The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-11-21

MI. WinSlOW OF brADuOn, MT. SmlJu VI
horristown, and Mr. Smith OF Burlington,
and others, evidently carried weight and
the bill passed by yea and nay vote of ZIG
to 8S.
THE bill that was passed to a third read.
ing in the house on Saturday, granting
81 600 to the town o. Belvidere to be used in
keeping its highways and bridges In epair,
aud the explanation OF the bill that was
made, disclosed a peculiar state of affairs in
that town. 1t adiOins Avery's Gore, and
all the lumber hau ed from this gore goes
over the principal highway in Belvidere
This heavy teaming has necessitated build
ing six new bridges OF considerable length
over a mountain stream. The town is now
S4 800 in debt because of this, and its in.
habitants are struggling to pay the tax of
four dollars on dollar of the grand list
voted at the last town meeting. An attempt
TO get aid through the courts, as provided
by the statutes, has only resulted In making
such heavy costs as to nearly absorb all the
money appropriated by the court, and the
to yn comes to the legislature for relief.
The committee to whom ths bill was re-
ferred returned it without recon mendation,
preferting to leave the responsibility Of he
matter with the house. When the matter
was explained by Mr.. Brown of Belvidere,
no dissenting voice was heard in the house
to granting the aid proposed in the bi !.
The town has $50 inhabitants and grand
list of only 500.
in the gift OF Speaker Sickney so important
as that of chairman Of the committee on
claims, a fact that was evidently appreciated
when he appointed Mr.. Deal of St. Albaus
to that position. That the house has conf
denCe in the 20 nmittee OF which Mr.. Deal
is chairman is shown by the fact that every
claim reported favorably by that committee
has thus far become law, and every bill
ON which an adverse report was render I'd
has been slaughtered without a protest.
While every bill authorizing the sJa audi
tor to draw his order on the ate treasurer
for certain sum has been caref illy consid.
cred, and, while probably eve'y just claim
has been granted, several attempted steals
and unjust claims have found in Mr.. Deal
a barrier that they could n pass. He has
not wearied the house with long-winded
speeches, when the time of the house IL
wo I'll $3.50 an hour to the state, but econ
omy for the state has been his pillar of
oud by day, and to tn Al he has bent his
best energies Those in a position 10 know
state that 1t is no exaggeration to say that
Mr.. al has saved the stare at least the
amount it C ,sts to run the legislature for
one day, in side-tracking unjust claims that
a less vigilant watchdog of the treasury
might have allowed to slip through,
The judiciary committee held q meeting
at the clio TX room on Friday EVEN. Qto con-
slider the various bills in hand relating to
fire insurance. Among the bills discussed
were those relating to valued policy law,
a standard policy, and the cooperative
clause. Representative Wyman of Stock
bridge thought some method should be
taken to prevent the over insurance which
grows out of so much competition aud is
the cause so many fires. j. G. Enright of
Windsor considered that the adoption of a
valued policy law would drive insurance
companies out of the state, and tend to in
crease the rate of insurance. G. M. Pow
ers. secretary of the senate, made interest
ing remarks upon the situation of fire insur-
ance in Vermont, and claimed that 1t was
one OF the most important questions before
the legislature. He said the time had come
for standard policy. 1t would stop much
lit cation. General L. S. Peck said there
were not enough companies to do business
in the state at present, aud that 1t is hard
work to place insurance. 1t is claimed that
during the past two years seventy-one per-
cent of the proceeds of companies in Yer
mont nave been used to pay losses. Her BIC
treatment is the only way to stop fires. We
need state fire marshal. Insurance Com
missioner Brownell favored standard pol
icy, but thought valued policy law might
not be beneficial to the state.
HONOR to whom honor" In the report
of senate proceedings, Friday morning, re-
marks reL ting to the insane asylum were
attributed to Senator Reed which were
made by Senator Hunt Of franklin. In the
official report, beginning with the last word
to Senator Reeds remarks, the followi g
should be assigned to Senator Hunt: HE
did not know " hat the senate could know
about the matter that it did not know.
For the fiji st time he had just learned there
was any connection between the two
asylums. He supposed Brattleboro wanted
to get rid of the state patients, but saw that
the frien Is Of that asylum wanted more
state patients. HI described the condition
that economy had placed the Waterbury
asylum ia. The first patients were put 10
bed to keep them from freezing. A mailer
appropriation would not do justice to the
state. A man high up in the councils of the
state had said insane people who did not
know where they were could just as well
be keI in the cellar there. He wanted the
legislature to go to Waterbury and look at
the asy lum." Senator Hunt is an accom-
plished man of affairs. He does not often
occupy the time of The senate, but, when he
| speaks, without circumlocution he goes
straight to the bulls eye of the subject that
| engages his attention. So he did in speak
| ing to the subject of the appropriation for
| the asy lum at Waterbury; so he did, also,
| two years ago when, the re preventative Of
| St. A bans, he spoke against the weekly
pa ment bill in the house debate on that
su oiect. On that occasion his quiet, incisive
senterces and well.knit line Of reasoning
| went to he pith and marrow of the whole
II a ter. His argument for the completion
oil the asylum was trenchant, such an one
as would be made by person combining
humanity with good business judgment
THE lecture in Representatives Hall
last week by Rev. j. X Fuller, the repre-
sentative from Barton, on Oliver Wendell
Holmes vas an eloquent appreciative trib-
ute to the dead p ct, and was greatly en-
| joyed by those so fortunate as to hear it, The
lecturer first spoke of personal admiration
and love for Dr. Holmes and his works.
| The lecture itself was review of the Au-
tocrat of the Breakfast Table" This book
was the authors masterpiece. In 1t we see
the doctor at his best. 1t was the supreme
effort and triumph of the genius that
| flashed like Damascus blade in the sun
light, descending upon error and sham with
fatal effect. Mr.. Fuller dwelt at length
upon DIR. Holmes birth and of the law of
heredity and environment in general He
took up the salient points Of this book, and
the interesting conversation at the break
fast table, reading ex racts OF both prose
and poetry, drawing lessons therefrom. He
show ed how the doctor stood related to
mutual admiration societies, and the tenn
perance question, social clubs, horse
racing, fishing and the schoolmistress.
Also his love for nature and humanity
the wit and the wisdom with which
he illuminated all life In closing he
said; "As an explanation to the well
known fact that Dr. Holmes wished TO be