Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-10-15
THE LEGISLATURE.
rs WORK BEGUN IN EARNEST.
Several RIIIs OF Leading Importance
Already Introduced.

bluN BILL VALUED ibiiNA ANNANANNA ]
B1LL-A LABOR ADMIRATION BILL by THE |
MEMBER FROM RUTLAND AND THE CHANGES !
PROPOSED IN VARIOUS IMPORTANT LAWS
from our Montpelier correspondent
MONTPELIER, Oct. t.
The second week OF the session of the
state legislature opened with a rush of bills
in both houses. Speaker Grout announced
morning, and on that day the two houses Of
the legislature settled down to business.
The choice made by Speaker Circuit for the
important positions on the house committees
seems to have given general satisfaction.
Windham county is not very strongly repre-
scented in the allotment Of prominent places
on the various committees Mr. Ober Of
Athens is chairman or the distributing COM
mittte, which unimportant craftsmanship is
the only one given to that county. MIR.
Brooks OF Brattleboro and Mr.. Adams of
Marlboro are on the committee of ways and
meanp. Mr.. Butterfeld of Grafton is on the
committee on railroads. Mr.. Alexander of
Rockingham is on the committees on claims
and on banks. Mr.. Sparks Of Newfane is on
the committee on highways. Mr.. Newton Of
Dummerston is on the committee on agrioul-
ture Mr.. Snow of Dover, on land taxes
Mr.. Shumway OF Jamaica, on grand list
Mr.. Mann OF Wilmington, on general com
mittee Mr.. Taylor of Guilford, or state
prison Mr.. Dexter of WArdsboro, on cor
poraiions Mr.. Stafford OF Nottingham, on
the insane. Mr.. Brooks of Brattleboro occu-
pies the first position on the joint committee
on the library on the part of the House.
At the time of the adjournment yesterday
afternoon 80 bills had been introduced into
the House and % into the Senate, the larger
part of which number were presented the
last two days. In this large number Of bills
there are few measures Of importance which
have not been touched upon, and from some
of these will arise at a later period in the SEES
sion many interesting debates.
On Friday Senator Baker of Rutland in.
troduced bill which contempates radical
change in the time and places of holding the
different courts in this state. The general
! term of the supreme court is done away with
and the stated terms of the supreme court
are fixed to be held at Montpelier on the
third Tuesdays of January, April and October
in each year, at which all the judges of the
supreme court are to sit. The clerk OF the
Washington county court is appointed the
clerk of the supreme court. The time fixed
for the sessions of the county courts is on the
second Tuesdays Of March and September
for the courts of Ohittenden, Essex, Frank
lin, Ocleaus, Rutland, Washington and Wind
ham counties and on the first Tuesdays of
June aud December for the courts Of Add.
son, BENIN gton Caledonia, Grand Isle, IL
noble, Orange and Windsor countiee. The
same day Senator 5 vain offered bill to
amend chap. 139 of the revised laws so that
~.
persons shall be made not more than 10 days
previous to admission to the state asylum
The universal demand which has been made
for change in the state laws relating tC
trustee process has already been met by the
introduction of four bills relating to the sub
ect one each by MIR. Knapp Of Middle
bury, and Mr. Marsh of Woodstock changing
the limit of exemptions from attachment unde
trustee process from So to SO; third 10y
Mr.. Marsh raising the limit to $40; aud
fourth by Mr.. Mansur of Brighton providing
that such exemptions be limited by on
months wages in the case of men, and b,
two months wages in tue case Of women.
