Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-12-10
THE VERMONT LEGISLATURE.
LETTER FROM MONTPELIER.

HOUSES.
Special Correspondence Of THE PHuNix.
MONTPELIER, Dec. Z, 1880
Editors Of The Phqnig:
The vexed question OF the sixth assistant
judge has been at last settled by tho election
of Hon. Russell S. Taft of Burlington to fill
the vacancy, in whose election the state has
again turned its back to the political work.
ers. The candidates were all men of dis
tinguished ability and any one of them would
have done honor to the state but friends of
the leading candidates were not careful
enough in management. The friends Of the
three gentlemen who were mentioned by The
PHOENIX as suitable candidates for the posi-
ton, finally decided to support Hon. +. i.
Waterman, and voted for him on the first and
second ballots, after which his name was for
mally presented to the joint assembly by
Messrs. Martin and Hooker, and on the third
ballot he received u handsome vote but the
movement came too late, for at the same
time Mr.. Tait's name was presented, he hav-
ing received without nomination, on the first
and second ballots respectively, twenty eight
and forty-six votes, and on the third ballot
nnety-four, and theu he was elected CtCd
U0cG amid great enthusiasm. Judge Taft has
been prominently associated with Vermont
politics for some tmo having held the offices
of state senator (to which position he was
elected at the age of thirty and lieutenant
governor, aud il at present Il member of the
House. He is man OF sound mind and
great breadth of intellect, is dignihed and de
Lucrative, has fine presence combined with
urbanity, which, We predict, will make him
very popular as a judge. Every friend of
economy is glad that the question is disposed
Of as it has been a continual brake upon tho
wheels Of legislation.
IIag 60, q
the present legislature! lie ought to sit in
audience in the House little while aud see
the bills disposed Of at the rate Of ninety
three day, which was the number acted up
on last Thursday, and he would make up his
mind that some work had been done to bring
these bills to the finishing point. Those per.
sons who base their judgmou ut on the fact that
only thirty six bills had been made law at the
time of the Thanksgiving adjournment, saw
very little of the work actually done. At this
same time ninety-two bills had been refused
third reading in both houses, while several
had been dismissed. We have taken pains to
inquire of several persons, who, from their
relations with former legislatures could com
pare the present one with them, and they say
without exception that they never saw 80
much work done rs during this session. The
committee rooms have all been filed con
stanty, outside regular session hours, until
late at night, ard nearly every one has shown
disposition to transact legislative business
as fast as is practicable.
The joint committee on the state prison
have made their report and introduced a bill
which has passed the House. making an APP
preparation of $50 900 for needed repairs in
and about the prison. Your correspondent
visited the prison last Wednesday in company
with MIR. Goodwin, chairman of the prison
committee on the part of the House, several
members from Windham county, and others.
We were very warmly received by Superin-
tendert Rice, and had an opportunity to OK
anime for ourselves the condition and needs
of the institution. 1t is very evident that the
whole appropriation will be required to make
the prison what it should be. Some of the
buildings are old and dangerous, while from
their arrangement three officers more are
employed than would be needed with the
wall and buildings placed according TO the
plan of the directors. The officers quarters
are cramped and uncomfortable. Mr.. Rice
and his family, who are obliged by law to
live within the prison limits have only two
rooms, to be used Jointly for office, parlor
and sleeping room, while, 10 has been before
remarked the quarters of the female con
victs are entirely insufficient for the purpose
so much so that desperate character cannot
be safely confined in them. When Mrs.
Meeker goes to Windsor she will have to be
placed in a cell in the mems quarters A
portion Of the appropriation is TO be used in
laying sewer to the Connecticut river. The
drainage is now so imperfect that everything
is emptied upon the meadow below the pris-
on, which, i'll the opinion of the superiutend-
ent, accounts for the numerous cases of ty-
phoid fever which have occurred both in the
prison and the village of Windsor. Undoubt-
eddy one Of the best official acts Of Gov Proc
TOR no pa.praI tn, he
state the services of W. p. Rice as
superintendent Having been engaged in the
business for many years in Maine. Mr.. Rice
understands prison discipline thoroughly.
Kind and humane, he is yet firm in the exc
cution of the rules of the institution. Every
thing is faultessly clean and the convicts in
the prison shops look As contented as the
workmen III any regular employment of the
kind. The quack DR." Merriam, who at
one time had many patients in Windham
county, looks quite well in his suit of red and
black, though not quite so lordly as Tin the
then that was" The bank robber Miles,
who is one of the most prominent figures,
works as though making shoes was the bust
ness he preferred above all others. No other
prison ever kept him within its walls for so
long time as he has remained here though
he has been in several As yet he has not
found the man who is bribable.
The bill which is introduced every session
to appropriate money for state insane asy-
lum has made its appearance. 1t will go
through the usual processes of dissolution
and be numbered with its fathers" Quite
a good deal of new testimony has been intro
duoed before the committee on the communal
ton of Edwin q. Hayden's sentence on the
point of insanity. Mr.. Grout of Newport
brother to the General, who is conducting
the hearing on the part of the state, will have
to look sharp or the rope may slip from the
murderers neck. Hayden is a young man so
pleasant and prepossessing in his appearance,
and has sustained such good character in
confinement, that all the officials of the pris
on are warmly attached TO him, and would
be glad if he could live; and yet under the
frenzy of rum the young man committed one
of the most cold blooded and deliberate muir
ders that is recorded on our annals Of crime.
Apropos of this We are reminded of the
warm discussion which occurred in the
House on Saturday and Monday when Senate
bill 93-which was introduced by Judge Dun
ton of Rutland, and passed the Senate with
out word of objection-was presented for
its third reading The bill provides that ev-
cry place of resort Qeaying out the word pub
lic) where intoxicating liquors are sold con-
trary to law shall be held to be a common
nuisance, and the keeper thereof, upon con
viction, be put under heavy penalties of fine
and imprisonment, and the place closed un-
til the party convicted gives bonds never to
sell on the premises any intoXicant again. 1t
also makes the person who knowingly let's for
the purpose or permits such business to be
carried on in any place owned by him, liable
to heavy fine, giving him power to protect
himself by ejeoting such tenant without proc
ess Of law. Some of the best temperance
speeches we ever listened to, and made by
some of the best and ablest m6n of the state
were delivered during the discussion, The
bill passed by an overwhelming majority.
G. w. Hooker made his statement last night
before the railroad committee, in favor of the
proposed road from Bratteboro to Vernon.
The colonel has introduced bill TO exempt
from taxation $500 on mortgaged property.
Would it not help the poor man more to do
away with all exemptions rather than make