Year: 1875

AUGUSTA, OduL III, 1oiO.


The Legislature has got an excellent start in
the way of business. All of the committees
have promptly taken up the business assigned
to them, and where hearings are necessary,
have designated early days for that purpose. IL
begins to look as if the session, however indus
trious the members may be, cannot be short
one, if all the workslad out is carefully con-
sidered. f .r r...... ......... .... ..


How much time the consideration of the
death penalty will consume, it is impossible
to state, as well as the result of the hearings
and deliberations 1t would seem, however, as
if both branches have sufficiently able adyo-
Gates on both sides of the question to give the
Legislature all the information required. Mr..
Talbot of East Machas is as able champion
of the death penalty as can be found outside.
He will, on the other hand, find foemAn
worthy of his steel in Rev. DR.. Tefft, who, it is
understood, will present an exhaustive argu-
ment against capital punishment,


The Judiciary Committee is made up of
gentlemen who will keep their docket as nearly
clear as possible. The question of forcing the
railroads to pay the tax assessed under the act
of the last Legislature does not promise to be
so easily disposed of as at first seemed possible.
The Maine Central, for instance, will hold that
under sections 10 and II of the charter of the
Androscoggin & Kennebec Railroad Company,
under which the present organization exists,
the state cannot legally require tax Section
Is declares that the real estate of the company
shall be taxable in the towns where such prop
erty lies, like other real estate, except when the
net income of the corporation shall amount to
ten per cent of the cost of the road, append
ages and incidental expenses, when one moiety
or such other portion as the Legislature may
determine shall be paid into the state treasury.
Section II provides that no liabilities, obliga-
tions, ETC., except as otherwise stated, shall be
imposed and that the charter shall not be revok-
ed altered or annulled without the consent of the
corporation. except by due process of law. The
railroad men do not say much about the threat
ened injunction, but hint that they can stand
that sort of thing as long as those who order 1t.
They desire to have the question carried to the
Supreme Court of the state, and will abide its
decision. "a. .-... .
The Committee on Towns already have q
number of botly contested cases. There is
nothing which will stir up town like one of
these secession movements When the blood





excited aud waste their substance on attorneys
and hearings. The chairman of this Commit
tee is Senator Gross, "a fair, practical man who
will patiently hear a case and decide it upon its
merits. The Senator has lots of friends here,
as he has everywhere, and is one OF those men
whose plain common sense, business expert
encea and knowledge of men make a valuable
and careful legislator. Wherever he happens
to be, he is the centre of group which gener-
ally listens to his plain but often humorous
remarks. The Committee as a whole is very
able one. The Montyille case will afford the
hottest contest. The parties were early on the
ground, and if any member of the Legislature


has not had the case fully set before him,
these persistent secessionists have not dis
covered his identity. newspaper man es-
capped setting forth of the case the other day
by declaring that he was in hurry to go to the
train, and must defer until another time. Tho
face of that advocate" puts the knight of the
quill in a cold sweat at sight.


The sinking funds of the state, which call for
100000 year, are the subject of discussion
among the financial members. The fund of
1868, which requires $4,000 annually, cannot
be abolished, it being fixed by a constitutional
provision. That of 1865, which calls for
S123,0 200 each year, may be abolished Whether
or not 1t is best to do this is the question 1t is
quite probable that it will be continued with
provision authorizing the Treasurer to invest
the fund in registered municipal bonds when
those of the state cannot be purchased at par.


Thus far the Democratic leaders have Eot
made any move for Investigations, and it is not
probable that they Will do so. The leaders are
happy and hopeful. Indeed, their spirits are of
the most elastic character. The most crushing
defeat only serves to keep them depressed few
weeks. The other night 1 heard one of the
most venerable Bourbous declare to another
that the reason the party had not succeeded
was because the young Democracy had acted
so badly. 'When they can't have their own
way" said the orator, they kick in the harness,
won't vote and keep others fromthe polls" The
old Bourbon felt highly elated at the defeat Of
the young element at the senatorial caucus.


And these old Bourbons, these relics and re-
mains of party which suffered defeat twenty
years since because of their corruption and
stupidity, the respectable elderly gentlemen
who afterwards added the crime of semi
| treason to their blunders-it is surprising to
hear them lecture about economy and political
integrity in this year of grace 1875. Perhaps
they have come out Of the purgatorial fires Of
twenty years purified politically. Nevertheless
in their day they were no more honest than
! they should be, and Democratic papers have
called men whose offences have been much
less, salary grabbers and the like That un-
sayory title has been applied to the Executive
| Council of last year, yet the last Democratic
| Council charged the state for an aggregate
attendance of 1854 days, when the members
were actually present but 5S4 days. The other
departments showed worse state of things


A gentleman who was called upon by Demo-
cratic Land Agent on the last day of their
power to expend a sum of money on the Canada
road in Somerset county had item per cent. of
the appropriation deducted and kept by that
official on the pretext that he always kept such