The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-09-22
The Coming Legislative Session.
rForbes in Boston journal. ]

CForbes in Boston Journal
The session of the legislature which opens
October promises to be one of the most in
teresting and important held in Vermont
since the close OF the war for the Union.
The contest for the speakership of the house
seems to lie between Major Josiah Grout of
Derby and Judge Ied S. Stanton of Rox-
bury. Both have had considerable lepisla-
tive experience, and either would make an
excellent presiding officer. Clerk Stickney
doubtless will be reelected. Mr. T. G.
Phinney, the genial and efficient sergeant
alarms, Will be unanimously reelected to
the position which he has filed so accept
ably. for so many years. The senate will
consist OF twenty-nine republicans and one
democrat. The division by OCCUPATIONS is
as follows; Thirteen farmers, six manu-
facturers, five lawyers, two editors, one
merchant, one bank president, one capital-
1St ana one teacher. Twenty-seven sena-
tors have been members of the house, and
one-Willam Chaplin of Middlesex-was
in the senate of 1884. The president of
the senate, Acknowledgements Levi X.
Fuller, was one of the senators from Wind
ham county in 1880. The house will consist
of two hundred thirty-eight members, di-
vided politically as follows Republicans,
two hundred eight; democrats, twenty-nine
labor reformer, one. Sheffield and Gran
vile failed to elect representatives. The
following nine members of the house of
1884 were reelected this year W. A. Raw
son of Montgomery, II. l.. Reynolds of AL
burgh, Josiah Grout of Derby, j. II. Rowland
of Poultney, r.. G. Abel of West Haven,
w. b. Mayo of Mortified, Zed S. Stan
ton of RoXbury n. G.. Piper of Cavendish
and W. a. Foster of Weston. The republican
state and county conventions passed resolu-
tons favoring the establishment of railroad
commission i'll the state, and it is probable
that bill will be passed similar to the Massa-
chusetts law creating a board of railroad
commissioners. The short haul " bill is
likely to be again introduced into the legis-
lature The farmers of the state are vitality
interested in the passage of a bill reliev-
ing mortgaged real estate from taxation.
Various bills have been introduced at
previous sessions to relieve the owners of
mortgaged property from the burden of
taxation imposed upon them under the law,
but they failed of passage. 1t is probable
that the law passed by the last legislature
reducing the limit for trusteeiug wages from
SO to 50 will be repealed The law as it
now stands is oppressive to the workingman
and there is strong demand for restora-
ton of the trustee limit to $40. The fight
between the friends and the opponents of
the town system of schools will be renewed
in the next legislature. The question of the
establishment of the town system through
out the state by legislative enactment
entered largely into the election of repre-
sentatives in several towns. The discussion
of the comparative merits and dement's of
the district and town systems will probably
occupy the attention of the legislature for
several days Application is to be made at
the coming session for an extension of the
charter for a railroad from Hardwicll to
Marshtield, to connect the Vermont division
of the Boston & Lowell with the Montpelier
q Wells River railroad. The proposed
road will shorten the distance from stations
west of Hardwick to Boston many miles,
and the object of the promoters of the pro-
ject is TO divert through business from Port
land to Boston. The proposed new road has
been surveyed and nrOuOlnppI feasible.
The Boston Lowell corporation is behind
the project. There promises to be another
lively contest in the Legislature over the
question of the removal of a county shire.
This time it is Orange county, which is
stirred up over the relocation of its county
seat, which is now at Chelsea, in the center
of the county and thirteen miles from the
nearest railroad station. The voters favor
ing removal seek to establish two half
shires, one at Bradford and the other at
West Randolph. The towns in the interior
will. of course, oppose the removal of the
shire, but it is probable the friends of dual
shire will carry the day. The most interest
ing event of the session will occur on Tues
day, October 49, when the republicans in
both the senate and house will meet to
name Hon. George f. Edmunds to be his
own successor in the United States senate
for a fourth term of six years. Both
branches will convene in joint session on
Wednesday to consummate the election.
The democrats will probably compliment
Hon. K. j. Phelps or Hon. w. H. II. Bing-
ham with their vote for United States
senator.