586 



MAINE. 



private individuals, and of no avail. They 

 were, in fact, entirely powerless. 



On January 12th the following order was 

 issued : 



HEADQUARTERS FIRST DIVISION, M. M., \ 

 AUGUSTA, January 12, 1880. ) 

 General Orders No 3. 



First. The attention of all military organizations 

 now in the service of the State, and of all men liable 

 to military duty in this State, is directed to the follow- 

 ing orders : 



STATE OF MAINE, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, I 

 AUGUSTA, January S, 1880. j 



General Order No. 12. 1. The several counties of 

 this State are constituted into the First Division of the 

 Militia of Maine. 2. Major-General Joshua L. Cham- 

 berlain is assigned to the command of the First Divi- 

 sion. 3. The commanding officers of all military or- 

 ganizations accepted into the service of the State are 

 required to report to him. He will be obeyed and re- 

 spected accordingly. 



By order of the Governor and Commandcr-in- Chief : 

 S. D. LEAVITT, Adjutant-General. 



STATE OF MAINE, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, | 

 AUGUSTA, January 5, 1880. ) 



Special Orders No. 45. Major-Gencral Joshua L. 

 Chamberlain is hereby authorized and directed to pro- 

 tect the public property and institutions of the State 

 until my successor is dulv qualified. 



(Signed) ALONZO GAECELON, 



Governor. 



Second. I am now discharging the duties thus de- 

 volved on me in protecting the public property and 

 institutions of the State until a Governor is legally 

 elected and duly qualified. 



Third. Particular attention is called to the law 

 rendering it unlawful tor any body of men other than 

 the regularly organized corps of the militia, without 

 authority expressly given, to associate themselves to- 

 gether as a military company or organization, or to 

 parade in public with arms. 



Fourth. All persons and organizations will take 

 notice accordingly, and all authorized military organi- 

 zations will understand that they are to report to me 

 for orders until they are otherwise ordered by or 

 through me. 



(Signed) JOSHUA L. CHAMBEBLAIN, 



Major-General. 

 Official : 

 (Signed) FEANK E. NYE, 



Major and A. A. G. 



About half-past 5 o'clock on the afternoon 

 of the 12th, the Bepublicans, both those who 

 had certificates of election and those without 

 certificates who claimed to have been elected, 

 quietly proceeded in detached numbers to the 

 State House and took possession of the Legis- 

 lative chambers. The Senate was called to 

 order by Senator Dingley of Androscoggin, and 

 Senator Harris of Washington was called to the 

 chair. Prayer was offered by the Rev. Dr. 

 Butler, member of the House from Vassal boro'. 

 Charles W. Til den, Assistant Secretary of the 

 last Senate, called the roll of Senators who ap- 

 peared by the face of the returns to be elected, 

 and the eighteen Republicans answered to their 

 names, and made a quorum. They were then 

 sworn in by William R. Stratton, Clerk of the 

 Courts for Kennebec County. The following 

 officers were then elected, each receiving nine- 

 teen votes: President, Joseph A. Locke of 

 Cumberland ; Secretary, General 0. W. Tilden 

 of Castine; Assistant, George E. Brackett of 



Belfast ; Messenger, Charles H. Lovejoy of Sid- 

 ney. The following order was then passed : 



Ordered : That a committee, consisting of three 

 members of the Senate, be appointed by the President 

 to report to the Senate for its action whether the Senate 

 shall call upon the Justices of the Supreme Court for 

 their opinion touching the legal organization of the 

 Senate for the Fifty-ninth Legislature, and to report 

 for the action of the Senate such questions as the law 

 and facts require in the premises. 



The members of the House were called to 

 order by Eugene Hale. Prayer was offered by 

 the Rev. Mr. Crane, member from Winthrop. 

 Colonel Mark Wentworth of Kittery was made 

 temporary Chairman. Oramandel Smith of 

 Litchfield was made Clerk pro tern. He called 

 the roll of members who appeared to be elected 

 on the face of the returns, and eighty-five Re- 

 publicans so elected answered to their names, 

 and were qualified by W. M. Stratton, an offi- 

 cer empowered to qualify civil officers. Mr. 

 Strout of Portland offered an order admitting 

 six other Republicans who were elected, but 

 who were counted out on slight defects in the 

 returns, all of which were amendable under 

 the law of 1877. The Hon. George E. Weeks 

 of Augusta was elected Speaker ; Oramandel 

 Smith of Litchfield, Clerk ; and Edwin C. Bur- 

 leigh of Linnens, Assistant Clerk. 



Mr. Hale then offered a resolution similar to 

 the one above passed in the Senate, which was 

 adopted. In presenting it, Mr. Hale referred 

 in flattering terms to General Chamberlain's 

 judicious management, by which irresponsible 

 men armed with muskets were removed from 

 the State House, and the safety of the people's 

 representatives was secured. 



On January 12th Mr. Lamson, who had been 

 elected the President of the Fusion Senate, ad- 

 dressed the following note to General Cham- 

 berlain : 



STATE or MAINE, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, I 

 AUGUSTA, January 12, 1880. | 



Joshua L. Chamberlain, Major- General^ commanding. 

 DEAR SIB : Having entered on the duties of Governor 

 of Maine, under critical circumstances, it is important 

 for me to understand whether you are prepared to 

 recognize my authority as such. Bespectiully, 

 tSigned) JAMES D. LAMSON, 



Governor. 



To this General Chamberlain replied as fol- 

 lows: 



STATE OF MAINE, I 

 AUGUSTA, January 13, 1880. f 



To the Hon. James D. Lamson. 



SIR : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of 

 your communication informing me that you have en- 

 tered upon the duties of Governor, and desiring to 

 know if I am prepared to recognize your authority as 

 such. The gravity of the situation and the importance 

 of my answer to your question demand that I should 

 give to it the most earnest attention. I am acting un- 

 der authority devolved on me by virtue of the follow- 

 ing order [given above]. 



In the attitude which things have now taken, the 

 responsibility resting on me under this order involves 

 the liberties of the people, their most sacred property, 

 and the stability of constitutional government, their 

 highest institution. I am thankful that you feel and 

 understand this, and realize equally with myself the 

 importance of our proceeding with caution. Your in- 