The gu, stion Of highways las, perhaps
been the subject of more bills iltrodu ceC
than any other. Several bills on the subjec
propose to raise the tax assessed for the build
ing and repairing OF highways from 10 to =
cents. The bill Introduced by Mr.. Blxby o
Chelsea contemp plates the most radical chang
en-. 1t provides that the sole supervision o
making and repairing shall be with the select
men, that tax Of IL cents he collected il
cash or worked out at 10 cents an hour for
good hand, which tax may be voted i'll add
/, ton TO the state tax for highway purpos,
: Two bills which ought to bt come law, an
! which will undoubtedly be received with IA
, vor by the present legislature, have been IL
troduced, one Of them by Mr.. Newton O
Dummerston, to rsee the age OF consent
in female from eleven years TO fourteen q
fifteen years. Mr.. Harvey OF Topsham IN
! troduced bill on Tuesday which threaten
to br ng about an insurance war in this stat
similar to that which has recently agtate
New Hampshire. Mr. H4rvey's bill provide
A that the amount of insurance on any buildir
in case of loss by fire or lightning shall b
: taken 10 be the amount OF the loss, provdI
' there be no criminal fault on the part Of til
insured. In any suit upon policy tn
amount expressed therein shall be the mea
5 ure of damages, and no other evidence o
e that question shall be admitttd Al to Ii
> value of the property insured. This bill
e what is known as the New Ham pshire "valu
e policy" bill, and will be stouty contested b
the foreign insurance companies. The fir
railroad commission bill OF the session, whc
will be followed by many others on the san
| bubJtCt, was luIOuuStu luNhuh9 ny MI. II
8 bee OF Charlotte This bill
Abolishes the office Of railroad commissioner al
creates railroad commission OF three members
i be chosen by the legislature in joint assembly one
( in two years vacancies in the board to be filed
appointment by the governor This bill pruyid
Il that person connected with the business OF al
n railroad corporation shall be eligible to the Office
commissioner. 1t gives to the commission power
examine the books and affairs Of any company pc
q operating railroad in this state; to compel Il
attendance of witnesses; to enter individually &C
lectiyely the and Offices Of railroad cumpan
. and TO be transported passes issued by the seer
tary of state; demand all Information which it
q desire concerning private contracts rates aud bus
:. ness Of railroads, aud publish them II the publ
good may require, which Information shall be fu
N nished by railroads to the commission under hea'
penalties for refusal or deceit The duties Of Il
70 commission to investigate the causes Of acciden
% and all charges of unjust discrimination in rates. Il
the latter offence being mlsdemeonor, with the pu
shment of fine not to exceed 5000 and suhJectiI
! the company to an action on the case for damages
examine the condition Of the roadbed and rolliI
It stock to hear complaints which shall be made by Il
=. seecmen, mayor and aldermen or 10 citizens Of al
town city to notice any failure of railroads to ma
proper connections in the state report these with
other failures of duty the part Of railroad compa
10 les to the biennial Legislature, The COMMISSIONS
a to be paid So for each day actually employed
their official duties besides actual expenses, and
l. day for a clerk while employed The total expep
N Of the commission. including printing, is limited
$1,000 to be paid by the state treasurer; aud the
paid lie to be apportioned by him among the diGt
a ent corporations according to the time and expen
~ required by the board for each and the assessment
made are collectible of the companies by law.
r Mr.. Higbees bill is evidently not so muC
a of the kind which the railroad men prefer
TO favor ss it is of the sort which the peop
% Of Vermont have been demanding 1t is su
d pected that the show of favor for railrol
II commission which the railroads have mac
It is only a sham by which to entrep the legi
II lature into the acceptance of a commissiC
>, 80 ineffective that the desired results won
" fail to be accomplished. The above bill co
templates an effective railroad commissiC
which is nearer like what the earnest adv
Gates of a commission desire than the mea
ures which the railroads will offer as an alte
native.
# The labor question has been touched upC
o by three bills, two providing for the week
i. payment of wages by corporations with Il
a penalty for a violation of fine of from
to $50. The bill of Mr.. Hogan of Rutlal
which was introduced yesterday, creating
% state board of arbitration promises to attra
3, much attention before the session is tnde
Z, Mr., Hogan's bill
4 Provides for the appointment by the governor Oh
board OF three, viz, one representative of emplOye
one from some labor organization, the third to be a
10 pointed on recommendation of first two If they ca
l. not agree, the governor to appoint third at his
4 insance board to hold office one year, to be swo
to faithful discharge of their duties rules of proct
II ure to be fixed by the board and appFOyed bV [