The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-10-21
Legislative Notes.


soon. Water only, this time, please.
ONE contested election case is booked for
hearing-that of Williams against Bowker
OF Bloomfield, Essex county.
RICHARD BATES of st. Johnsbury has been
appointed clerk of the revision committee.
He will make an excellent one.
THE state officers and members of the
legislature were photographed on the State
House steps by Cutler the Barre artist, last
Thursday. The camera stood the test
SPEAKER LORD surely recognized the fit
ness OF things in appointing Bradley g.
Newell, the gentleman from Nottingham,
on the joint special committee on public
health.
WHEN is it going t. get exciting at the
State House2" asked somebody on the
street. Well, not for a week or two. But
then 1t IS bound to come, sooner or later.
That's what they're here for.
Now that Grand Isle, "the county in the
lake." has been generously supplied with
bridges, she would like a little railroad &C.
commodation, and Mr.. Smiths bill looks
towards granting her that sort OF facility.
The present legislature has scarcely any
time to spare il it proposes to finish it,
work by Thanksgiving Day. Only thirty
seven working days remained between Mon
day last and that usual final adjournment.
THE noxious-weed destroyer has been
ter the Burdock family, as well as some
other members of the vegetable kingdom
whose room is better (tor the farmers) than
their company.
Col. W. SEWARD WEBB, the representa-
tive from Shelburne, bears the stamp of an
unassuming gentleman, makes no ostenta-
tious or vulgar display of his wealth, and,
unless app 9arances are deceitful aud the
predictions of his friends are not verified,
he will De found useful working mem Der
OF the House, both on the floor and in the
committee room.
THE bill introduced ON TIL lrsday by Mr..
Clark of Glover substitutes imprisonment
for life or term of years in state prison. in
the discretion OF the cour5 for capital pun
ishment in the case of arson where the life
OF person is accidentally lost in the fire
set. L. has already been favorably com.
mented on-what its fate in com mittee
room will be remains to be seen.
THR forthcoming report of the Fish and
Game Commissioners will be an unusually
bulky, one, and will be profusely illustrated
with views OF the varieties of tsh and game
to bs found in Vermont. Those who have
given this subject but little consideration
will be surprised at the rich assortment
with which the streams and lakes and
ponds and woods of this state can tempt the
sportsman.
If the bill introduced on Thursday by
MI bOOuWlu Vi CnBlSed becomes a law, the
various towns of the state will be brilliant
in colors on every general election day.
How would man who was color-bind be
affected by parti-colored ballot boxes and
ballots gay with many colors of printers
ink? Why not amend the bill by adding
another section, that the defeated candi-
dates shall be painted blue?
THE Free Press is setting its trap for
another state Office for the Queen City, to
fill the blank in its long list occasioned by
the retirement of the governor. 1t appears
that its candidate for the Office of state SUI
perinteudent of schools has recently de-
clared, emphatically, that he did not want
the office and would not be candidate for
1t. Whence comes his candidacy now?
And what is the real animus Of the Free
Press movement to put Professor Landon
on the track at this time.
THE makeup of the House committees
meets with very general approval and
shows that the work was not done in a
hap-hazard or hurried manner. An occa-
slonal round peg appears to be placed in
square hole, but, before any one is disposed
10 criticise the speaker in his appointments,
let him attempt the task himself with
body OF 245 men and thirty.four committees.
AS the work of the session progresses, it
Will be found that the presiding officer has
made surprisingly few mistakes in this diff.
cult and not desirable task.
THE act to create a board of medical ex-
aminers, introduced last week in the Senate
by Dr. Manchester, senator from Rutland
county, will attract no little attention, es-
peclally from members Of the medical fra
ternity throughout the state. The bill pro-
vides for the appointment by the governor,
with the advice and consent of the Senate, of
medical board of registration consisting
OF seven members, whose duties it shall be
to examine applicants who are graduates of a
legally-chartered medical college or univer-
sity, and, If found qualified, to issue to them
certificates as regular physicians.
THE bill introduced by Mr.. Palmer of
Waterbury, relating TO divorces is a meas
ure in the right direction. 1t practi-
cally re-enacts the law that had been in
force in Vermont for the past fifty years,
until the legislature of 1894 enacted
the one now on the statute-boOks
The law now in force requires a resi-
dence Of one year in the state and three
months in the county before divorce can
be procured. The measure proposed by
Mr.. Palmer like the old law requires a
residence of two years in the state aud six
months in the county-this residence to be
next previous to bringing a petition for
divorce. Such a law had the effect in the
past, and would have in the future Of par
TALLY closing the fiOod-gates of hasty di-
vorce, now wide open in Vermont.
The week commencing Sunday, October
20, has been designated by the powers-that-