Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-11-25
DID NOT ADJ0U RN.
STATE LEGISLATURE TO RE-cONVENE
TODAY.

|
Board of Agriculture Abolished.
/ In spite of the early meeting-hour of
the legislature and the amount of work
done during the week, they were not
able to finish up in time to adjourn be-
| fore Thanksgiving, and as a consequence
recess was taken until today, when the
bodies will recOnvene. This is some
thing almost without precedent. and was
occasioned by the two houses being
unable TO agree on the question. The
last occurrence of the kind was in 1880.
The Vermont legislature had a lively
time during last Fridays session. One
thing that made it so was the discussion
on the mileage bill compelling all roads
in the state to sell mileage books good
for bearer at two cents a mile. The
REGISTERS readers were some time ago
made aware of the conditions which pre-
vail on the Rutland road through a dis
cussion precepitated with the Rutland
| Herald. This law backs our contention
that a ticket once paid for belongs to the
purchaser to do with it as he pleases.
Three amendments were offered in the
senate, calculated to distroy the object
of the law. After a lively dispute, the
amendments were rejected Another
amendment providing that 500-mile tick
cts need not be sold at two cents was
accepted. The bill was then passed and
sent to the house which accepted the
senate amendments and the bill will be-
come a law.
On Saturday a goodly number of bills
were killed in the house, and few other
wise disposed Of
A bill was introduced in the senate
abOllshing the offices of adiutant general
and inspector general, and relegating
their duties to the quartermaster general.
House passed II. 257, assessment of life
insurance companies; 372. relating to the
time of opening polls at elections. The
committee on highways Introduced
substitute bill for II 80 creating the
| Vermont highway commission and pre-
scr cribing the duties of the same.
Monday was for the public the most
interesting day of the session owing to
the reading of the report of the commit
tee on the investigation of expenditures
of officials. The report was lengthy,
but Is made up in great part of items of
expenditure of governors, adjutant and
inspectors general and quartermasters
general since 1888, with running COM
ment on the same.
The committee finds that no money
has been paid from the treasury on the
account of the superintendent of educa-
ton that is not fully authorized by
statute, and the same in regard to the
70 fo
the sergeant received money
from the treas ury in excess of what the
statute authorizes since Oct. l, 1888.
! Quartermaster Gilmore has received no
money on his personal expense in excess
of what is allowed by the statute. The
committee refers to his account for
| travelling expenses and hotel bills,
telephone, telegraph and postage for ten
years as $lSS6.70, which the committee
finds was necessarily incurred. They
find that the inspector of finance has re-
ceived no more than he was entitled to.
The commissioner of state taxes has
charged in his account and received
from the treasury travelling expenses
and hotel bills to the amount of Sl34.2 %
since October, 1891. lie supposed he was
entitled to it and offers to refund if he
was not. Since Oct. |, 1890, Mr..
Brownell as secretary of state has
charged and received from the treasury
travelling expenses and hotel bills to
the amount of $3.50 and as Insurance
commissioner his account figures up
TO S379.74. The secretary of military
and civil affairs under Coy. Grout re-
ceived the sum of SIS for special service
and $3.50 for travelling expenses.
The committee failed to find any au-
thority in the statutes authorizing the
payment of these items from the state
treasury. General Peck, during the
same period, charged and received from
the treasury cash for postage S2452 40,
for expenses S275 81, telegraph and tele.
phone Sl377.S5, stationery S555.50. The
committee believes the necessary eX-
pense for these four items is legitimate
expenditure. General Peck failed to
explain to the satisfaction of the COM
mittee how the necessary official busi-
ness of his office required such extrava-
gance for postage, telephone and tele-
graph. General Peck failed to satisfy
the committee that the official duties of
his office required any larger expenditure
under those four heads than the depart
ment of the quartermaster general.
The senate passed these bills on Mon
day: S. l05, providing that the expenses
of board and lodging of petit Jurors in
county court in criminal cases shall be
: borne by the state. II. 3S, relating to
the protection of certain game birds. II.
6S, preventing use of trading stamps,
coupons and other devices in sale or ex-
change of property. H. 100, providing
: penalty for taking fish under certain
conditions. II. 403, relating to the use
of nets and seines. II. 139, Incorporate
ing the Champlain Construction compa-
J ny. The house passed bills as follows
II. l59, providing for the closing of GER
} tain streams adapted to the cultivation of
: fish. II. 204, amending statutes relating