St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-10-11
From Montpelier.
MONTPELIER, Oct. Z, 1878.

of the Legislature furnish you with the
daily routine of business more fully
than it is possible to be done in the linn
its of any ordinary letter, and much
more correctly than can be done by any
one not in constant attendance upon the
sessions of both Houses. But an out
side observer finds many things upon
which to comment that are not, and
never can be found in the official re-
ports. A few of these will endeavor
to jot down for your readers, should
you see fit to allow your readers to look
at matters and things through my eyes
THE LEGISLATURE.
The present Senate is a body compOs-
ed of an unusual number of young men;
but because young it by no means fol-
lows that it is at all below the average
Vermont Senate for intelligence and
ability. Senators Thompson and Bel
den of your own county are, think
the only members of the present Senate
who have ever before had seats in that
body and the fact that so large pro-
portion of the Senators are new men
would of itself detract from their eff
cheney, were it not that nearly every
one of them has seen service in the
more populOus-andu usually considered
the more popular-branch of the Leg
islature-the House of Representatives
That the Senate will give a good ac-
count of itself before the close of the
session is the opinion expressed on al
sides.
The House of Representatives is com.
posed of so many new men-men wh6
have never before had experience il
any legislative bOdy-it is difficult thus
early to form any intelligent opinion OF
them as body. There are few mem.
bers, like Judge Poland of st. Johns.
bury, and perhaps Others l might name
who seem now to stand out prominent.
ly as men who would be expected to
act conspicuous part in shaping the
legislation of the session. But with
such a combination of discOrdant ele.
ments as have entered into the make.
up of the present House,-where Re.
and Independents are combined in such
convenient proportions as were necessa.
~ to secure success it is not at all inI-
possible that the counsels of the best
men may he entirely unheeded, and the
hot blood of inexperience run away
with the heretofore proverbial conserv-
atism of Vermont legislation. Judged
10y the action of the House during its
first three days session, the people of
the state have cause to regret the intro
duction into that body of So much in
experience, and so many apparently
Indifferent men. But as the work OF
the session progresses, and the present
apparent want of confidence III them
selves wears away, your correspondent
may find occasion to change his views
OF the members OF the House.
UNITED STATES SENATOR.
Almost the first subject that present
ed itself to the members, on their arriv-
al in Montpelier, was the United States
Senatorial election which must be made
on the second Tuesday of the present
session. Hon. Justin S. Morrill-whose
twenty-four years of successive service
in both Houses of Congress but sharp
ems his desire to lengthen it to thirty
and thus enable him to retire with q
record of "Thiry gears in Congress,
quite equal to that of Senator Benton
of MissOuri,-is not indifferent to the
fact that he has formidable rival il
the person of Hon. Luke p. Poland, o
st. JOhnsbury. The canvass thus fa
is of the liveliest kind but SO far as
have been able to discover, it has beef
personal aid of Mr.. Morrill, himself, who
have kept the matter lively. Judge
POland's friends are by no means indif
ferent spectators of the contest; and
while the present outlook is that Sena
tor Morrill, will be his own successor
it would have been quite as much to hi
credit had he left the Legislature t,
have pronounced their approval of hi
long Congressional life, by a voluntar,
reelection for another term. That Mr.
Morrill, has thought it necessary to ente
into a personal canuaSs among the mem
bers, is of itself an acknowledgement O
the fact that he has a not unworth,
rival, and one whose strength is so wei
known throughout the state as to Civ,
him cause for fear that the 4th of Marcl
next, might find him private citizel
of the State of Vermont, instead of it
honored Representative i'm the Unite,
States Senate.
LEGISLATION.
Thus far very little has been done t.
indicate what is to be the leading char
acteIistics of the legislation of the ses
sion. The inevitable "tramp" has al
ready had club raised with which h
is to be squelched, in the bill introduc
ed by Mr.. Bliss of Bradford. This bill
is substantially the same as that recent
ly passed by the New Hampshire legis
lature, not emitting one or two provis
ions which l have heard criticised a
radical defects.
The bill provides that "Any perso1
going about from place to place, sub
sisting on the charity of the people ant