Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-11-12


they come in larger numbers and proong
their visits. Montpelier has always claimed
to have more pretty women than any other
towa of its size in the state, and we should
be inclined to concede its claim did we not
remember that all the ladies who smile upon
Vormonts Solons are not residents Of this
town, but many of them, from other parts of
the state, take this occasion to visit the cap
itol.
Perhaps the most interesting question at
the present time here is the election OF the
Supreme Court judges, and AZ the day draws
near for the Legislature to make its choice
Thursday of this week. The interest in
creases Nothing before during this session
has called out half Of the lobby work that is
Judge Barrett His opponents, however, do
not seem to have the hope that they will ac-
complish their purpose that they had a few
days ago. As is well known, most Of the
strength of the opposition comes from Wind
sor county, the home of the Judge. They
have man whom they wish 10 substitute for
Mr.. Barrett, a Mr.. Walker of Ludlow, a
llhl WIN A4bAp lbHuAhAAtg ~ hpAht' buAs vi
course, not so well known through the state
There seems to be no doubt to us but that
the Judge will be reelected. The state is not
ready yet, we believe, to lose his legal knowl-
edge and judicial ability aud yet the criti-
cisms which are being so freely expressed,
may not be without their use in showing
that even a Supreme Court judge is depend
| .p4 ,,n, aud apawaralla In tho Yaov,la
slight opposition is being made to Judge
Pierpoint on the ground Of his advanced age,
but evidently large majority Of the Legisla-
ture believe, as Ex-Governor Proctor recently
expressed himself, that the old Judge lis
worth more than his salary to the state to as
sist the other judges
The grand list committee are having pub
lie meetings nearly every evening, which are
largely attended, and the time is taken up in
discussing the different bills and projects for
assessing taxes. Senator Woodhouse's Tab
ulated Statistics !" Senator Starts bill "To
Equalize Taxation" Mr.. Harvey's House
bill to compel every taxpayer to make oath
to his list, after having made it out himself,
under penalty of having the listers raise his
list, if they are not satisfied with it, to the
point they think is right and then double
it Mr.. Taft's bill, which, among other things,
proposes to tax savings bank deposits as 9th
or personal property, are among the meth
DDS discussed There seems to be a general
desire to have the listing laws fixed as nearly
right as possible this time, but it is evident
that the right thing has not been proposed
yet. We believe that the Savings Bank law
ought not to be touched. The state is get.
ting a nice little sum from the one-half of one
per cent. tax now paid on deposits, and with.
out any work to collect it, 1t is evidently
more than was ever received from this class
of property before, and probably the tax
cannot be increased without greatly injuring
this important business interest
A food of petitions is being presented this
week, mostly against the running of trains Oh
Sunday, in favor of more equal taxation, and
for local option licenselaw 1t is perhaps moi
| too much to predict that the last class of pc
| titioners will have chance TO renew Their
prayer to the next Legislature not fifty
votes can be obtained in both houses in favor
of such a law. The Judiciary committee
have spent some time in discussing the billl
presented in favor OF women voting in school
meetings, and to enable them TO hold the Of
! fees of superintendent of schools and tow
clerk, but no report has as yet been made. II
is to be hoped that Vermont will not be any
farther behind some of our more progressive
states in this matter.
| The committee on elections have at last
made their report on the contested election
case of the town of Wells. They propose tC
unseat Allen c. Grover, the returned mem
Der, and seat Nathan Spaulding the contest
ant. The report on the Clarendon case still
hangs fire." 1t seems wrong that il maj
is illegally holding his seat he should be per
mitted to occupy it and draw pay for sil
weeks of the session, and then the rightfully
elected man be allowed his privileges for only
one or two weeks, but we suppose the com
mittee would claim that they have used al
haste to decide the case. The House has re
fused by its vote on blouse Bill IA" to repea
the insolvency act and has also refused by
its vote on House 1888" to repeal tn,
moiety clause of chapter % of the Genera
Statutes The latter question brought out
stirring debate, many men favoring the bill
who declared themselves to be strong prohi
bitionists. The bill was defeated by YET
and nay vote of G3 to 1871.
The Senate has passed bill providing
that any supreme judge who shall hav,
served twenty years on the bench consecu
lively, and who shall have attained the age o
seventy years, SHALL upon resigning his office
receive during his lifetime one half the salarl
which he was receiving at the time of hi
resignation. Among the most importan
measures which have passed the House tn,
present week are blouse 32," which make
life insurance policies assignable in certain
cases blouse So" which provides for tn
printing of history of the part which tn
soldiers of Vermont took in the war of tn,
rebellion; blouse Ill" Abolshing the otiic
of court auditors and providing that the worl
shall be performed by the state auditor
blouse 1885," which enables married womel
carrying ON any business to sue and be sue
in their own name. The Rutland city char
ter, which covers thirty-two printed pages
has been introduced, but has as yet got n
farther than the committee on corporations
The Republicans of Montpelier have bee
little tardy in their celebration of the grea
presidential victory, but they are doing them