke, presented
resolve of considerable Importance.
1t provides that the sum of $4,000 be
appropriated to be expended under the
direction of the Governor and Council
in the employment of an expert geo
logist to determine if there be coal
within the State in sufficient quantity
| to warrant the opening of mines; pro-
viding that the sum of $4,000 addition
al be contributed and paid to the treas
urer of the State by persons or cor
pOrations, to be expended in the same
manner and for the same purpose, said
appropriation or such part thereof as
may in the judgment of the Governor
and Council be deemed necessary to
accomplish the above named purpose
shall be expended before January 1,
! 1905, and the Governor and Council are
hereby directed to report the result OF
the came to the next Legislature.
The amended hunters license bill is
going along swimmingly. 1t took its
first reading in the House, yesterday
Ill The following schedule gies the total
sum asked for and now pending, the
sum recommended by the various joint
!. standing committees. the amount fav-
orably reported by the committee or
4 appropriations and financial affairs
and the amount approved by the Gov
/ ernor for the year 1903:
Requests pending. ......... $685. .245.0 1
Recommended by committees. 85,977 sc
Reported favorably by COM
mittees on appropriations
HI and financial affairs. ...... 2S4, 29S. Al
Approved by Governor Hill. 4. 617 ,O4O .O3
Total 80. ............... 50, 81 $50. sc
AS the estimated income of the State
as made by the State treasurer is in
the vicinity of s2,1OO,0OO it would seem
as if the Legislature must be obliged
TO refuse many of the requests made or
else cut then down to large extent.
The only committee to have hear
ings, yesterday afternoon. was the ju-
dietary, and this committee only heard
the bill in relation to fees and costs OF
sheriffs and their deputies.
Deputy Sheriff Goldthwaite of York
county, Deputy Sheriff l.. j. Renouf OF
the same county. S. D. Andrews of Bid
deford, an ex-deputy of York county
and Deputy Sheriff Geo. l.. SWEET OF
Portland, spoke in favor of the bill
The matter was referred to sub-com-
mittee.
The committee voted ought to pass
on the bill relating to the election and
terms of office of certain members OF
the board of assessors. board of over
] seers of the poor and female members
of the school committee of the city
of Portland; granting authority to re-
move the bodies of deceased persons in
the old burying grounds in the town
] of Athens in Somerset county.
/ The following corporations filed GER
tificates of Incorporation at the office
of the secretary of State during the
past week
The Cuba Hardwood Company. or
ganize at Portland. for the purpose of
the development of lands, with $1,000