Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-11-24
4 Recess by the Senate lntII Monday
Afternoon -IIills Introduced, Passed
aud Killed.
MONTPELIER, VT, Nov. 18Th.

MONTPELIER VT, Nov. 18Th.
The Senate, when it adjourned this noon
adjourned until Monday afternoon at two
O'clock hut the House did the heaviest
days work of the session; and in particular,
Slaughtered bills without mercy The DC
bate upon The State tax bill was resume!
this forenoon, Mr.. Munson of Manchester,
started the debate by asking tic ways and
means committee why they had attempted
t. create IL ncw officer in the shape o. Il lax
commissioner, and why the State treasurer
couldn't do The work OF supervising tho
machinery Of the law and collecting the tax
just as well as a commissioner. Col. Hook
er replied that the law would he essentially
an experiment the first two years, and would
need the supervision Of a IcrsOn who WAS
thoroughly familiar with its purposes and
provisions and who could give, il necessary,
his whole time TO the work. The cost would
be no greater than if tic State treasurer
should tic required TO do the work, since the
| additional clerical force he would have to
hire, would cost thousand dollars. Mr..
French of Cndcrlill, offered an amend
mcnt that the State treasurer should he cont
missioner of taxes at salary Of seven hun
bred dollars Il year in addition to his present
salary and with power to appoint deputy
commissioner. Messrs. Plumey and Bridg-
man opposed this, Mr.. Pumlcy making the
good point that the receiver of the taxes
should not be the collector whereupon Mr..
Childs offered an amendment to the amend
ment that the secretary Of State should be
| the tax collector. M,s-rs. Roberts, Thompson
and Noble opposed both measures, and
Judge Thompson warned the Legislature
that certain opponents of the bill--indecl
they seemed 10 be its only opponents hay
ing no good points 10 make against it would
try to cripple it by all such frivolous de-
vices as these. Mr.. Chlds withdrew his
amendment; and Mr.. Frenchs amendment
was voted down, receiving only two or
three votes. Judge Thompson then took
the floor and replied to the allegation made
by Slr. Childs, yesterday afternoon that the
bill was unconstitutional. lie said that
Pennsylvania taxed railroads in Just the
way it was proposed to in this hil-in gross
earnings-and the Supreme Court Of the
| United States, in the 18th Walace's Reports,
had decided that tina, was constitutional and
| valid. So in Texas tax had been
laid upon telegraph companies similar
| to this, and the courts had held that
| it was legal, lie then referred to
the insnuatlons which have been made in the
hotels and in the streets that there was
'cat in the meal, " that the bill il it became
law would inurc TO somebody's advantage
| that something mysterious would happen. He
said that something would happen if this bill
should become law, although it would not
be mysterious. A vast amount of property
which hitherto had avoided all the burdens Of
taxation, would be compelled to contribute
their just share toward the support Of the
State government. In taxing these corpora
lions we only put ourselves side by side with
the other States of the Union, whose citizens
had long expressed surprise at our no, follow
ing their lead. He hoped it would be order
ed to third reading by Il nearly unanimous
vote. Judge Thompsons speech was more
than Mr.. Childs could bear Since the con-
clusion of what he called his preliminary re-
marks yesterday afternoon, he had been en-
rtaled, and urged, and cooked and COM
mandcd hattered and abused by his fellow
insurance men, not to say any more. They
| apr. catcd that his style OF argument was
throwing away what little chance they may
have had to escape taxation, and they had
been persistent in getting Mr.. Chllds to
| promise to hold his tongue as ever they had
uecn to get one OF their fellow cilzrns to
make an application tor policy. What Mr..
Chlds had promised !, OF course, don't know.
But know that at least one prominent in
surance man WAS filed with very gloomy
foreboings, when he saw him get up to re-
! L
that these iorebOdngs were fully realized
Mr.. Chllds had not forgotten his papers this
time and he poured out statistics MS if he
was reading from an insurance commission
er's report. Indeed he did take advantage
Of the occasion TO lald the two companies
which he claimed to represent, and | trust,
that the puff will not be without ITS reward
Take all the circumstances into considera.
tion, such a eulogy as he pronounced on his
agency ought to be rewarded with at least
two five thousand dollar applications. lie
spoke about half an hour and threatened
among other things that the companies would
move ont Of the State if the law was passed.
MIR. Noble made a short speech in which he
approved of the general features of the bill /;
but expressed fear that ii might lay too
great n load ON the corporations. On motion
Of Col. Hooker the bill was further amended
So as to allow the insurance companies to pay
their taxes annually instead of scmi-annually
and TO allow the value of the real estate own
ed by life insurance companies to he deduct
ed from the surplus reserve. The third read
ing of the bill was then ordered for neat
Tuesday morning at eleven O'Clock by II
unanimous vote.
The slaughtered Innocents.
The rest of the day in the House was bust
l l.