Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-11-12
THE LEGISLATURE.
In ihe Mas Of mnrd Won at Ln.l.

NAAAAN AA1AAA i 4 y AAAag
In the Midst Of Hard Work nj Last.
The Onr Importnut QucstiOn---Are We
"a Have - RniIrond Commission, and
~ -, what Kindt
rnr DIFFERENT INFLUENCES winch Am
At woRR-THE ADJOURNMENT QUESTION
JUDGE POLAND woMAN's SUFFRAGE
BILL KILLED IN THE SENATE SUMMARY
oF TnE WEEKS WORK.
MONTPELIER, Nov II, 1876.
Five weeks have been spent 10y the Legislature IN
introducing bills, aud already there are four hun.
dred and seventy six before the house aud 1876 be.
fore the senate Among this large number ARE
some of the most important measures Vermont
Legislature ever had to deal with, and though
scarcely one important subject has as yet been
acted upon. the Legislature Is already looking
toward an early adjournment. There is one Int
Of legislation which the present legislature could
silently enact which would be- Of the greatest ben
eft to the state. There seems to be- an unwritten
law that Vermont legislatures should adjourn he
fore Thanksgiving Day. It is true at least, that
all recent legislatures have 80 regarded It, and
rule more injurious To the interests Of Nermunters
could not he imagined There is not a bill before
the present legislature which ought not to be
carefully considered before Il is rejected or ac-
cepted. but that II will be possible IN two weeks
time to act intelligently on half the measures that
are still 10 come up is evidently an absurdity.
one week Of careful discussion is none too much
for such a measure as that Of a railroad commits
sion Such subject ought to be- debated fully
and considered without any feeling that the
enemies uf the measure may he able 10 protract
the discussion and defeat it 10y an early adjourn
4. of
and vote Eyes" ON "A measure which they have
not had time even to read through. Time spent
now In careful legislation ON the important sub
jects left means twice the time and expense saved
to the state In coming years In amending and re
pealing hasty legislation Of this year. II the
present Legislature insist upon adjourning before
the end Of the month. 1t necessarily follows that
less time and thought are to be given 10y the mem
bers to the consideration Of the railroad bills, the
highway bills and other important measures than
they have already given 60 the subjects NJ fox
buuntics. or the tax ON watches Senator Swain
has evidently considered these facts and is deter
mined that the matter of final adjournment shall
have a careful consideration this year. lie has
introduced IA resolution. which was adopted yes
terday by the senate, providing for a special com
mittea Of two senators and three representatives
10 whom all resolutions relating 10 final adjourn
ment shall be referred. aud who shall ascertain and
report the earliest day practicable for final ad-
iourumeut
Yesterday was the last day for the Introduction
Of bills, and over 100 were introduced in both
houses Most Of them were upon minor subjects
and many Of them were only duplicates Of thos,,
already introduced The subject Of railroad leg
slation is being thoroughly considered 10y the
railroad committees Of the two houses Chairmen
Stoddard and Marsh arr devoting almost their
entire time in the management Of the question Of
/ a railroad commission, aud few persons seem 90
| have any fear that the matter will not be well
/ handled by them. Two important hearings ON the
subject have been held since my last letter. re
/ port Of which is given elsewhere. The hearing
on Tuesday night was the last public one on the
commission issue. and the committee an. now to
] consider the various bills in their hands and IT,.
port one which they can recommend a. giving the
most desirable commission for the state There
gar. now six commission bills before the Legislature
/ three coming from the senate and three from the
house The last one introduced by S,'uat, I
Chaplin on Monday, which in It's general purport
is not unlike that Of Mr. Higbee and an abstract
will therefore. h. unnecessary.
