Morning journal and courier., 1893-10-14

The Vermont ss Third House''-Wood- en "sIde Judees''-How 1t Re- formed LegIslarfon 1850.
 V.
 The lawyers who were employed to Hob. by" the legislature had quasi organiza- ton known as the "Third House." They met daily in the state library and lam- pooned everybody who deserved their at tention. and especially the members and acts of the two lower houses.
 At the beginning of the session of 1850 the organization was made formal, a speak CT elected and standing committees ap- pointed. The proceedings were regularly printed in the ''Third House Journal" The speaker delivered his inaugural and and proceeded to appoint the following committees:
 1. A committee on useless information. 3. A committee to devise additional taxes on banks, colleges, female ssmina- ries, Methodist chspels, two-story school houses, lunatic asylums and such like aris- tocratic institutions.
 8. A committee on log rolling, to con suit on tue expedienoy of banking without l specie, trading without capital and lobby l ing without pay.
 4. A committee on aggravation, with power to keep our "southern brethren" Fin stew" on the subject of slavery by resolution or otherwise.
 | 5. A committee on hocus poeus or art ful lodging, twisting, turning, wire pull ! ing and grand and lofty tumbling In con- l paofjor Yifh railroada and hrfdCeS | 6. A committee on suitability of temper, sweetness of disposition, purity of expres- sion and propriety of decorum in social l intercourse.
 l The appointments on the several com | mittees were made with the utmost dis regard of qualifications. The sixth was flled by three of the most nervous, irrit- able and cross-grained individuals ever known in Vermont or elsewhere. On the frst day of the session petition | was presented for the incorporation of the "Moosalamoo bank" in the mountain ham, | lot of Ripton. In the petition it was urged 1 that such a bank, to be open during the ! summer months, was needed in that thriv- | ing community. A turnpike had already been built to the heart of the village, two sawmills were in the full tide of successful l experiment, a shingle factory had shot up in its midst, and ere the gorgeous colors of ! mountains blacksmith shop will occupy the spot lately sacred to the wilderness and the savage. To- successfully develope the l resources of the countrywide spruce, the he1nlock, the charcoal, the partridge and l the trout-a bank was absolutely neces- | sary.
 It VAS proposed, therefore, that a day be appointedlfor an excursion of the leg, istature to Ripton at the e1psnse of the atate. and that thereafter bank be moor pora.ed, with capital of $500, of 500 shares of $1 eaoh, to be open three months 'n the year, with power to deal in fish hooks, powder and shot, Monongahela whis- ky, and to do general exchange business in the various descriptions of charcoal and chewing gum.
 Two days after g remonstranoe against the proposed charter was presented from certain residents of Tu1ton, urging the claims of the latter place; alleging that they had building capable of keeping forty banks; blacksmith shop already erected, stove, tsvern-stand, haun
 for musk rats, and plenty of cards, anc ! other small game, etc., etc.
 A long and acrimonious debate followed
 which lasted to the end of the session when it was found there was no membe , who could make up his mind which way t, f vote
 . The effect of this debate upon the tw, | lower houses was 90 great that all pendinl ? | applications for banks were rejected, ant , no bank has since been chartered by tn ? l Vermont legislature.
 1 The Vermont county courts have tw' : l ornamental officers called 'side jndges. 1 Two citizens (not lawyers) are elected il
 each county to sit with the presiding judg
 in the trial of all cases. Their duty is "t, ! look wise and say uOthiuQo
 The following story Is told: A countr,
 farmer was elected to this great and re ! sponsible office. Never having opened
 law book, he was naturally alarmed an,
 anxious to know what was ex pected o
 him. Accordingly he mounted his hors
 and dreve sixty miles to confer with friend who had held the office for twent FS iety by informing him that during his CT
 tire term of office the presiding judge ha
 never asked him his opinion but once
 After an eight hours plea on dry eject
 ment case Judge Phelps leaned over to hin
 and asked in "stage whisper" "Don' tterm) to which he, as "side judge," an t ] swered that he'd 'be darned if 1t didn'tl I Early in the session resolution was in D troduced, and referred to the 'committe on useless informatien," proposing tha ], "side judges" should be abolished and tha in future such judges should bs s'msnu
 fsctured of cast iron, wood or putty, an'
 set up in the several court houses for i'm 5 | mediate use."
 t The committee, after tscareful and pray f erful attention" reported 'sthat the sub 8 stitution of wooden side judges for tn present perishablo creatures of fash an, 2 blood" would eminently subserve the grea l butt-ends of justice. They will render tn
 court permanent. Their deoisions will b uniform. They will be punctual. The = cannot be brow beaten. They will be in T sensible to the sophistry of advocates They will be incorruptible. The measur . will promote cheapness and economy. I The committee also computed that th 5 hundred, while better meat Is selling Ii ;. the markets for cents per pound ; The commi' tee favored making the ney side judges, the heads of ebony, the eye 8 of punk wood, the bodies of spruce, tha
 the court may be kept in check, posses
 gum -ption and stick to it's decisions, etc.
 etc ard the feet of lignum vite, so tha
 the judges will have solid understandings
 They also recommended that 15O plaste
 casts be made of that numbsr of the bes
 dressed most beautiful and most sobe
 members of the lower house, and 15O wood
 en images, faithful copies of said plaste
 casts, be manufactured, 29 to be distributed
 two to each county to be used ss side
 judges), and the rest to the historical so
 ciety and the crowned heads of Europe.
 The wooden images, however,. wer
 never constructed, as the 240 members o
 the lower house each insisted that he ough
 to be tho model, and the senators com
 plafned that they were excluded from tn
 competition. As a result of the failure o
 the proposed bill, the perishable Creature l uf fash and blood are still In IRA
 In my next shall give the action of tn
 "Third House" for promoting the efficienc,
 of the "Vermont Flood Wood" or stat ! militia. A. N. l..
 The Society of the Cincinnati.
 Tothe Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 Will you permit member of the societ