St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-10-21
FROM MONTPELIER.

Some of the Important Bills Presented
The state Legislature settled down to
business last week-the business of re-
ceiving a perfect avalanche of bills.
Many of the measures introduced adj
vocate the most radical changes in eX
listing laws, some of them coming un-
der the head of novelties. Temper
ance, railroad commissions, the: labor
problem and the paupers all come in
for share of attention and if 1.-THE
of the bills presented are passed the
result will be little less than revolu-
tiOnary, so far as the laws are concern
ed. But nobody expects this. Instead
of laying out small amount of work
and doing it well there seems likely to
be such glut of business that it will
really be wonder if any genuine good
comes out of it all. But it is hardly
fair to complain at this stage of opera
tons. Many of the bills are admirable
and we hope to see them passed.
Among the labor bills Mr.. Hogan's,
the workingmen's representative from
Rutland, is the most noteworthy. The
bill is for the establishment of state
board of arbitration consisting of three
members to decide upon any difference
between employers and employees when
the question at issue is not of the COL
lection of debts or of the title to prop
erty. Mr.. Hogan also presents bill
compelling corporations to make week
ly payments of wages.
The temperance legislation proposed
is of a decidedly heroic nature. One
bill before the senate provides that the
wife or child of any person imprisoned
by reason of any act committed while
intoxicated may recover from the per-
son who sold him the liquor So a day
for the time such imprisonment con-
tinues. A second bill imposes a fine
for being found intoxicated of So and
costs for the first Offense, $40 and costs
for the second Offense and $40 and
costs and 30 days Imprisonment for
the third Offense. Another bill on the
same subject provides that place
may be declared nuisance" on proof
Intoxicating liquor for sale or evil
dence of five acts of selling or the hav-
ing United States license to sell, and
the keeper of such nuisance shall be
find 500 and be imprisoned six
months and have his place of business
closed by law. 1t also provides that
if the proper officers refuse to prose-
cute the keeper of such a place any
person in the county may do so. The
prosecuting officer gets his fees only
if conviction is obtained and then
One-half the fine collected besides.
Another bill makes the first offence for
selling punishable by fine of $40 and
one months imprisonment.
Anumber OfrailrOad commission bills
have been presented. Gen. Ripley's
of MendOn seems to command the
most attention. The bill is long, con-
tanning the parts of the laws of Massa-
chusetts and New York on the same
subject which its author thought ap-
plicable to the state. 1t provides that
tue recommendations of the commits
sioners created by it shall be enforced
by mandamus of the supreme court
and gives the appointment of the COM
missioners to the governor and the
senate.
A barbed wire fence bill, presented
in the house by Mr.. Peck of Brook
field, provides that all barbed wire
fences along the sides of highways
shall consist of at least four strands of
wire, with top rail of pole or boards.