Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-11-03
THE LEGISLATURE.

Some lively discussions took place in the
Senate last week One Of these was on House
bill 73, allowing parties to appeal from justice
to the county court for sums less than twenty
dollars and SO encouraging litigation and en-
failing large expense to the state in settling
small matters which would be better settled
by the parties themselves, without even TAX
ing them to justice court. After a sharp
discussion, carried on principally by the law
yers, it was amended by leaving the law in
this respect as it is at present and third
reading ordered; read the third time on
Tuesday, and on its passage defeated.
The Senate is looking after the committee
or claims Scarcely bill is reported on
which the committee is not Intercepted, but
contrary to the usual custom, the complaint
has been that the committee is rather too pc
nurious, that it does not allow enough. SEN
ator Burnap introduced q bill establishing the
Office of Attorney General which is in accord
anoe with a recommendation of the Govern
or in his message and also of Judge Veazey in
his report two years ago on court expenses.
Senate bill 80 makes monuments and head
stones liable to attachment for the purchase
money, for one year, and If sold on execu-
ton, gives the purchaser tho power to re-
move them. 1t would not be n particularly
pleasant spectacle to see persons in our Gem
etaries engaged in the act Of pulling up the
lowed to slumber in the hands of the COM
mittee. Another bill, Senate 81, provides for
the payment of seven dollars per month to all
persons now living who served in the regular
army or navy during the late rebellion, and
who were entitled to the same under section
10, No. of the act of 1861, and who were
credited upon tho quota of any town in the
state; this act to apply to persons only who
were residents of the state at the time of
Al A 1ma. -.
extend from April 20, 1861 to Aug. |. 1860.
l am told that should this bill be passed, it
will take over $4,000 from the Treasury.
1t is hardly probable that it will receive a
favorable report from the committee.
Some important bills were introduced in the
House. One, No. 217, by DIR. Butler of Es-
sex, makes adultery the only ground for di-
vorce but provides for separation from
bed and board forever or for limited time
for the same causes for which divorces are
now granted under Sec. 1852 of the revised
laws, and also for habitual drunkenness The
parties by virtue of such decree shall not be
deemed single, and may upon a joint applica-
ton to the court which pronounced the
| judgment of separation be reunited, sub
| iect to such restriction as the court may see
fit to impose.
DIR. Butler also introduced House bill POI,
which abolishes the county equaliziug con-
ventions and State equalizing boards. This
bill will, l think, be endorsed by at least two
towns of Windham County. If there is any
merit in county equalizing convention 30
far as the state and county tax is concerned,
| it is an outrage for such a convention to say
what the town tax shall be. However, if the
| committee of ways and means shall perfect
bill taxing corporations so as to raise enough
to pay the state tax, no one can object to the
| passage of DIR. Buffers bill
The committee on agriculture having under
consideration Senate bill 81 relating to COM
mercial fertilizers, had before them yesterday
Messrs. Bradley and Rogers of the Bradley
Phosphate Co. with Judge Poland as counsel.
Mr.. Bradley had no objection to the main
features of the bill, and only made some sug-
gestions which would better protect both the
manufacturer and the farmer and which the
committee were pleased to adopt
On Wednesday the House, after prolong-
ed debate on the dog question, passed a bill
| changing the present law by taxing the female
dog four dollars, and the law also decides a
puppy to be a dog without regard to age. The
Senate have had under consideration Senate
bill 80, which is u substitute bill for one in
troduced by Senator Mcintosh in regard to
paupers of which mention was made last
week, which amends sections 1888 and 1884
of the revised laws by striking out the words
"or is likely to be-" The bill was ordered to
lie and made the special order for Friday.
The effect of the passage of this bill will be
| to stop the holding of courts of enquiry where
persons are considered likely to become pau
pers or, in other words, it enables any one
to gain residence if he can support himself
for period of over seven years 1t will save
the expense of courts of enquiry in many
cases, and also the inhumanity of calling peo
pie before a court when they are able to sup
port themselves to see if they are likely to
become paupers. As all towns are to be at
tected alike by the passage of this law l car
see no reason why it should not pass. 1t is
however, 80 much Of an innovation it will
doubtless meet with considerable opposition.