Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-10-31

Montpelier, and by far the most interest
ing of the session. The "ball was started
by the Rev l.. ID. MearS of Dandy, who
offered i'm the House, soon after its assem-
bly,. in the forenoon, u joint resolution of the
most ferociors description. No abstract
or statement can do it justice, so we pub
lish it in full:
"Whcrcns, It is well known that the States
of the South. by unjust ballot box laws, Cop
iah massacrcs, nanvillc riots midnight terror
iZinV and daylight murder and violence, have
succeeded i'm unawfully dcpriVing large num-
bers of the citizens of the United states, resi-
dent therein, both white and colorcd, of the
free unObStrIICtCd exercise of the right OF sur
fragc. either directly by preventing them
from voting, or indirectly 10y preventing their
Whereas. Application is now made to this
State to grant an appropriation of money in
furthcrancc Of so-cHllcd cotton Exposition
to he held in the city of New Orleans;
Therefore, II is hereby resolved 10y the Sen
ate and House of Representatives in LcwiSla-
turcasScmhlcd, that we. acting for and in the
grant such appropriations all other Hppro-
priatiOnS for like objects, and refuse in any
way to aid or Gountcnnncc the States of the
South So Offending. until such time rs they
shall change their most unjust and wicked
course, and give toall American citizens with
in their borders. without distinction of race.
color or POLITICAL preference. their fun. free
and unhindcrcd rights under the constitution
and laws of the United StatcS.'
Mr.. Mcars, who is dminutiVe and cX-
ceedingly mild hammered gentleman, then
read speech, in which he waved the
bloody shirt in the most cory manner
and called the southern Democracy many
opprobrous names. He seemed to have
two points to his argument: list, that
Vermont should not contribute any
money to the exposition, because the
SOutherners are so naughty. 2d, that we
should not because we would help the de
velopment of her cotton manufactures,
and thus close forever the cotton mills of
the North. As soon rs he sat down. Mr..
Parker of Cambridge, arose, and made Il
handsome speech, which was loudly APP
plauded He said that the war closed
nineteen years ago and he desired to have
nothing done to renew its bitter meas
ures. He opposed the resolution with all
his might. Col. Franklin of Newfane,
followed in the same strain. He said he
did not believe that the resolution in the
speech represented the sentiments of the
people of Vermont. This remark was
loudly applauded. Mr.. Dillingham; adj
ministered the finishing touch by moving
that it be dismissed, which was done with
only one dissenting vote, that of Mr.
MearS himself.
Debate on Supreme Court
The Senate was occupied all day, nearly.
in the discussion of the bill relating to the
number of supreme court judges and their
salary. Senator Greencs bill making the
salary $500, and making it unlawful for Il
judge or any member of his family to ride
on Il free ticket or pass, and making any
railroad corporation liable to Il fine for of
fering such Il ticket or pass, was finally
amended by making the salary $1,000. and
striking out all that part of the bill rclat-
ing to railroad passes. Then upon the
third reading and passage of the bill Oc-
CURED Il fierce debate Senator Greene
had nothing to say for the bill as amended
except that it reminded him of IA surgical
operation where Il man had had both legs
amputated close to his body if he lived he
was useless and helpless. Senator Howe
wanted the reasons for raising the
judges salaries He said he knew of no
one who had resigned on account of the
smallneSs of the salary except Judge
PrOut.and showed that the average time of
service had steadily increased that we
should not compare officers of corporations
and their salaries with the judges of our
State, because those officers who get large
salaries own balance of the stock and
vote II to themselves or their relatives
that teachers, who have to undergo IA long
training, are of as good ability as men we
make judges of, get less that $1,000 IA year
that there seemed to he something in the
atmosphere of Montpelier which led every,
body to want something out of the State
treasury, and the moment nobody was
ed salaries raised Senators Chaplin, John
son and Thompson opposed the passage
of the bill. Judge Thompson thought that
lawyers fees and Judges salaries in other
States had nothing TODD with the question
we should allow our judges enough to live
comfortably, yet frugally and in Republi.
can simplicity, and not enough to permit
extravaganza or the accumulation OF
riches; that ours was a State of small
things, and $500 was not large but wa,
better than the average income of our mid
die classes.
Senator Idle said he wanted to see the
State do what was fair ana right that We
had men on the bench now who would
look as large to men thirty years from now
as the judges of thirty years ago do to us
and he wanted them paid enough so they
will stay where they are, enough to sup
port their station in society to live in com
Portable houses, to educate their children
that Vermont pays now smaller salaries
than her sister States of New England. He
said that one of our most eminent Judge,
died poor, too poor to erect Il monument
out of his estate, that he did not want
such men as Chief Justice PierpOnt t.
exc out an existence, and die in poverty
on salary that is IA mere pittance com
pared with what he could earn in his pro
fession off the bench, that it took time anC
study to train an advocates mind, accus
toned to look at things from one stand
point, into that careful, judicial habit, 81
essential in opening up knotty questions
of law, and he wanted the salaries made
large enough so man could in justice t.
himself and family remain upon on
bench. The bill was refused third read
ing, and in the afternoon Senator Paul's
bill was taken up.
This bill reduces the number Of judges
to six. and was reported favorably by tn,
committee, though three Of the four law
yers opposed it, Senators Thompson, Id,
and Hebard not agreeing with their broth
or Paul that the Supreme court had tot
little to do. Senator Paul said that ther,
had been great decrease in county cour
business that Judge Redfeld had beer
absent year in Europe and his associate
had performed his work during that tim,
in addition to their own and as Judg,
Redheld had announced his intention o
retiring permanently from the bench h
thought now was Il good time to cut dowI
the number. Senator Howe opposed tn,
bill and he also gave some statistics show
ing the decrease in court business.
Senator Idle for the minority of the com
mittee spoke against the passage of thu