Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-03-19
Notes from the Legislature.

The Portland state house pr0pOSiti0n
came on for its fret hearing before the
Legislature Wednesday, when 1t was do
bated in the senate. After several
speeches had been made on both sides Of
the matter, the report of the committee
by which the matter is to be submitted
to the people was accepted BY . vote of
10 to Is. Every member was present,
and President Allen cast the deciding
vote. Senator Hastings Of Oxford voted
no.
The legislature is said to be making
most strenuous endeavors to adjourn by
Saturday of this week, but 1t is not
generally regarded as possible to &C.
complish it.
Measures which are quite radical
changes in our election machinery are
mittee. They have reported ought not
to pass on four election bills, including
the Mckinney bills establishing the
Massachusetts, ballot and requiring can
didates to file schedule of campaign ex-
penses, the Stearns bill changing the
qualifications of voters with regard to
the time of residence in town, and the
Dyer bill establishing the "Illinois sys-
tenn" The bills for direct primaries are
also turned down.
The committee reports against abolish
ing the arbitration clause of the Maine
standard fire insurance policy, but the
matter will be threshed out, and will be
taken up in the senate Wednesday Of
this week.
1t will still be legal to carry firearms
in the wild lands during close time. The
bill to prohibit it was withdrawn by
Commissioner Carleton before the COM
mittee Tuesday, as he stated that he was
convinced public sentiment was not yet
ready for it. He advocated several
changes in the laws, among them one
limiting the length of trout that may
legally be caught to eight inches, and of
salmon to twelve inches, and the re-
strictiOn of the number of deer that may
be brought into one lumber camp in q
season to two. He was also strongly in
favor of law requiring license for
alien residents to hunt any game at any
time. This he said was necessary on &C.
count of the Italians. who shoot song
birds and everything else that is alive.
REsUBNIssIoN DEFEATED.
Resubmission had its day in the house
Wednesday, the entire session for the
day being devoted to speeches on the
question. For the first time in the Sos
sion Speaker Powers went on the floor,
and made the closing argument against
resubmissiOn, which is acknowledged
even by his opponents to have been a
brilliant effort. At the close Of the de-
bate resubmission was defeated by q
vote of IS to IS. No vote was given for
resubmission from Oxford County. OF
the seven representatives, Messrs. Dyer,
Gleason, Martin, Stearns, Wight and
Young voted no, and Mr.. Emerson WAS
absent.
The senate, which had previously
passed the resubmission resolve, insisted
and chose q committee of conference,
but it is not thought the house will
recede.
The senate votes to give the University
of Maine the same appropriation as the
house, but makes it conditional upon
discontinuance of the degree Of bachelor
Of arts. The house insists upon retain
ing it, and the matter 10 now before .
committee of conference Of the two
bodies.
This is the season of oratory in the
legislature, when the important measures
before the law-making body are discussed
in the two houses. The period of COM
mittee hearings Ia pretty nearly over.
The trial Of Judge Chapman of the
Bangor Municipal Court win begin
March 20.