St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-10-23
HARD AT WORK
Present Status of Legislation at Mont
peIfer.-The Leading Measures.
[From our regular correspondent. !

From our regular correspondent
The Legislature has been getting
more into the solid work of the ses-
sion during the past week. Very few
bills have passed both houses and
those are of an unimportant charac-
ter The more marked air of bust
ness is due to the large number of
bills being considered by committees,
and the introduction of important
measures agitated in the state for
the last three months
The most sensational event thus
far occurred last Thursday. The
committee on elections brought in
their report which briefly stated the
grounds on which they decided the
contested East Haven case in favor
of H. o. Smith, the republican claim
ant. This report, presented the day
before, was taken from the table.
Mr.. Molonev of Rutland made a
severe attack upon the finding of the
committee, criticising the report as
meagre and lacking in the essential
points required. He made the
motion which was carried to recon-
NIT the matter to the committee
for further consideration. A ques-
ton was then carried to reconsider
| the vote taken and Mr. Darling took
| the floor in defense of his report
Then followed a running oisef:s-fon
which occupied the greater part of
the day, participated in by Messrs.
Thompson, Billiard, Mann, Marshall,
Abel, Eldredge and Boynton
great deal of eloquence was displayed
and considerable hard feeling shown.
A resolution declaring the seat
vacant was lost by strict party
vote of 46 to 40. The report of
the committee was then adopted
and Mr.. Smith then came forward
and took the oath of Office.
The committee on elections are
now considering the contested Barre
been submitted and arguments are
now being made. The contest will
be sharp one, very close, and will
be watched with much interest The
committee will endeavor to avoid
future criticism of their course by
presenting a more complete report in
this case
The School Question.
The subject which overshadows all
Others just now and is considered to
be the most important the Legisla-
ture will have to deal with this SEES
sion is the school question. Two
bills have been introduced looking to
a complete revision of the school law
one by Mr.. Enright of Windsor
and one by Mr. Darling of Chelsea.
Another has been presented to lower
the salaries of school officials. Mel
Their these three nor any of the minor
bills have yet been considered by
the cOmmitte on education. Their
time thus far has been fully taken up
in conducting public hearings, to
to which all members are invited, by
county delegations, to give their
experience with the present law rand
ANY other suggestions they may have
thereon. This has occupied nearly
every evening for the past two weeks. |
The successive meetings have been
marked by such increased attendance
that the committee rooms could not |
accommodate all wishing to attend |
and last night the hearing was held |
in representatives hall Each one in
turn is called upon 10 state his views,
and the sentiment is almost univer-
sal in opposition to the present law.
porterS have been found The obiec- |
lions raised principally concern the |
county supervision, increased taxes
and teachers examinations for GER
tifcates. 1t is quite likely if a vote
were taken in the house today the |
existing law would be repealed. The |
senate is a more conservative body |
and would hardly concur in such an
action. The aspect of school mat
tiers is liable to be greatly changed in
the course of two or three weeks |
1t is now expected that Hon. J. w. |
PATTERSON nt
New Hampshire. will give an infor-
NAL talk on the workings of the
school law in New Hampshire, some
time next week probably
The Australian Ballot
has not been much talked of lately. |
1t is safe to say the bill introduced by |
Mr.. Marshall of Brattleboro will |
not become law. 1t is considered |
that it has too much machinery and |
involves too great an expense, to say
nothing of the constitutionality of |
certain parts. Some less radical
innovation may meet with favor.
This matter like the
Weekly Payment Bill
is creating more discussion among
the state papers just at present than
among the legislators. This latter
measure introduced by Mr.. Moloney |
of Rutland, who is its most valiant
champion, is now in the hands of
the general committee. Several |
petitions have been presented asking |