St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-11-13
AT THE STATE CAPITAL.
The Mortality i'll Legislative Bills
Increasing.

From our Regular Correspondent
The vital statistics of bills in both
houses shows high rate of mortal
ity for the past week. 1t is not
alarming for the welfare of the
state, as it is often said the greatest
and most important part of leg1sla-
ton consists in killing bills. Al
though the week has witnessed the
disposal of a large number, yet
about half of the whole number in
PRODUCED are still to be heard from.
A resolution to adjourn both houses
the 10Th inst was introduced in the
Senate by Senator Lincoln last week
and lies on the table. If the Legis-
lature gets through by Thanksgiv-
ing it will do well. 1t is simply a
physical impossibility to accomplish
the vast amount of work before
them. Several of the most i1npor-
tant measures are yet to be cOnsid
cred, many of which will require con-
siderable time for discussion and
delibcratiOn.
Lively Debates.
House bill 1874 giving taxable
females the right of municipal suf-
frage was perhaps the most inter
esting feature of yesterdays proceed
ings The bill was reported favor
ably by the Judiciary committee to
whom it was referred. 1t was de-
bated at some length by Messrs.
Mann, Thompson, Enright, Smith,
Darling and Brown who favored,
and by Messrs Moloney, Buffum,
Templeton opposed. The argu
mcnts by the affirmative were to the
effect that the subject was q ques-
ton of taxation without representa-
ton, that i'll Kansas and Wyoming
where female suffrage has been tried
it has proven to be uniformly sue
cessful, and that it was a question
of progress. The negative side
claimed that as the petitions were
signed by only about 1900 women,
it did not represent q very large pro-
portion of the female popula ton of
the state, and that it favored letting
things remain as they now are. The
third reading was refused by a vote
of 9S yeas to 113 nays.
House bill $50 which practically
repeats the existing law relating to
the care and maintenance of high
ways was also discussed at some
length Yesterday. Those who OPP
posed the bill argued that as the
road machine had come in as an
important factor in repairing high
ways and as the expenses Of pur
chasing and running these are quite
heavy so that towns can much more
conveniently care for the roads than
the districts, therefore the towns
should have the supervision of the
roads Those in favor objected to
the innovation made when the pres
ent law was passed as taking away
their rights to personally care for
their own roads. To the statement
that the roads were now better than
formerly they declared that the re-
verse was true.
Senate bill %, introduced by Sen
atOr Nichols, making the appoint
ment of Overscer of the poor by the
board of civil authority apply to
towns of FIVE thousand or more, Gre
ated much discussion. 1t was finally
passed with a proposal of amend
ment whereby the election of over
seer may be left with the people
The towns affected by it are St.
Adams, st. Johnsbury, Bennington
and BrattlebOro.
The debates on House bill IA for
the relief of INDECENT soldiers and
sailors aroused much interest by
their appeals to patriotism and
philanthropy. Others contended
that enough had already been done
for the soldier and the line must be
drawn somewhere. The matter is
not vet disposed of but is not likely
to pass.
A bill appropriating $1,000 for the
completion of a monument to the
memory of Gen. Stannard passed the
Senate yesterday.
The Committees School Bill.
The educational committee closed
their hearings on the school question
some time since and have been draft
ing a bill which will soon be pre-
scented to the House. The outline of
the bill is made known and no true
friend of education need feel any
apprehension as to the best in the
schools The town system IN some
form is to be introduced. County
supervision is to be radically modi-
fed A personis to be chosen in each
county whose sole duties are to be
to have charge of teachers examina-
tions and conduct teachers insti-
tutes. Such persons are to receive a
per diem for actual time spent in
such services. Thegreat hue and cry
against the present school law has
had as its object the county super
visor. The Objectionable features of
this office are removed and all that