Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-11-10
In and About the State House.

THE amendment to the bill to raise n tax on the
county of Washington, proposed by Mr.. Chaplin OF
Middlesex, in regard to attachments, and agreed
to by the house, will save to the county treasury
at least one hundred and seventy-fve dollars.
THERE are some people in the state who think
they want local option liquor law, II we may
judge by the petitions presented to the house
Friday Perhaps it is not too hazardous to pre-
diet that they will not get it.
OUR readers will be deeply interested in the dis
cussion which occurred in the house Monday on
the moiety repeal bill. We do not doubt the final
action of the house is in accord with the prevail
ing public sentiment Of the state
PETITIONS against the unnecessary running Of
Sunday trains are being presented to the house
from all quarters Of the state There is a very
strong public sentiment on this subject, and un-
doubtedly the legislature will pass law to
remedy the evil
THE joint committee on the reform school, con-
sisting Of Senators Start Of Franklin, Blodgett of
Caledonia and Paul Of Windsor and Representa-
tives Merrifeld of Newfane, Chaplin Of Middle
sex, Richmond Of Rochester, Grout of Concord,
and Leach of Sheldon, spent last Friday at Yer
gennes, investigating the school.
in the house on Friday, during the debate upon
the Bennington police court bill, one by Mr..
Branerd OF St. Adams and the other by Colonel
Hooker of Brattleboro. Mr. Brainerd brought
down the house" when he said that some people
held cent so near their eyes that they could not
see a sixpence a little way off.
RUTLAND cannot endure the swaddling clothes
of town governmentany longer, now that the CEN
sus has shown her to be the most popuous place
in the state and now proposes to "put on style "
and be a city. Governor Page introduced the
bill of incorporation into the house on Friday af
ternoon, and probably before many months he
will add mayor to bis other titles of dignity.
The insolvency law has two years more Of life
at any rate, the house on Friday morning refus-
ing to reconsider its vote whereby it refused the
bill third reading on Thursday afternoon. We
believe that public sentiment will generally sus-
| tain this action. The law has some defects I'M
doubleday, most Of which will be remedied by the
passage Of Judge Tho upson's bill to amend the
law; but there is no other method known by
which the assets of a bankrupt can be distributed
among his creditors fairly and at so small cost
THE committee of the members from Washing
ton county met Wednesday afternoon, and voted
unanimously to lay tax of ten per cent upon
the grand list of the county, for the purpose Of
defraying the expense of repairing the court
| house. Under Judge Rifords able and econom-
| ical management the entire expense has not been
more than ten thousand doars-fve thousand
dollars above the insurance. We venture to say
| that few better or cheaper jobs OF the kind were
ever done. Judge R;ford received the hearty
commentator of the judges and bar for his sue
cessiul renovation of the old shell left by the fire
The house went through the solemn form of
call" Wednesday afternoon, for the first time
| this session. The members enjoyed 1t hugely,
and as soon as the sergeant-at-arms had brought
| in the absentees, voted to adjourn. The call
| happened in this WISE There was very thin
attendance at the beginning of the session. The
joint resolution providing for a joint assembly
on Thursday came up as unfinished bust
ness, the question being "shall it be adopted?"
The speaker declared that the vote was in the
affirmative. Mr.. Ely Goddard demanded count.
The speaker declared the vote to be- yeas, seventy;
| nays, twenty. Mr. Ely Goddard asked II there
was quorum present and voting. The speaker
said there not, and that therefore the resolu-
ton had not been adopted. Mr.. Tiffany OF
Pittsiord moved to adjourn. The motion was
/ -
Under the rules, one motion to adjourn having
| been lost another cannot be put until the trans
action OF some business has INTERVIEWED and no
business could then be done, because the house
was without quorum. After waiting until four
| o'clock a call was ordered and proceeded with.
The galleries and libraries were cleared, the doors
locked and the sergeant-at-arms was sent ont to
"drum up" the absentees A quorum having
been obtained at half-past four, the resolution
was tabled and the house adjourned.
The joint special committee on the Carr case
| held meeting on Thursday and heard the argu-
ments Of counsel in behalf and against the COM
mutation of his sentence. Messrs. Heath & Garlic
ton appeared for Carr, and Mr.. Frank Plumley,
| the states attorney, against him. Messrs. Homer
W. Heaton and Charles II. Heath testified that
Carr was below par intellectually. The commit
| tee adjourned to meet at the Jail at one o'clock
| Friday, when they examined Carr personally He
| then told the story Of the murder and answered
| various questions Judge Dunton, chairman of
| the senate committee, and Mr.. Walter p. Smith,
chairman OF the house committee conducted the
| examination. Carr, with great composure, told
the same story that has already been given in this
paper. He said that he never would have killed
Murcommuck II his brother Chester had not made
him; that "Chet" said that he would kill him
lRoyal) II he did not kill the Indian; that Chef
filled the barrel OF the Indians gun with water
previous to their starting out hunting, and that
he shot him first in the shoulder with his gun
that the Indian fell down and he then finished
him with the pistol. Carr denies now that he
killed the Indians dog. lie intlmates that Chef
did it, He says that when he got back to Chefs
the day after the murder, he hung the gun up,
the muzzle to the north and the stock to the
SOUTH that he afterwards saw 1t hanging with
the stock to the north and the muzzle to the
SOUTH upon asking Chef what he had been doing
with the gun, Chef told him it was none of his id
business He evidently intended to impress the
committee with the idea that Chef stole out and
shot the dog. He told his story of the spirit OF
the Indian appearing to him and saying that he
didn't blame him any. In reply to questions by
Mr. Smith, he said he had not seen the Indians
wife but once twice before, and was moi
acquainted with her at all. The committee spent
about an hour with Carr, and were enabled to gel
> a very good idea Of his mental capacity III,
; hearing will be resumed at the state house THU
! wednesday, evening,
1,