On the subject Of railroad commission Their,
seems to be- division Of feeling and three differ
/ ent classes of opinions arr. held The first T. that
there is no need for any commission and that
there should he none adopted: the second is that
there Is great need of one and that stringent and
exactng law ought at once Ia b- seized upon O.,
regulate many crying abuses; the third is that d
/ commission is demanded by the people and that
one ought 90 lp created in answer a. th,--,. de-
Ilands Of the people. hut that la a change OF poi
icy Ia railroad matters the state ought NOT to iumI
at extremes and place upon the statute hnoks d
law which is restrictive in H. provisions that If
/ cannot h. enforced Immediately Il is evident
that the railroads desr 10 ls- let alone, and th,
first class is represented 10y the railroad men. O,
can easily h. gathered from the hearings r.pprted
in another column They fear any commission IN
the first instance, but they fear more the rnact
ment Of IA stringent and uncumprumisng law
towards the railroads Mr. Highs, and Senator
Chaplin with their bills full Of penalty CLAUSE, and
creative Of crimes on the part Of railroads r,,T,.
sent the radical and uncompromising commission
men. These men know little about rgiir1ad mat
| tiers themselves and evidently think that tn,
railroads and their officers ar. AT war with the
public and that the only way To- compel them t,
acc,-lr To- the demands of the people is a. shur
them up in prison if they refuse. This class OF
men doing more to defeat the plans of tn,
people for commission than the railroad intf
themselves Their proposals for rough railrua,
legislation easily answered by the railroad
men in manner that is carrying conviction I,
the members Of the Legislature, and the niistak,
is apt to be made that the same arguments Whicf
ART being ~ effectualy urged against the Hisbt,
bill apply to all the others Mr. Higbee has beer
before the committee constantly. and Is not max
ing friends for his measure or for Il commission
law. His chief concern seems 10 In, that when th,
committees decide upon form Of commission
his hill will not h. made the basis for the ON,
adopted.
Fortunately for the people Of the state Mr.
Hgbee and his friends seem 10 h. in very small
minority. Most Of thusr whom have talked viii
upon the subject are in favor OF enacting law
which shall act IA regulator 1T railroad affair
rather than as means Of punishment for wrong
which may have been committed. The genera
feeling is in favor Of railroad commission, bu
one that will enable the people and the roads t.
work more in harmony, rather than one which
will place them opposed to each other in the con
tinual position of prosecutor and respondent
That a commission law will h, enacted still seem
certain, and from all can gather, the cummtte-
will decide to recommend purely advisory com
mission like that Of Massachusetts. with littl
Modification unless, perhaps, some mury effective
means Of enforcement Of the commissioners rec
concentrations be given than In the Massachusett
law. In other words, it looks a. though the com
mittee would choose between law like that lai,
down in the Wall bill and that of the Ripley bill
Col. Walker is the champion Of the latter, and il
his appearance before the committee has serve,
To check the impressions Of evil which the rarua,
men have tried to create concerning the provision
of what he thinks would be- fair law for both TN
people and the roads The subject has been wei
considered 10y the committee. hut whether II vii
be fairly considered by the members themselves
and whether the bill which shall be- reported is 4
be- acted upon intelligently by the Legislature de
ponds entirely upon their action in regard 10 al
adjournment. II the present legislature insis
upon rushing through the business yet b.fur
them in order 10 avoid returning after Thanks
giving, ii is certain that the people Of the stat
will not get the commission they want even
they get any at all.
The prolonged investigation by the special com
mittee Of the question of the division Of the tow
of Rutland has come 10 end. The cuIumitts.
of the two houses have unanimously decided &
report IN favor of the Incorporation of tw
towns, Proctor and West Rutland, 10 be- set Of
from what is now the town of Rutland The IT
ports have not yet been made public but will Ia
given to the Legislature. tomorrow The Rutlan
people will carry the fight into the Legislature an
one of the most exciting contests will pruhabl
take place when the bills come up that have b.t.
known for years. The Proctor bill is 10 b- take
up for third reading tomorrow afternoon an
the West Rutland bill will come up Saturday.
John W Currier Of Troy has evidenced the u,
sition Of his party and of himself ON the whiske
question by presenting a bill for license law II
bill Is the most stringent of the kind YET offered
Vermont Legislature. The probable action q
the two houses ON his measure can he gather.
from the fact that they have already passed law
strengthening the present liquor laws which hay
been signed by the governor. Mr. Laird Of Marsl