Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-12-02
MONTPEIIER- Nov 90

MONTPELIER, Nov. 30.
On Tuesday several interesting things
took place, among them the house treat
ment of the senate bill doing away with
the National Guard for two years and abol
ishing the office of adjutant and inspector
general; the senate's debate of the bill
calling for S35, 1000 building for the ac.
commodation of the 45 attendants at the
Vermont Hospital for the Insane at Wa
terbury Chat is its name now the amend
ment by the house of the appropriation
bill so as to exclude any compensation for
members OF the board of agriculture; and
the burial of the two referendum bills.
The National Guard bill was so
amended by the house before receiving
third reading as to save that organization
and abolish the position now held by Gen.
Peck. This result was achieved after con-
siderable debate by Mr.. Harris of Benning-
ton, Kemp of Montpelier, Butterfield of
Derby, and others. The last named gen.
tleman made an attempt to head off the
knif1ng of the adjutant general, but it
seemed to be Of no use, for the measure
appeared to be moving back toward the
senate with proposals of amendment as
above stated. This was before supper.
AFTER supper something happened. When
the amended bill came up on its passage
the house said no by vote of II to 66,
fully 100 members either absent or not
voting! So the senate's bill was killed in
the house, and Guard and adiutant gener-
al were left undisturbed.
The action of the house in tacking an
amendment on to the regular appropriation
bill was shrewd move to induce the SEN
ate to aid in abolshing the state board of
agriculture, and payment of the members
per diem and mileage, which was planned
for that day, had to be deferred until the
fate of the appropriation bill was settled
Senators Hit and Cudworth made a
strong effort to prevent the expenditure of
$4,000 more at the Vermont hospital for
the insane, and argued that good business
management would suggest the transfer of
sufficient number of patients to the Brat
tleDoro Retreat to give the room needed
for nurses, rather than the erection of a
new building at Waterbury, but the senate
thought otherwise, to the tune of 21 to a.
so the bill passed.
The senate's killing of the state board of
taxation bill last week, measure that was
meant to induce millionaires to immigrate
to Vermont, resulted in the introduction
III the house on Tuesday of a somewhat
similar measure. The period of contract
is reduced to 20 years, the real estate of
nonresident taxpayers is not included in
the new bill, and in case of the death of
the taxpayer the contract terminates and
the estate comes under the inheritance tax
law.
The house killed the double taxation
bill, but adopted resolution authorizing
the appointment of commission to inves.
tigate and report upon this vexatious prob
lem. The bill prohibiting mileage ticket
scalping, which passed the senate so
smoothly, was killed in the lower branch.
1t took two yea and nay roll calls TO dis
pose of S. 92 Senator Thompson's referen-
dunn and H. 473 (Mr. Delehanty's bill
calling for a popular vote on the LIQUOR
question:, but the house hit them both
hard by 1856 to 70 in one case, and 1870 to
6S in the other.
The house wasn't inclined to change its
mind as to the fish hatchery appropriation,
and refused to concur in the senate amend
ment raising the figure from $500 to an
even $4,000.
A pleasant incident in the senate ON
tuesday forenoon was the adoption of a
resolution of thanks to Senator Griffith of
Rutland for his weekly gift of handsome
mowers from his conservatory at Dandy
for the adornment of the senate chamber.
Bennington's attempt to secure a city
charter at this session has failed, the senate
committee on corporations reporting the
bill adversely.