Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-12-15
In and About the state House.

THERE seems to be chance Of the state having
Mr.. PRIEST Of Barre underwent his novitiate
| in the speakers chair on Monday. lie presided
| like skilled veteran.
THE State House was remarkably quiet Monday
evening, there being only two or three committees
In session, and those creating but little excitement
THE senate has concurred in the house amend
ments to the nuisance act and the bill needs moth
ing now but the governors signature to become
n law.
GOVERNOR HINoKLEy made very coed hit,
on Friday forenoon. on the recent increase in
Governor Pages family, and the latter parted
the blow very deity.
The governor has signed ninety-three bills
The house has killed one hundred and twenty
seven bills and the senate thlrty-nine, making
one hundred and sixty-six in ALL
THE senate has adopted the proposition for
amendment reducing the membership Of the house
to one hundred and fifty 1t is safe to predict
that it will be rejected by the house.
COLONEL SCRANTON Of vergennes was suddenly
called home on Friday and found himself upon
his arrival, to be the happy father Of bouncing
boy. Mother and child were doing we'll
COLONEL ELY-GoDDARD presided in the house
yesterday forenoon, in most acceptable manner
Except the speaker himself, probably no one in
the house is more thorough master OF parlia-
mentary law.
The committees on the Communication Of the
sentence of Edwin C. Hayden, and the committees
on the communication Of the sentence Of Royal
Carr, will report in favor OF no interference with
the execution Of the law.
MIR. DouD Of New Haven and DE-. Hendricks
Of IIydepark have had the misfortune to lose
| their overcoats in the state house. If the finder
will return them to the sergeant-at-arms' Office
he will confer great favor.
| REPRESENTATIVE KENT of Bristol, the chair
man Of the Addison county court house commit
tee in his report to the house Thursday presented
the matter in a clear, impartial and able manner,
many of the opponents and supporters of his bill
| joining In their commendati IN Of his course.
MONDAY afternoons session Of the house was
largely consumed in considering the report Of
| the committee on the revision Of the laws. All
| the amendments recommended by the committee
were adopted and the bill was ordered third
reading Tuesday morning by unanimous vote.
| THE joint resolution to pay Mr.. Doud $50 for
his overcoat, which is claimed have been stolen
from the vestibule Of the house. did not meet with
much approval in the committee Of ways and
| means, 1t being mooted question whether or not
the coat was in the custody of the state, being
unchecked.
Mr.. WENDELL p. RICE has been re-appointed
| by the governor to be the superintendent Of the
| state prison, compliment which was richly de-
served. 1t is no reflection on his predecessors to
| say that Mr. Rice's management has been su-
| perior TO anything heretofore known in the his
tory of the state.
The Judiciary committee of the house has
| agreed to report bill authorizing the governor
| ~ detail not less than three companies Of the
state militia TO attend the Yorktown centennial
on the 10th of October, 1881, and to appropriate
5000 for the expenses of having the state
properly represented at the celebration.
AMONG those on the train wrecked at South
Wallingford were Representatives Wilson of Man
chester, who was somewhat injured about the
spine, Woodward of SYNDICATE, Abbott of Ben
nington, Pierce OF SALISBURY, and Senators ykes
and Thatcher of Bennington county. They were
fortunate enough to escape with slight bruises.
THE special committees on the Hayden case
gave another hearing Wednesday night, when the
state presented a part of the case against COM
mutation. Most OF the evening was spent in
reading the transcript OF the official stenographer
minutes Of the testimony taken at the trial. Mrs.
C. o. Brigham of Derby Line, the sister of Mrs.
| Hayden was present.
THE ways and means committee heard the re-
monstrants, Friday evening, in the general commit.
tee room, to the taxes upon insurance companies
proposed to be laid by Governor Pages bill.
Messrs. S c. hlrtleff, Clarence H. Pitkn A. p.
| Childs (of Bennington and others made address
SEES. Senator Stafford also spoke in favor Of a
| simple system OF railsoad taxation.
JUDGE POLAND made the argument for the re-
monstrants to the bill and petitions in favor Of
| rechanging the name OF the town OF Ely to
| Vershire, before the committees in represent
atives' hall Wednesday night. There was a large
audience present. who listened with great interest
to his address The Hon. c. H. Heath followed
him in behalf Of the friends of the old name.
THE governor, feeling some doubts as to the
validity of Governor Taft's election to the supreme
court juigeship, has sent to each member of the
court a series OF questions bearing upon the sub
ject of the authority and power of the legislature
| in the premises as conferred by the constitution
and the laws; and he expects that the chief JUS
tice will soon transmit to him the answers OF the
court thereto. Meanwhile the governor will not
issue commission.
A PROJECT contemplating the building of a
dump" bridge with draw over the deep chan.
mel, between Alburgh and Isle La Mott, has
| nopnniad tho nf tho a NIT taa
on highways and bridges and the house commit
tee on highways, bridges and ferries, sitting to-
| gether for two evenings, and considerable
| testimony ia In its favor has been given. Its
estimated cost is $50, 900, OF which Isle La Mott
proposes to pay 5000 and asks the state to pay
| the rest
THE committee on redistricting the state met
Monday evening, and finally decided to report the
following division to be the new districts, in case
| congress should make a new apportionment and
| Vermont should lose representative. The first
district contains the following counties: Addison,
Bennington, Chttenden, Franklin, Grand Isle,
t, Lamoille and Rutland, with population of about
| l6S, 600; the second district, Caledonia, Essex
| Orleans, Orange Washington, Windham and
Windsor, with a population OF about l6i, 200.
the laws made its report to the legislature Fri
day, Mr.. Clarence IL, Ptkin of Montpelier was
recommended to be the commissioner To make the
marginal annotations of the decisions OF the SUI
preme court in the new edition of the laws; and
Mr.. Ashton X. willard OF Montpelier was recon-
mended to be the commissioner 10 edit and super
intend the publication of the laws, Each gentle
man is amply qualified for his prospective posi-
ton and will perform the work with ability and
| thoroughness.
A SEw courthouse at Middlebury has for some
time seemed to be a necessity to all who are
obliged to do any business In it. 1t Is very much
the worst courthouse in the state. There has
been strong effort made during the present ses-
sion to secure the passage OF q bill laying a tax
upon Addison county large enough to raise s2O,-
900 TO build modern structure. At meeting
of the members OF the county, Tuesday night, the
project failed by small majority, aud the old
shell will have to be endured for a while longer,
| or until it falls from sheer decay.
GOVERNOR FARNHAM has received two answers
to the letters which he wrote To the judges OF the
supreme court, proposing seven questions in
gard to the legality Of the election OF Governor
Taft. They are from the chief justice and Judge
Royce and both intimate that the election was
! valid. 1t Il said that Judge Redfeld concurs in
this opinion, though he has not yet communicated
with the governor in writing The governor ex-