The Somerset reporter., 1905-03-23
AT Augusta

The fate of the Sturgis bill was de-
cided, Thursday morning, when the
House by a vote of II to 30 accepted IN
concurrence with the senate report" A.
of the committee on temperance, ot
fought to pass" ON the measure NO
further opposition being expected, IL
will soon be Incorporated INTO eur laws
and the Governor AT his discretion, shaiI
be authorized to appoint commission OF
three, two from the majority party IN
power aud one from the minority, one OF
whom shall be a lawyer to see 10 the
strict enfoI oement of tie prohloitory
law in the respective counties OF the
state. Representative L1ttl held OF
Rockland, and Merrl OF Skowhegan,
we're the principal speakers IN favor OF
the passage of the bill, while in opposl
ton were Repres en- tatives Johnson of
Waterville and Reed of Portland.
The bill to repeal the arbitration
clause of the Standard fire insurance
law was defeated In the House by vote
of SO TO IA
On Friday in the Senate the bill pro-
vidiug for change in the trustee law was
defeated also the bill known as the
shaw bill providing for the advertising
of legislative notices in one daily paper
in the State by a vote Is to
When the bill to repeal the compul.
sorry arbitration clause in the Maine
standard fire insurance policy, which
WAS defeated in the House, Thursday,
was taken up the Senate, on motion
of Senator Clark, voted to insist on its
former action. But the House, by &C
cepting tho minority report OF Ought
not to pass and then by voting not to
reconsider the vote, has clinched the
matter as far as this session OF the
Legislature goes, and the bill will die
between the branches.
In the House 1t was ordered that
Edwin o. Vittum, member from Con-
cord, be excused after March 18th from
further attendance at this session, and
that the clerk be instructed to make up
his pay and travel for this session.
MIR. Mullen from the committee on
taxation. reported ought not to pass on
resolve providing for an amendment to
the constitution of the state relating to
the taxation of wild lands in unincorpo-
rated townships and of the wild lands,
so called in the plantations.
Mr.. O'Brien of Lewiston, who alone
of the committee on temperance signed
|, minority report of fought to pass" on
the druggist bill, presented his argu'
ments in favor of passage of the
t measure. He was answered by Rep
r resentative Howes of Palmyra and Mer
3 rill of Skowhegan both of whom were
3 strongly opposed to the bill. BY viva
4 yoce vote the House refused to sustain
3 Mr.. o Brien's motion to substitute the
minority report of Fought not to pass,
and Immediately after accepted the ma
jority report of the committee.
Previous to the session in the House
Thomas F Murphy, editor of the
+ " atervile Sentinel was presented By
bis friends in the Legislature, with
handsome solid gold watch and chair
and Elk's charm. President Good VIII
of the Senate made the presentation
speech and Tom beaming smiles OF
happiness returned his appreciation
with characteristic wit and aptness.
On saturday morning both branches
of the legislature had usy sessions IL
spite of the fact that very large per
centage of the members had gone tC
to their homes One of the most i'm
portant matters of business transacted
in tho senate was il relation to the so
called cider bill. the members assisting
heartily in the obst quies of that meas
ure. When the cider bill which passed
the house Thursday, arrived in the
course of routine business, Sen. Clark OF
Hancock moved indefinite postponemeni
and the motion prevailed. The senator
from Hancock then moved to reconsider
the vote in order to olnch the matter
but the senate refused to take such
action.
In the house the printing bill which
Sen Stetson amended in the senate last
week passed to be engrossed in the
house. The amendment as made pre-
vents the intent of the bill to leave the
University of Maine out of the list of
state departments 80 far as printing is
concerned.
The House voted to concur with tie
Senate in amending the resolve for the
Wiscasset bridge. The amendment pro
vides that the appropriation of Sl7,0OC
shall not be paid until the governor and
council are satisfied that the other pro
visions of the bill are carried out.
Representative Lanigan of WaterVillt
presented resolve providing for tht
acquisition by tho state of denuded oil
deforested lands and for reforesung the
same, and to protect and preserve the
water supply of the great rivers anc
lakes of the State,
Resolved that the sum of S25 900 bt
and is hereby appropriated. TO be ex
pended by the land agent, under tht
direction of the governor and council
in the purchase of any townships, OF
pant of townships, of land that may bt
purchased at a fair price, it being The
purpose of this Act that the State may
acquire the title to denuded OF deforesttc
land by fire or otherwise and the fores
commissioner shall, as soon as may bt
after any such purchase, take sncf
action as may be necessary to refores
such land, and the sum of 5000 il
hereby appropriated for this purpose
which said sums shall remain in the
tr, asury until expended in accordance
with the provisions herein contained.
The resolve appropriating 100000 fol
bridge across the Kennebec river be-
tween Bingham and oncord has passed
both branches and has received the gov
ernor's signature,