Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-10-13
State House Notes.

how soon9
THERE are now two contested election cases
before the house, from the towns Of Wells and
Clarendon. Two more are expected
JUDGE DUSToN's eminent legal qualifications
made his appointment to be chairman Of the
Judiciary committee foregone conclusion. The
committee is a strong one
The insolvency act, having weathered the at.
tack which Judge Thompson made upon Its con-
sttutionality Is now in danger OF being killed
outright. Where is General Grout?
PRESIDENT GLEED bears his honors with char
acteristic modesty. No amount Of dignities can
stop his irresistible propensity to utter witty
things. bon mot is always rising to his lips
THE bills introduced by Governor Taft and Mr..
fiheld, looking to reduction Of court expenses,
are at once practical and simple and hit the nail
right on the head
OF the senators from Washington county, Mr..
Dillingham; is chairman of the committee on rail-
roads and second on the committee on rules;
while Mr. Dwinell Is chairman Of the committee
on the grand list.
ANYTHING more impressive than Judge Red
fields administration Of the oath of office to Gov
ernor Farnham cannot easily be imagined Every
syllable told. The great hall was as still as death
You could have heard pin drop.
THE Rutland Herald says that the message of
Governor Farnham, like that of his able prede-
cessor, is an excellent state paper Of the practical
| sort that deals with topics before him like bust
ness man rather than speculative philosopher"
GOVERNOR FARsHAM has appointed the follow
ing gentlemen to be members of his staff Major
| George T. Childs Of ST. Adams, chief; William R.
Rowe OF North Troy, f. Ely-Goddard of Ely,
Horace J Brooks Of Burlington, Milton K. Paine
| of Windsor and 0lin Scott Of Bennington
AFTER all the buncombe claims on the part Of
the Democracy, Governor Farnham's majority
turns out to be over twenty five thousand instead
of under. His plurality over Mr. Phelps is 26, GO3.
His majority over all is 3,767 more than the vote
| cast for Mr.. Phelps
THE scrimmage for offices at and about the
state house still shows the ruling passion in some
| minds. As sample Of display in this line it
may be stated that the applications to the Ser
geant-at-Arms for the position Of doorkeeper have
numbered upward of fifty for the present session,
while he had but four places to fill.
THE members were sensibly moved on the an
nouncement Of the great and sudden bereave-
his family by the death, on Saturday last, Of the
venerable Ezekiel johnson, father of Mrs Farm
| ham, he having been thrown from his wagon and
killed. His age was eighty years.
THE work OF retrenchment seems to have be-
gun in the house in good earnest as is evinced by
| the fact that when the customary resolution to
furnish the members two daily papers and one
weekly during the session was introduced, it
encountered considerable opposition, and was
| amended TO read one daily only, and then passed
GOVERNOR TAFrs bill to simplify indictments
| for murder and manslaughter is step in the
right direction Our present form follows the pre-
| cedents Of the old English common law, which
| has been abolished in England where even more
| concise indictments than those proposed by Gov
ernor Taft used. The less verbiage in any
legal instrument the better. No more words
than are actually necessary for certainty should
| be used.
NEXT week Tuesday the senate and house, each
in its own hall ballots for a United States senator
to succeed Mr.. Edmunds, on the fourth Of next
March. We needn't be much of prophet to
predict upon whom the choice will fall. 1t is
| hoped that Senator Edmunds may be present and
address the legislature on Wednesday, when they
will meet in joint convention and the result will
| be declared. Senator Edmunds is now attending
| the triennia Episcopalian convention at New
York, to which he is a delegate from Vermont
This evening the doctors have the loan of
| the representatives hall for holding the annual
| meeting OF the Vermont Medical Society when
| DIR. 5. W. Thayer, OF Burlington, will deliver
| address entitled, 1.-The State of Medicine DR..
Thayer's wide learning and great experience will
render anything from him upon this subject very
interesting. On the evening of the 18th inst, the
Vermont Historical Society will listen to an ad-
dress upon the Fenian Raid" by the Hon. E.
A. Sowles, OF St. Adams, and on the Goth the
Vermont Bible Society will occupy the hall for
| their anniversary exercises.
| MONDAY afternoon the speaker announced the
county and congressional canvassing commit
tees on the part of the house, and the standing
committees on town lines, mileage and debent-
ures, distributing. land taxes, federal relations,
military affairs and education. Colonel Hooker
is chairman of the military committee, and Mr..
Dartt of the committee on educ alton, both most
excellent selections. Mr.. Dart, at the last ses-
sion, proved to be one of the ablest and most in
| fiuential members Of the house. He was for sew
eral years a teacher, and this important commit
tee will do good work under his leadership.
THE Inauguration of Governor Farnham Thurs
| day was attended with parade of the First reg
iment and Fullers light battery. At two O'Clock
Governor Proctor and his staff, attended by Gov
| ernor-elect Farnham and Lieutenant Gov rnor-
elect Barstow and the civil and military officers
| OF the state were escorted from Camp Farnham,
| proceeding up the Berlin side to the upper bridge,
| thence up Main street to the head Of State, and
| down State street to the Pavilion, where the
| governor and governor-elect and their suite
alighted from their carriages The regiment
formed in line along State street in front Of the
state house, and presented arms the guberna-
torial party proceeded to the capitol.
| THE agreeable precedent established by Gov
ernor Fairbanks two years ago has been worthily
followed by Governor Proctor The retiring chief
magistrate Of the state and his estimable wife gave
a reception Wednesday evening to the members
of the present and of the prece ding legislature
and to large company OF invited guests from all
| parts OF the state. Governor Proctor was as
sisted in the discharge of his hospitable duties by
| the governor-elect ana his wife, Mr.. and Mrs.
Farnham, by General Kingsley and Secretary
| OF State Nichols. Colonels Hooker, Scranton and
Chapman of the governors staff and Colonel
/ oHtluOu Oh tA-boNtruOT per-
formed the delicate duty of presenting to the hosts
their numerous guests. The Pavilion parlors were
decorated with cut flowers, plants and autumn
leaves, which were arranged by Mrs. Bailey and
| some of her friends, and the result showed that
they brought to the undertaking talents OF high
order and the best OF taste. The collation. was
| one of those for which the Pavilion is celebrated
and abounded in good things. The piazzas of
| the hotel were brilliantly illuminated by Chinese
lanterns, which also adorned the band stand on
the lawn. The First Regiment Band OF ST. AL
| bans and the Montpelier band were in attendance
and added much to the pleasure OF the even
ing. A large number of guests were present.
among them some OF the most distinguished men
| OF the state.
The committee rules in the house, composed
| Of the Hon. Lyman G. Hinckey, chairman, and
Messrs. Walter p Smith OF St. Johnsbury and
| Herbert Brainerd OF St. Adams, made a thorough
and exhaustive report Friday afternoon, which
proposes several important changes in the rules
| for the future guidance OF the house They
| recommend that rule one be changed so that the
| seats be drawn at half-past eight on the morning
OF the second day Of the session; that the rule in
regard to the speaker calling another member
to the chair shall provide that he may call any
member to the chair, and that that member may
occupy 1t for time not exceeding four consecu-