Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-11-15
The Legislature.

ANAb - AaAA WIN NANN6h ~
the two Houses between this and the day
before Thanksgiving. The bill to tax
corporations, the town school system,
various tax questions, and other important
matters will give full employment for the
next two weeks.
TIE MEAKER CASE.
The debate last Thursday on AlmOn
Meaker's Communication was very earnest,
and the advocates of tho bill got it to a
third reading by great majority. Messrs.
Burke, Plumley, Priest and Childs, were
among the leaders for Communication, and
Messrs. Munson and Thompson against it
The bill was up again yesterday afternoon
but there was no debate, and it passed by
vote of 129 to II. The Senate has not
yet taken action in the matter.
THE TOWN SYSTEM.
Senator Towards bill providing for the
adoption of the town system of schools
has finally pissed the Senate with but one
vote against it. 1t has much solid support
in the House and there is some prospect
that the state will go to work and make
its great school expenditures more profit
able instead of frittering away so much
of it upon schools that are 50 Sun Ill as to
be extravagant.
The committee on education also has
been considering measures for making the
normal schools more efficient. And it
has been considering the much vexed text
book question endeavoring to get at some
way for cheaper books and fewer changes.
THE GRAND LIST COMMITTEE.
Much of the matter reported from this
committee thus far has been in relation to
legalizing the grand lists Of certain towns.
One town, Sharon, has come TO grief, as
the House dismissed the bill 10 legalize lis
grand list. The listers made wrctched
botch of it, and the House was disguised
with their performance.
The present listing law will hardly tc
changed except to provide for the disposal
Of inventories, and the putting of selectmen
under the same kind of an oath as the
listers when they are Engaged in hearing
appeals; and few changes to make
certain provisions more consistent with
others.
TAKING CORPORATIONS.
The committee on ways and means
intro ldce1 to-day II bill, tho aim of which
is to make corporations pay the state, tax.
1t creates commissioner of state take.
with a salary of Sll00, and provides for ;
tax on railroads that shall make them pay
two per cent on their gross receipts per
mile up TO $4,000. The next $1,000 Of
gross receipts per mile is taxed per cent
the next $1,000 4 per cent; and on al
receipts above $1,000 per mile per cent.
Insurance companies are to pay pc
cent on gross receipts on their Vernon
business with few small drawbacks
Home companies are also to pay one hal
of one per cent on their surplus over tn,
four per cent reserve.
Savings banks are to pay hnlf of on,
per cent and trust companies one per cen
on their average deposits and accumula
tons. Express, telegraph and telephone
companies are to pay 3 per cent on thc
Vermont receipts and steamboat car ant
transportation companies incorporated il
Vermont two per cent on their gros
receipts. The bill does away with equal
izing boards.
LICENSE.
Mr.. Chills of Bennington has introduced
II license law which is substantially tn
local option law of Connecticut. Th
con stitutlonal amendment, prohibtory an
other still hang Gre.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Provision is to b3 nude for printin!
Col. Benedict's military history of tn
State. The Rutland bunk claim isn't set
tied rs the governor has vetoed the BIZ
and vote has not yet been taken sine
the veto. There is bill for n separat
library building which is doubtless tn
most economical way togive needed room
There is under discussion bill TO civ
towns the right to vote on exemptn
new manufacturing establishments for te
years.