Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-10-26
OUR MONTPELIER LETTERs.
our Regular correspondence.
MoNTPELIER, Oot. 26th, l894.

addresses: ''Mr. speaker, ask ledNo W
introduce BILL" exceeds hundred and
seventy, and the number will probably
climb up to two hundred by the first
proximo. The titles of most of the bills
are given by those who introduce them,
thus lengthening out the little speech
which, mayhap, is the first ever made in
public by some of the legislators. There
are many bills introduced by request.
The familiar and pleasant, yet firm req
ignition, and quick response OF Speaker
StiCkney in the words, "the gentleman
from, asks and has leave to intro
duce bill, which the clerk will read"
cannot soon be forgotten by member
who has any faculty FOR remembering.
/ doubt if any Legislative body in the
land has more competent officer to pre-
side over its deliberations than has our
House of Representatives; and it is often
remarked that there is not one in a thou
sand who can at glance, whether he
knows him or not, tell man as quickly,
and what town he is from, as Speaker
Stickney. True he has had experience,
but it must be borne in mind that at
each biennial session three are new faces,
but the gentleman from Ludlow sell
dom fails to "spot" them correctly in the
assembly of 240 odd. Perhaps it would
not be just right to hint that 1t does
seem as if certain lawmakers introduce
a bill for the sole purpose of being rec
ognized, or to see their name in print!
A bill on nearly every conceivable sub
ject in common practice which effects
mankind, has came before the House. |
hear that woodchuck bill is forthcom-
ing, and if bounty on hedgehogs could
be brought about, some one would be
pleased.
"What horrid redundancy and am
biguity in the phraseology of some of
the bills that the legislators want to be-
come laws; they are just ridiculOusly SUI
perfuous!' This is what heard lady
guest remark at the State House the
other day. l could but think that the
lady herself, was qtite ambiguous in
her Gliding of the sterner sex. Never
theless, | will go one better, and say that
the gentleman who introduced the first
and only canine bill had in it the words
male dog, female dog and puppy, score
of times or more.
Well, so much for that style of humor-
GUS writing, although 500 just the
same.
My previous letters to the BANNER /
have written in my "sanctum," but am
writing this at my seat in the House,
after adjournment at 2.45 this afternoon.
1t is about the first time that | have had
a moment after adjournment, but COM
mittee work in my department is not in
progress at this hour. This evening in
the Senate chamber there will be pub
lie hearing before the Educational Com
mittee, and good deal of evidence will
be given for and against the abolishiDg
of the graded school districts, and, as |
have said in previous letters, several
prominent educators who are to be here
will favor the bill. 1.-THE Hermit" thinks
it would be a crushing blow to the cause
of education, as is well known, although
he is implored by letters and kilograms
to plead the other way. Such communi-
cations have no effect, however.
After concurrent twistings to and fro,
from the Senate to the House, and back
again, and as last resort, a joint com
mittee appointed to carefully consider
the matter, 1t has, after several post
ponements, been decided to elect State
Superintendent of Education next We'd
nesday, at 2.30 O'clock At the same
time three trustees for the Vermont Uni
versity are to be elected
House bill, I13, introduced Monday by
Mr.. Lord of Montpelier, 'An act relating
to officers elected by the General Assem-
bly," was rather roughly handled and
opposed in the House, Thursday fore
noon. Mr.. Lord gave cogent and ear
nest reasons why he hoped the bill wonld
pass, while Lawyer Young of Newport,
plead as strongly the other way. There
was a spirited discussion for about half
an hour, when Mr.. Lord moved that the
yeas and nays be taken, resulting in a
majority of thirteen against the third
reading of the bill, hence it met a pre-
mature demise. The substance of the
bill was that no person while member
of the General Assembly of the State of
Vermont, shall be eligible to hold any
Office which is filled by an election from
the General Assembly of which he is a
member. Thus it will be seen that the
import of the bill is to give the voters of
the towns chance to elect these officers
in the usual way, and not vest the choice
of the town to the Representative there
from. But the majority, it seems,
thought that the wisdom" assembled
here should be capable of electing said
officers, hence voted as they did.
To-day, several more school bills have
been introduced. 1t is conceded that
school matters are receiving more atten-
ton and agitation at this session than
ever before, and large share of this is
caused by imperfect laws that have pass
ed heretofore. The question now is,
shall we get them perfected now? OF
course not! Much as we would, we can
not! Let them be ever so perfect, and
in two years. time there will be another
re-hash by disgruntled souls who are not
willing to let well enough alone. This
is the case with several of the laws now
on our statutes, but education seems to
receive the severest thrusts at present.
The State Prison Committee 90 down
to Windsor tomorrow friday, to see
what condition that institution is in,
while on the same day the Committee on
Military Affairs will visit the Soldiers
Home at Bennington, and ascertain to
the best of their ability" how large an
appropriation is needed there. Twenty
thousand dollars is asked for. Several
not of the committee have been invited
to go down, all of whom have accepted
We were pleased to CLASSY hands with
ex-senator Arnold of Pownal, who is
here to-day, on the marble floors and
carpeted halls he used to tread in years
gone by.
1t is said that the chaplains Of the SEN
ate and House earn their salaries in as
little time as any connected with either
branch of the Legislature. Counting the
time they actually spend in the exercises
of their devotional duties, their income