Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-03-08
THE RECIPROCITY RESOLVE
SQUEEzES THROUGH HOUSE.
Passes by Small Margin With A Absentees
Failure of Congress to Act Embar=
rasses the Legislative Appor-
tionment Committee.
THE CORPORATION SOLE.

Seldom in the history of Legislative
hearings has there been one of greater
human interest than that upon the bill
to dissolve the corporation sole, Bishop
Louis S Walsh of the diocese of Fort
land now in control of all the Catholic
church property in Maine. and substi-
tute in its place an act to incorporate
the Roman Catholic parishes in Maine
which was held Wednesday afternoon
in the hall of the House of Represen-
tatives The hearing was attended by
nearly 400 Catholics from all parts of
the State who crowded upon the floor
Of the House and completely filled the
gallery.
The efforts of some of the French
speaking Catholics OF Maine to dissolve
the corporation sole resulted in the in
PRODUCTION early in the session of an
act by Representative Couture of Lew
iston Of bill for the incorporation of
the Roman Catholic parishes of. the
State and ii was upon this bill that
the hearing was held. Eloquent argu-
ments on both sides of the que Stion
were presented by the ablest counsel
that the State could afford and the ef-
forts of the proponents reached theii
climax in the presentation over an
hour i'll length by Godfrey Duprey of
BfddetOrd Of the case of the French
speaking Catholics who desired the bill
Another dramatic feature was when
towards the close ef the hearing Bishop
Walsh i'll eloquent language came to
the defence of his priests, whose in
teGrIt% he said had been attacked
The committee advertised the hear
ing To begin at 30 =. NJ. but a sue
eeSsIon Of other matters kept the COM
mittee on legal affairs busy until 4.30
III its regular committee room until
30, while the big crowd which filled
the hall of representatives. from the
Speakers desk to the gallery door
waited restlessly. When the commit
tee did finally appear there was a rip-
pie of applause.
Ihe assemblagc contained some of
the most distinguished citizens of this
state, attorneys. business men. public
ONCE holders and clergymen. Among
the clergy present were Bishop Louis
;. Walsh of Portland, Rev. John r.
Murphy of New York, Rev T. ]. Ma
honey. Rev. y. G. LaRivicre and Rey,
Thomas j. Neliigan of Augusta. RI
Rev. Mgr NJ. e. MacDonoueh. Rev
Thomas +. Butler ana Rev. Arthur
Hamel of Lewiston: RcV y. CharIand
and Rev j, l.. kealey Of Watervillo.
Rev. T. z. Linehan of Biddeford. Rev
+. j. GarritY If Bangor. Rev. f. .R
Henry OF North Whitetield, Rev. r
lfaheh montague of Brunswick and
MANY others.
Judg" Enoch Foster of Portland in
opening his case for the proponents
frhlaf' td that he was sorry that no
"ldn have more time, but that after
tADlalninS the purpose of the bill
briefly. he would give way to Mr.,
Dupre, who knew all about the mat
ter He said that the bill was de-
signed to repeal the act of 1887 where
by the bishop was made a corpora
tion sol" and all church property vest
ed IN him, ana restore to the French
Cathollcs the property taken from
them at that time. He stated that
he represented $1,000 of the $4,000 COM
Municants of the church in Maine
In calling upon Mr.. Dupre, Judge Fos-
ter asked him questions which re-
veeled the fact that $50 petitions for
the bill, gathered from 90 cities and
towns and signed by 5240 individuals
had been filed with the committee.
Mr.. Dupre, in opening, said that he
could not say that it was a painful
duty to bring such matters to the at
tention of the public, for he was not
to blame for conditions and it was
pleasure for him to undertake the
duty OF changing those conditions. He
stated further that the matter" had
been hanging fire three long weary
years" before the committee heard of
it. He then Went on To describe the
first meeting, that held at Waterville
three years ago, when a committee
was selected to take charge of the
movement, and the second meeting
held at Brunswick for the purpose
Of perfecting the organization of the
campaign and gathering further facts
He stated further that at n meeting
of the permanent and executive COM
n1ittee held in Biddeford Oct. I, 1910
he was ordered to draft the bill The
speaker said that he was leading a
fight of the people against organized
tyranny He did not blame the
priests for upholding the system of
Continued on Page Nine.)