MAINE. 



453 



MAINE. State Government The following 

 were the State officers during the year: Gov- 

 ernor, Joseph R. Bod well, Republican, who 

 died December 15, and was succeeded by Se- 

 bastian S. Marble, President of the Senate; 

 Secretary of State, Oramandal Smith ; Treas- 

 urer, Edwin C. Burleigh ; Attorney-General, 

 Orville D. Baker ; Superintendent of Common 

 Schools, Nelson A. Luce; Railroad Commis- 

 sioners, Asa W. Wildes, John F. Anderson, and 

 David N. Mortland ; Chief-Justice of the Su- 

 preme Court, John A. Peters; Associate Jus- 

 tices, Charles W. Walton, Charles Danforth, 

 William W. Virgin, Artemus Libbey, Lucilins 

 A. Emery, Enoch Foster, Thomas H. Haskell. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature met on 

 January 5, and adjourned on March IT, being 

 in session 72 days. United States Senator 

 Eugene Hale was re-elected for the term of 

 six years, receiving 114 votes to 26 for the 

 Democratic nominee, William H. Clifford. 

 Senator Hale had no contestant for the Repub- 

 lican nomination. 



A compulsory school-law was passed, requir- 

 ing children between eight and fifteen years of 

 age to attend the public schools at least sixteen 

 weeks in every year, unless physically or men- 

 tally incapable, or otherwise provided with in- 

 struction, and compelling every town and city 

 to elect truant-officers who shall enforce the 

 law upon both parents and children. Another 

 act abolishes capital punishment in the State. 

 Debtors are, also, freed from liability to im- 

 prisonment for their debts, except when fraud 

 is proved against them. Several measures for 

 the relief of labor were adopted. One pro- 

 vides for the fortnightly payment of wages to 

 employes; another prohibits the employment 

 of children under twelve years of age in any 

 manufacturing or mechanical establishment, or 

 of any child under fifteen years, except during 

 vacations of the public schools. Male children 

 under sixteen and women shall not be employed 

 more than ten hours each day, or sixty hours 

 each week, unless by special agreement of the 

 parties, and with the consent of parents or 

 guardians in case of minors. A State bureau 

 of industrial and labor statistics is established, 

 under the management of a commissioner, who 

 is required to submit annual reports. 



The liquor law passed at this session is de- 

 signed to re-enforce former prohibitory legis- 

 lation. It provides that the penalty for the 

 first offense in selling liquors shall be both fine 

 and imprisonment, instead of a fine or imprison- 

 ment or both, thus depriving the judge of dis- 

 cretionary power, T,he clause permitting sales 

 of over five gallons for certain purposes was 

 repealed, and a fine imposed on railroad or ex- 

 press employes for removing liquor from cars 

 at any places except regular stations. The 

 payment of a United States liquor-tax is made 

 prima-facie evidence that the person paying it 

 is a common seller of intoxicating liquors, and 

 guilty of maintaining a liquor nuisance. This 

 provision was designed to strike at a large num- 



ber of places operated under license from the 

 Internal Revenue Bureau ; but by a decision 

 rendered in the Supreme Court, near the close 

 of the year, it was adjudged unconstitutional 

 on the ground of depriving the accused of his 

 right to a judgment of his peers, and to be con- 

 sidered innocent till found guilty. 



Provision was made for the payment of the 

 State debt that will become due in June and 

 October, 1889, by authorizing the treasurer to 

 issue three-per-cent. bonds to an amount not 

 exceeding $2,800,000, bearing interest from 

 October of that year. He was also authorized 

 to sell, at his discretion, any or all bond in the 

 sinking fund, exclusive of State of Maine bonds, 

 and apply the proceeds to the purchase of such 

 outstanding bonds of the State as may be ob- 

 tained. All State bonds then or thereafter 

 coming into the sinking fund are ordered to be 

 canceled by the Treasurer. 



It was voted to submit to the people, at the 

 election in 1888, two amendments to the Con- 

 stitution, one declaring that the Treasurer shall 

 not be eligible more than six years in succes- 

 sion, the other providing for a return to annual 

 sessions of the Legislature. 



Appropriations for 1887 to the amount of 

 $1,262,195 were passed, and for 1888 to the 

 amount of $1,187,339. Other acts of the ses- 

 sion were as follow : 



Authorizing cities and towns to accept legacies, de- 

 vises, and bequests when made to them upon condi- 

 tions, and requiring them to observe such conditions 

 if accepted. 



To provide for the descent of intestate estates of and 

 to illegitimate children. 



For the protection of the alewife-fishery on Dama- 

 riscotta river. 



Authorizing towns and cities to appropriate money 

 for the observance of Memorial Day. 



Establishing a uniform time for the transaction of 

 public affairs. 



To provide for the burial expenses of honorably dis- 

 charged soldiers and sailors. 



For the protection of political nominating conven- 

 tions and primary political meetings or caucuses, from 

 disturbance and fraud. 



Regulating the powers and duties of loan and build- 

 ing associations. 



Increasing the salaries of the justices of the Supreme 

 Judicial Court to $3,500 a year. 



Increasing the exemptions that a debtor may claim 

 against attaching creditors. 



Requiring safety -switches and switch-lights after 

 sunset on all railroads, and providing a penalty for 

 tampering with switches. 



To establish Arbor Day. 



To provide for the permanent location and main- 

 tenance of the Madawaska Training-School for the 

 purpose of training teachers in the common schools 

 of Madawaska territory so-called, and appropriating 

 funds for its support. 



To protect the breeders of blooded animals against 

 fraudulent registration and misrepresentation. 



Amending the insurance law. 



To regulate the sale and analysis of commercial fer- 

 tilizers, by placing the supervision of the business in 

 the control of the Agricultural Experiment Station of 

 the State College. 



To carry into effect an act of Congress entitled " An 

 act to establish Agricultural Experiment Stations in 

 connection with colleges in the several States." 



To establish local ooards of health in cities and 



