Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-25

IT.. a., 1 would inquire
',7 actlon or the House was
The SPEAKER: AS the Chair re-.
'he,hoers 1t. the House accepted the re-
port OF the majority and adopted House
Ne1. A., which provides for a
referendum. l
Mr.. BI'RLE1GH: Mr.. Speaker: T
move that we reconsider the vote
whereby House Amendment "a" was
adopted was
Mr.. ROUNDS of Portland. Mr.
speaker: I did not suppose that any,
pody IN this hall would be against the
referendum in this State of any amend
ment that might be put on where 50
much money was put in as is involved
at the present time; but it seems that
there has been an underlying current
ever since that vote was passed. so
much so that by the evening papers.
II may quote correctly, that the NAV
or of the city of Portland left in the
middle of the board of aldermen and
rushed here to Augusta l have seen
TINS finance committee lowering around
the hail here, and I have understood
mat there has been a delegation at
the Augusta House, but 1 for myself
went nome to my own boarding house
ana went to my room. This morning
ind that there has been a great re-
action here of the lobby, as you may
call 1t, lying around this hall to get
something done. received no less than
FOUR telephone calls from Portland
"Elle L was eating my supper last
evening IN regard to this very matter
NOW, gentlemen, this matter is a mat
ter OF vital Importance to the citizens
| or the city of Portland. Ishad asked
TO nave this matter laid by until per-
maps we could get together and not
put upon the State what has been done
IN the last year or two, in our last
year In Portland, but for some reason
or other they have got the gentleman
from Augusta to come down and tell
the people of Portland how they should
| fix up their city hall, to reconsider the
vote and all that. Now, they went in
to this matter with their eyes open,
| because l hold in my hand here a let
| ter from the ex-city solicitor and l will
read It to the House, and 1 will read
the whole of it. 1t is as follows;
Dear Ed.:-The city warrantstwhich
| were issued last year were issued con-
| trary to my advice. 1 then stated that
| the issuance would be Illegal The
| Portland Trust Co. on the assurance
| of the mayor paid out money on same.
They find them now illegal. If you
| validate the issue of these warrants,
you will by implication wipe out the
| inhibition of 100000 for real estate
which city may hold. The scheme is
| to do by indirection what they cannot
! n Inv Ill
drawn so as to provide that the out
| standing warrants, notes, bonds, etc.
shall be made valid but the city shall
be prohibited from purchasing any
more real estate or building any other
buildings until your referendum is
passed upon by the citizens it might
| be all right
Now, gentlemen. in my talk yester-
day l said that if any gentlemen wish
ed to put that so that the referendum
| would be earlier it could be done, but
| in the delegation it was talked that
the referendum should not be put on
and save the city $4,000 for the referen-
dunn, that it might be all right, and
that was why l have put on this
| amendment that it should be at the
next annual election. Now, they have
come here and said that it was all
right for it to go through in that man
ner. The president of. the Portland
Trust Co. telephoned to me last night
and he told me that it would mean
simply that his claim would be inval-
idated. l, for one, l will say do not
want to do anything that will invali-
date any claim. and I don't want to
put ahame on any citizen of our city:
hut l do want this thing done legally
and above board; l do not want the
city of Portland to contract for any
more debts that the citizens do not
| want, not contract a debt in the back
| room of some office and then come out
and come down here to Augusta and
have it Iegalized and not say what it
| is for But they have seen fit to do
| that I did not wish to bring this mat
ter up at this time, and l was in hopes
that we could fix it so that we could
put in a bill, and the attorney for the
Portland Trust Co. tclephOned to me
| Yesterday afternoon and I told him
| with the advice of another eminent at
torncy in the city of Portland that any
bill that they should draw to pay the
debt that the city of Portland owed
| that 7 was willing to ask the unanl-
| nous consent of the members of this
House to come and present it here
and l have no doubt that in all fair
mindedness that the gentlemen of this
House would pass that bill; and there
fore I move. Mr.. Speaker, that the bill
lie unon the table until we can get to-
gather and see if we can get something
nv which we can pay this debt of the
CITY of Portland in legal way.
Mr.. MARSHALL of Portland: Mr..
Speaker. as 1 understand the motion
| which is before the House it is wheth-
or the House will reconsider the vote
of yesterday adopting the amendment
and I hope that the motion of the gen
| tlcman from Augusta will prevail
Mr.. WING of Auburn: Mr.. Speaker,
raise a point of order.
The SPEAKER: The gentleman from
Aunurn will state his point of order
Mr.. WING: 1 understand that the
gentleman from Portland. Mr.. Rounds.
made the motion that the bill lie upon
| the table.
The SPEAKER: The Chair under