Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-06
Two Reports on Removal
Of the State Capital.
Senate Will Debate the Sub.
ject Wednesday March IS.
Denatured Alcohol Bill Is Intro.
duced By Sen. KeseIton.

The rc"oTts of the two divisions of
the committee on public buildings and
grounds, TO which was referred the or
Ger TO investigate the expediency of
removing the seat of government flom
augusta, Were received in the Senate
tuesday afternoon. tabled for printing
OH motion Of Senator Clark Of Lincoln
and Wednesday, March 49, fixed as the
day for its consideration. Report "A :
Which faVors the removal of the seat
of government to Portland is accom-
panied by the necessary amendment to
the statutes and is signed by Senator'S
Clark Of Lincoln and Curtis of Cumber-
land and Representatives Pike of East
port, Snow of Brunswick and Haskell
Of Deer Isle. Report "B." which is that
icgisla ton on the subject is iaeXpedi-
ent, is signed by Senator Barrows of
PenobScot and Representatives Allen
Of Richmond. Danforth of Skowhegan,
Lynch of Washington and Farrar Of
Corinth.
The full text of Report IA is as fol-
lows:
AN ACT 10 amend Section twcnty-four
Of Chapter two of the Revised Statutes
establishing the seat Of government.
BE it enacted by the Senate and House
OF Re representatives. in LEGISLATURE as
scrubbed, rs follows:
Section l. Section twentv-fnur of
Chapter two Of the Revised Statutes is
HEREBY amended by striking cut the word
Augusta in the first line thereof and
inserting The word Portland" so that
said section as amended shall cc.tu as fol-
Sec. =. The City of Portland shall b.
the seat Of government. until otherwist.
provided b. the Legislature"
Section > Within thirty days after the
approval Cf this act by the Governor.
the Governor, the President of the Sen
ate and the Speaker of the House OF
Repre- sentatives shall Jointly appoint.
and the Governor shall commission not
less than three nor more than seven cit
izcns IF the State, who, when SO appoint
cd and commissioned, shall constitute Il
commission with fun power and authOri-
" to determine upon the suitability of,
and, i found suitable, to acc pt lot a ;
site for capitol in said city of Port
land. to J" conveyed to the State by said
city Of Portland rs hereinafter IL CV;dcd,
and fIrtlI|r with full power ara an hDri-
ty to consider and adopt plans for tn.
construction Of Canltol upon : III lot.
including tn" excavation ana grading of
said lot ana the equipment ana furnish
ing Of said capitol, ard t. make all con
tracts on behalf Of the STATE ana to do
all other things necessary o. essential 10
a fun and complete construction. ruuili-
mcIt ana furnishing Of said cal itol in
accordance With said plans and modit-
cations thereof to be adopted by said
commission Sid commission may act
by 4 me jority of its members and. upon
the approval and acceptance Of this act
by the legal voters Of tie state as here
matter provided and upon the tender #
4 conveyance 10 the State by said city
Of Portland OF a lot, or ono Of several
sites. for i site for capitol. rs herein
aftcr provided, shall at once proceed to
determine The suitability o. sIii lo- or
the suitability ana superiority Of one of
said several lots. and having 60 deter
mined the suitability and superiority IT
one such lot to accept the sumo and
thereafter. upon payment by said city nf
Portland into the State treasury. Tor the
US" Of the State. of the sum cf seven
hundred and fiftv thousand dollars. as
hereinafter provided, shall at crtc pro
coed with the construction. equipment
and furnishing Of q capitol upon said lot
in accordance with tie power and au-
th0rity hCrcinbefore in this section CON
ferr"d uuon them. Provided. however,
that said commissioners shall III no
event. have power 70 oXpPnd or incur
Indebtedness on behalf Of the State under
this act in excess Of the amount to hc
paid By the said city of Portland into the
Stat" treasury. I pr the purposes specified
in Section five Of tins act ard til" add-
tiCnal amount appropriated under Section
three of this act.
Section 8. In addition to any sums to
be paid by tn" city of Portland to tho
State treasure r. rs hereinafter provided,
the sum Of nnA hundred ana Twenty-Five
from any moneys il the St3te treasury
not otherwise appropriated for each of
the years nineteen hundred seven. nine
teen hundred eight. n:rctccn hundred
ninp and nineteen hundred ten. for the
excavation and grading OF the lot select
cd tx said c. mmSSioners in said city Of
Portland ara for the building. furnishing
and equipment Of said capitol thereon.
In the event that said commissioners, in
the dr" prosecution Of the work author
izod hereunder. shan find necessity there
for. tie State treasurer is hereby au-
thnrzed to make a temporary loan or
temporary loans. in no event. however, to
exceed in the aggregate the sum appro-
pri1tCd by tic Stltr under this section.
and to devote the proceeds there # to the
uses ana purposes for which said apprO-
pria lions are made Said loans shall be
paid from sale appropriations as tho
Same snail become available.
Section 1. Except as to the appoint
ncnt ana commissioning Of commission
ers as hcreinhefore in Section two pro-
vided, this act shall not take effect I'M
less accented and approved by major
ity vote of the legal voters of the State,
voting at an election to be specially
called and held for the purpose. on tho
first Monday of June. nineteen hundred
seven. Due proclamation for such special
election shall he made by the Governor
and said election shall be called, notified
and conducted in the several cities and
towns i'll said State pursuant to the pro
visions of the statutes relating TO cleo
tionS for the determination of questions
submitted to the people by the lcGisla-
ture. The secretary of State shall r.
duce the subject matter Of this act to
the following question: Shall the act
to change the seat Of government from
Augusta ito Portland be a"cepted?" and
the voter shall Indicate by cross placed
over the words yes" or mo their
opinion of the same. The ballots shall be
prepared and distributed and the votes
"a ST shall be counted. declared and rec
ord thereof made by the several cities
ard towns as in an election Tor governor;
provided. however, that the clerks of the
turn of the votes cast to the secretary
of State and such returns shall be opened
and canvassed and the result declared
by the Governor and Council as In tho
case of n special election to fill a vacancy
in the representation of the State in the
National House of Representatives.
Section s. This act she'll in no event be
of force or effect, except to authorize the
annointment and commissioning of COM
missioners as provided in Section two