Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-11-14
THE LEGTSLATttRE.

Both houses have taken hold Of business in
earnest this week, and from this time on the
legislation Of the session will take rapid shape.
On both Monday aud Tuesday there was a
food Of new bills. Among those introduced
on Monday was one by DR.. Oonland OF Brat
tleboro, doing away with the provision Of our
present law which allows voters TO vote for /
President in whatever town they happen to .
be. Every freeman must vote for state off. /
GERS, presidential electors and representative .
to Congress ia the town in which be resides /
and he cannot vote there or anywhere else |
unless he has resided there for three months .
at least before election. It removes the dis |
reimbursement OF persons who served in the |
confederate army.
DE-. Conland also introduced bill to punish |
attempts to defraud livery stable Keepers 20
that II a man lies to the stable-keeper, before |
he goes or after he gets back, about the length .
Of his trip, he incurs a penalty Of $40.
Mr.. Walker Of Ludlow introduced q bill .
limiting the term OF imprisonment for non
payment Of fine imposed 10y justice to three
years. and the supreme and county courts
may thorten the time Of imprisonment for
the n-payment Of fine imposed by either.
Two bills were introduced in relation to check
lists-one making their use compulsory at all
town and freemen's meetings and at all spec
iHl elections, the other providing that in towns
Of over 1000 inhabitants the checklist shall
show the school district and street residence.
bill was introduced providing that in towns
Of 1000 inhabitants the selectmen, upon ap.
plication of twenty voters, may divide the
town aud checklists into election precincts,
and doing away with the law requiring the
votes for state and county officers TO be count
ed in the town hall during freemen's meeting
Mr.. Perkins Of Windsor introduced bill
providing that certificates granted 10y the
chairman of a board of directors, or by a
town superintendent, to teachers in graded
and union schools in any town, shall be good
as long as the teacher remains in the service
OF the school. Any certificate may be renew
ed without an examination if the teacher has
taught 4S weeks in the town in the two years
next preceding the renewal
In the senate on Tuesday Senator Holton
introduced bill to legalize the school district
officers and the school taxes in the town OF
Nottingham for the school year 1874. Mr..
Allen of Nottingham introduced a similar
bill in the House.
A bill appropriatiug $50, 600 for the cree
ton of building for the state library was
discussed in the senate morning and after
noon, Tuesday, aud was finally passed % to
3.
Mr.. Frankliu's House bill prohibiting the
adulteration Of maple sugar passed the senate
knowingly sells an adulterated article S25 TO
$50.
Mr.. Butterheld's bill to change the time for
holding the term Of the supreme court for
Wiudham county also passed the senate.
Senator Holton introduced a bill making an
officer of q savings bank or trust company IL
able to penalty Of not less than $4,000 nor
more than 500, 600 fine, aud imprisonment
for not less than FIVE nor more than 20 years,
t.
law.
Mr. Reed Of Vernon introduced bill in
the House compelling selectmen upon eppl-
cation to remove at owners expense any wood,
lumber or other obstruction in highways not
having a clear passagewsy 80 feet wide.
On Wednesday morning the bill to ucorpo-
rate the Fayetteville park association was re-
ported favorably by the committee on corpC-
rations read third time, and passed. The
senate bill changing the time for holding the
supreme court in the county Of Windham was
also passed. The senate bill authorizing the
compiling, printing and distribution Of laws
relating TO elections qualification OF voters,
and the naturalization Of foreign born citizens,
also passed the House in concurrence.
Another six Judges" bill KILLED.
In the House on Wednesday morning Mr..
Dillingham; OF Waterbury, in behalf Of a ma
jority of the judiciary committee, reported
IN favor OF the bill in relation to judges of
the supreme court, introduced by Mr.. Barrett
/ of Rutland, which provides that the supreme
court shall consist of one chief judge aud five
assistant judges and that the annual salary Of
each shall be 5000 The bill was debated
until the hour Of adjournment, and its diE-
| custom was resumed at the opening Of the
afternoon session. Col. Franklin Of Newfane
advocated the BILL aud called for the yeas and
fIa ION Of lion Th.vr
were taken, and the bill was dismissed lbs to
50. OF the Windham county members, Ad-
ans of Marlboro Allen Of Nottingham, E-try
OF Dummerston, Kidder of Wardsboro X iugs-
ley of AthsnP, Lazelle OF Dover, Perry of
Brookline, Rice Of Somerset, and Sherwin of
Jamaica voted for dismissal Arnold of West
minister Butterheld Of Wilmington, Clark of
Halifax, Conland OF Brattleboro, Cuiworth
of Londonderry, Franklin OF Newfane, Kath-
an Of Putney, Reed of Vernon, Shepard Of
Stratton, Thompson of Grafton, and Ward Of
Guilford voted against dismissal; absent or
not voting, Hastings Of Wndham. Robertson
Of Rockingham aud Rutter Of Townsheud.
The senate having already killed similar
bill, this number OF judges and their pay will
remain the same as heretofore.
Senator IIOItOn's "shOrI Haul" Hill.
In addition to his bill for the establishment
Of a state railroad commission Senator Holtou
has introduced "short haul billSfoT bidding,
under penalty Of a fine of $500, any railroad
company to charge more for hauling certain
quantity or weight of freight any given short
distance than is charged for hauling the same
amount Of freight of the same class a longer
distance. This bill makes no attempt to die.
tate what freight charges shall be, or TO es-
tsblish a mileage basis, but simply sets up a
barrier against the injustice of charging more
for hauling short than a longer distance,
and is to this txlent protection to our Yer.
mont manufactu; ers and merchants. A hear
ing on this bill was held before the railroad
committee Monday evening" when Senator
Holton made a strong and able plea in behalf
of the measure Mr. Hale of Arlington,
chair manufacturer, appeared and told how
he had suffered at the hands of the Rutland
Il Bennington railroad on account of theii
unjust and discriminating charges.
On the same evening Dea. c. +. Thompson
of Brattleboro and Rev. @. S. Smith appeared
before the committee in behalf of bill t
prevent the running Of needless Sunday
trains, as for excursions, newspapers and tn,
like.
Various Matters,
Senator Holton's bill prohibiting telegraph
or telephone companies from cutting or mutt
lAting trees has passed the senate.
I Mr.. Pilling of Bennington has introduced
bill in the House requiring railing not les
than IS inches high around bear traps and tn
placing of sign, Bear trap" within - fee
of the trap. We are not told whether tn
bill is for the protection of bears or Of humal
kind, but the introduction Of the bill is sal,
to have caused IAN audible smile" in tn
House.
, The grasshopper bounty bill has been ruth
lessly killed.
A bill appropriating $4,000 for replacing In
present wood staircases in the state prisOl
with iron ones, and for other prison improve
( nents, has passed both houses. This bill i
Familiarity known as 1.-The bill to exterminat
t bedbugs, the complaint of the prison official
/ being that the wood starcases harbor thes
| vermin.
DR.. Commands bill putting prohibitory tar
i'll on peddlers was killed in the House las
Saturday
r The bill limiting the amount for which
! town may bond itself in aid of railroad t
r five times the amount Of its grand list caused
, a lively debate in the senate Monday after
noon. The committee reported the bill 70
r vorably, but proposed to amend by making
the amount two times the grand list. Tn
! amendment was adopted, and the bill vii
probably pass the senate.