Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-22
An Act to extend thr charter OF the
EastpOrt Stree: Railway 90.

sources of water SUPPLY for the NlllaS"
of Livermore rails ana Chisholm ana
to protect the public health.
An Act to amend Chapter 81 OF the
Private and Special laws Of 1905. EMIT
led, An Act t" incorporate the Gardl-
ntr Water District"
Resolve in favor of the MadaWaska
Training school.
Resolve in favor Of .he town of Pitts
ton.
Resolve in favor of the Dcacohhes'
Home Association Of Bangor.
Orders of the Day.
SPEC ial Assignment: Rel ort or the
Committee on APPROPRIATE ana RIM
ancial Affairs on resolve III favor OF 'iit
Maine Industrial Scnool and Sh"p l"F
the Blind. reporting The same 10 pp Is
f,rrcti to next Legislature.
Mr. KNAPP o. South Portland: Mt.
Sneaker. | iii 'iot learn until Il Id''
| hnll1 Yesterday +'iat was t. be entire
Iy handicapped To turtle" amy "tHeI
| measure that would tend I" ASSIST th''
| blind in orr state but | did learn IL
then and learned 1t quite directly; SO.
without any discussion. move that the
,a,,ortof The committee be accepted.
}
The motion WAS agreed TO.
| Appointmert Of Clerks of Judicial
Courts.
| Snrcial Assignment: Bill, To amend
p.vised Statutes in relation to the ap-
noiutment of clerks Of JUDICIAL courts.
Mr.. BANTER Of Portland: Mr..
Sneaker. and Gentlemen OF the House:
This bill provides THAI the clerks of the
judicial courts Of this State shall be
appointed by the members of the sup
reno court. inst 'ad IF being elected as
they are at present. | viii I. al that Sc
tiun of the bill which is of the most
Importance:
CLERKS of the judicial courts shall
hereafter be appointed by. and hold Of
lice during the pleasure OF, the justices
Of the supreme judicial courts, or ma
jority thereof
This is a bill which deserves grave
consideration. 1t is a bill W hich affects
not only the lawyers of the state, but
also the citizens who have business be-
fore the courts; and ever broader than
that, il affects every citizen whose
rights and whose property are affected
by the decision Of the courts. Let me-
| trace the history of this bill from the
| time of it's inception down to the pres
| cnt In 1908 this bill was presented to
! the Legislature. II was uhaccompanied
| BY a single petition from the member;
o. the. Bar of this state. or by a single
| letter from citizen of this state. Bu1
there was one document, however.
| which is of interest n this connection.
a r"monstranre VAS signed by - menu
| bers Of the Knox Comfy Ear who con-
dcmncd this bill in on measured terms.
This is what they say: we believe that
all attempts IL deprive the people of
the choice of such public officers is I'M
Republican. unWise, and detrimental to
hubble interests" The committee to
| which that was referred i'll the Legis
ldture of 1903. evidently wishing to no
| lenient with V hat was somebody's par
tiCuar hobby. reported that it be re-
ferred to the next Legislature.
Now. the position Of the bill before
! this Legislature mas been in no Wise
changed since the LEGISLATURE of 1903.
Not a single petition from members Of
the Bar Of this State. or from citizen;
of this State has been sent in as far
as the docum cnts thai are with the bill
show. asking for It's onactm' mt What :
more important Than this. is the man
nor in which the people Of this State
were Informed Of the provisions Of this
bill. A bill whial daprives the citizens
of this state of The "igh: TO elect pub
liz officers should have been given a
Wide and conspio'lOu; notice through
out the State. i;ut the title of this bill
,locs not conform to the rules of the
l, Ill
be given a title showing in some re-
spect. and showing carefully. what tn
bill embodics. The tito of this bill. as
published is IA Ac: TO amend Section
I. Chapter 81. of the Revised Statutes.
in relation to :he appointment of clerks
Of the judicial courts
7 submit. Mr. Speaker ard Gentlemen
| Of tie House. that that title is wholly
insufficient to convey to the people of
this State what this bill means. A very
reasonable Interpretation of this title
might be that il related solely to the
filling of vacancy in the Office Of
clerks Of cour,s. or 20 the appointment
for an uncxpiraG term. 7 do not wish
to intimate even that the honorable
committee to which this was referred
Intentionally gave it a defective title
but the fact remains that proper no
tce was not giv'n throughout the State
Of the provisions of this hill.
Now. Mr. Speaker and gentlemen.
there are two classes of cases on which
it is proper for this House to act One
is that when bad state of affairs eX-
lists we should find something better
ard another is. when there is 4 good
state of affairs, that we might improve
! it. Under one or the other OF these
classes must this bill come. Is there
any member of this House who will
say that the clerks of the courts of
this State are Inefficient incompetent
or untrustworthy | submit that of all
the public officers in the State of Maine
there is not n higher class than the
clerks Of the judicial courts Of this
; state. We can, then, find no bad or evil
state of affairs that needs to be RENE
, died. Would we remedy the present
good state of affairs by changing this
law as is proposed? l submit that we
would not. The people of the state Tho
daily come in contact with the clerks