Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-02

In the House, House Amendment A
was adopted.
on motion by Mr.. Morey of Andros-
coggin. the Senate voted to non-cot
cur with the House in the adoption of
| House Amendment \.
| On motion by Mr.. Hastings of An
| droscoggin, the report of the commit
| tee ought to pass in new draft was
| accepted in concurrence
| Mr.. HASTINGS: Mr.. President. ! Of
| fer Senate Amendment y to House
| Document CO. and in explanation l wish
| to say that this amendment is offered by
| request of the people from Livermoge
where this court to be established. 1t
| receives the endorsement of the Andros-
| eosgin delegation. / move that the vote
| be reconsidered whereby this bill was
| passed to he engrossed
The motion was agreed to. and on fur
| Their motion by the same senator the
| amendment was adopted and the bill,
as amended, was given its first reading.
| and its second reading was assigned for
| tomorrow morning.
| From the House: In the House of Rep
resentativcs. April /, 1919 Ordered, the
Senate eoncurring, that whereas the
| Governor Of the State in his address to
the Legislature stated there We're five
shcriffs that were derelict in their du-
| ties with reference to the enforcement
| of the prohibitory law and upon order
being subsequently passed by both
branches of the Legislature, the Govern
or of the state only presented the names
of four sheriffs, so derelict in their du-
81 a.
State is hereby requested To furnish
forthwith the name of the fifth sheriff
who is derelict in the performance OF
| his duties as stated in his original conf
munication. and all evidence in his pos
session in reference to the same matter.
Mr.. COLE of York: Mr.. President.
this seems to be another chapter in the
events which have come along in the
past week, and what the end may be. we
know not
believe, however. that il is the feel
ing of every member of this Senate that
if there is any sheriff in the State of
Maine of whatever political party who is
not enforcing the law according to the
oath which he took. that it is the duty of
the Governor and the duty of the Legis-
latHre 10 see that the law is enforced.
believe that it is the duty of the
members of the Legislature to work in
harmony to the end that the law may be
enforced
do not know why the House has taken
the action that it has. but | presume
that ii is for good and sufficient reasons
best known to itself. 1t is not the first
time this session that the House and
Senate have disagreed, and that COM
mittees of conference have been APP
pointed. II may not be The last time.
1t seems to me that the action of the
House from a legal standpoint is wrong
but l view it only as a personal mat
ter. and it seems to me that the men,
bers of the House think their action is
right and that the Senate is wrong
l believe. Mr.. President that it Is our
duty to get together, To find out what the
law X regarding the procedure and then
to follow the law OF procedure in an
orderly manner and arrive al such a re-
suit as from the evidehee We may de-
termine.
! believe that it makes no difference
To the members of this Legislature. to
whatever political party W. may be-
long. how many sherins are brough,
here. or To what political part thos
sheriffs may belong. / believe thai
We should not ask ourselves the ques-
ton whether a. man is a Democrat.
whether he is a Republican or Wheth-
er he is a Progressive, or whether he
IS a Protestant or whether he is a
Catholic, or whatever he may be, for
ne is an officer of the law. and if he
Is breaking the law or is not enforc-
ing the law, then il is the duty of
TINS Legislature to investigate il. and
Il the evidence shows that he is not
performing his duty in conformity to
his oath of office and the laws of the
State of Maine, then il is the duty of
the Governor TO remove him and put
someone in his place who will enforce
the law and carry out the laws of the
State of Maine.
AS one member OF the Senate. | am
sorry that there should be any dis
agreement between the two Bodies,
but / do not believe that the action
or any one or two parties in the
Bodies here should be taken as the
spirit of the vast number of members
who make up the 1870 or mttfe in
dividual members of these Bodies.
peileNe Unit we are all mere as
honest men TO do our duty and that
as honest men we shall before. that
duty is. done see that the rights of
the men who come before these
Bodies, are protected and that they
shall be given with all force of the
law thrown around them, and under
the rights especially guaranteed to
them. fair trial.
Mr.. President, the House, and we
must consider that it asks it honest
~, asks us to concur with that branch
in calling for the name of the fifth
sheriff which the Governor mentioned
in is message. / believe it is only
right that we should concur with the
action of the House and do everything
possible to make peace in order that
we may get through our business.
So far as the action of the two
Houses at this moment is concerned.
do not think we are any farther
apart than we have been on other
matters. 1t may be there are some
politics in this. 1t would not be sur
| prising ii each one of us individually
| hoped that there would not be a man
Of his political party who would be