Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1898-11-09
BLIZZARD AT MONTPELIER.

BLIZZARD AT MONTPELIER.
The Investigation of State Expense.
Strewing the Beach With Wreck.
of all Kinds and Sizes Routine o,
| Legislation.
Montpelier, Monday Afternoon
F nds Of the TINES:
Goldsmith's Deserted Village wasn't
circumstance to Montpelier over Sunday
About hundred went on the states priso,
-workhouse-Industrial oljunket and
scattered before returning here. Sam,
with the war committee which went to Ben
nington Friday and the result was tha
there wasn't enough left here over Sunday
to act as bearers in case of funeral. Blu
now they are back with heart and hanc
for any fate or mischief.
The latest rumor is that Gov. Smith vii
appoint Thanksgiving one week later thar
the presidents, making it Thursday, De.
cember l.. This would allow weeks ex.
ira time to clear up the business of the ses.
sion, without which it is not possible to do
the work. A senator said to me this morn.
ing 1--WE will probably go home the 23d
but we cannot possibly get through by thai
time" This is the exact situation and
nothing but Gov. Smiths ''postponement'
OF Thanksgiving can help the matter out
1t is fact that the railroad commission
is going to be reorganized in its makeup,
whether the bill to give the members eact
a six year term is passed into a law or not
l have the names of the new commission
9,rS can only say that but one OF the pres.
ent members will be retained. This pro.
gram may be changed, but it is not prob.
able
The past few days have been devoted to
enactipg bills ''to legallze a quadrennial
appraisal or grand list, and very little i'm
portant work has been disposed of. The
various Rutland railroad bills have become
laws by the governors signature, and a
public hearing is to be had on the Central
railroad reorganization bill in the hall OF
the senate tomorrow evening. In the
House at tie same time public hearing
will be given on the petitions to commute
the death sentences Of Buzzell and Mrs.
Marsh. The chances are strongly that
both will be commuted. There is no direct
proof that Buzzell was concerned in the
murder of Marsh, and in the case of Mrs.
Marsh the legislature will hardly vote to
hang woman. Many OF the members are
oppes sed to capital punishment on prin-
ciple.
The attempt to place the supreme court
ION wheels" again and abolish the genera al
term here has failed and the lawyers will be
compelled to make annual pilgrimages to the
capital The judges and bar, with but few
exceptions are satisfied with the present ar
rangement.
The first round has been fought in COM
mittee over the removal of Essex county
court house from Guildhall to Island Pond,
with no particular advantage to either side.
The removal is being actively antagonizs d
by Mr.. Hale of Lunenburg. as against all
but three members of the house from that
county. The chances favor the removal of
the courthouse, in which case it is probable
that the atte mpt to annex Concord to Gale
donia county will be successful. The lat
ter town, less than 10 miles by rail from
St Johnsbury, will not care to 90 40 m;lss
to Hand Pond to court.
Every measure looking toward the abro-
cation of the prohibitory law is as dead as
a kit of mackerel. In fact they were dead
| ng before they we're born. The chair
man of the house committee on temperance,
MIR. Eastman of Hartland, is q fine old
gentleman, honorable and conscientious.
and with the old-time prejudice against
licensing an evil" He has no more idea
OF the condition Of prohibition in the large
towns on the west side than Nichodemus
hid of the new birth, and firmly believes
that what is good for Hartland is likewise
good for Burlington and Rutland, Ben
nington and St. Albans. The referendum,
however, is looked upon with favor by very
many, and no argument is produced
against submitting the question to the peo-
pie. 1t does not disturb any existing law
and comes from good republican sources.
Therefore it may 60 through.
Other attempted legislation which is as
dead as hay for this session at least is
municipal suffrage for tax-paying females.
The bill allowing this was killed by the
committee without excuse or apology, and
is already forgotten. 1t is not likely that
anything else in the same line will come up
so. bic jacet and requiescat in pace. Better
luck next time, ladies'.
The attorney-general bill still hangs fire,
but probably some oratory will be turned
loose on it this week and it will either be
buried or advanced peg. Its fate is
trembling in the balance.
The same may be said of the bills to
cre ate the Office OF insurance commissioner.
These bills we're ordered to lie on request
OF Senator Watson, and will be taken up
and discussed Thursday OF this week.
The bill taxing bicycles has been
wrangled over for several days, and comes
up this afternoon for final disposal As the
bill now stands specific tax of 25 cents is |
pu, on each wheel, irrespective of cost or
value. 1t is now proposed to make the
specific tax so cents, and use the income |
entirely tor the improyem, mt Of streets and
highways. 1t is estimated closely that
there are about 40, 900 wheels in use in the |
state, and q tax of so or even rs cents |
would construct or keep in repair consider
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