Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-12-22
MINOR NOTES.

Quite a number of the immediate personal
friends of John G.. Whittier called upon him
Sunday, at his Boston winter quarters to con-
graduate him upon his 10Th birthday. One
very pretty present was a bouquet Of - roses
from ex-Gov. Clahin.
A Washington item says that Senator and
Mrs. Edmund5 will soon leave for a southern
trip, taking with them their daughter Mary,
who is in in bad health and requires the in.
fiuence of a milder climate The family will
go to Florida, and thence 10 Texas, but in
tend spending the spring in California.
A banquet is to be given in Washington on
New Years day, in honor of Frederick Doug
lass, in recognition Of his long services in the
interests of his race and of humanity. Elk.
Senator Bruce is to preside, and the enter
tainment is designed to be not local, but ma
tional.
Another case under the tax law Judge
Redfeld in the case Of Barre man refusing
to make an inventory of his property gives
pro forma decision for the town. The listers
doubled their estimate of the mans property,
but he claims that under the law they have
right only to double the value of property
absolutely known to be his. The case goes
to the supreme court.
The Argus says that "the Passumpsic rail-
road and the United States and Canada ex-
press company are going to fight the new tax
law in the courts Able counsel in Boston
have advised them that the the law is clearly
unconstitutional.
The Star-routers are credited with a new
dodge-the use of fire. Last Saturday night
a fire occurred in building on street,
Washington, mainly occupied as law offices
by Richard d, Merrick, principal counsel for
the Government in the Star-route cases. The
fire was undoubtedly incendary, and, Mr.
Merrick asserts, was for the purpose of de-
stroying important papers in the Star-route
cases, which were known to be in his office.
The fire was promptly extinguished with the
loss of few hundred dollars, but no papers
of consequence were injured.
Curious complications arise under the anti
Chinese law. The most recent case is that
of a Chinese laundryman at Pittsburg, Pa,
who applied to the treasury department for
permission to go to China, get married and
| bring his wife to this country. Secretary
Folger decides that he cannot do it, but that
if he were already married the law would not
prevent his going to China and bringing back
his wife.
| The Senate passed the Consular and Diplo-
matte bill Wednesday, and discussed the Pen
| dleton civil service bill. The House passed
the Post Office appropriation bill.
The number of pensioners on the rolls at
the first of this month was 29l, $50, to whom
is annually paid $50, 600.
1t is pleasant to see the Springfield Repub-
| lican vary its usual order of trouble and carp
ing and worriment about Vermont affairs
with an honest admission like this;
Since the Vermont state prison was built in 1903,
only "a persons have been placed in it for the crimes
of mansaughter and murder, and seven of them were
pardoned out by the governor. Ten murderers have
been executed in the prison since 1854 the date Of the
hrst execution there. This is very good record OF
| crime Furnishing, but the record from which get
the figures does not say how many guilty eseap-
| ed punishment.-L01usUiNeC oUrier-JOUrHdi.
| Come up to New England ltho Republican answered.
| and examine things for yourself, Mr.. Cd Try Il
make list OF persons In Vermont, not in prison. who
| are known or believed to have committed mansaugh.
| ter, eveu in sef-defence see how Yankee aqricul
tural community regards these things 1t is probably
safe to that nowhere in the country is crime pun
ished with such expedition and certainty as in thf
| Green Mountain state.