Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-01
Crrom Our staff Correspondent

(FrOm our stan lOTTcSpphueltD
Nontpelicr. VT, Nov. S-The House by
its vote, has retained the National Guard
under the old system which has proven
o complete failure, eXonerated Gen. T. ..
Peck as ad jutant and nspector-general and
r,pudiated the work of the investigating
committee "A creature of Its own crea-
ton. An effort is to be made In the morn
ing to reconsider the vote and abolish the
National Guard. The way the result was
accomplished is as follows: The House
committee on military affairs was tied on
the report which it presented through us
chairman, Mr. Butterfield of Derby. The
report recommended that the bill as IL
came from the Senate be amended ny
making the reorganization of the National
Guard dsCr, tionary with the governor
and fixing the salary of the dd1utaht anu
inspector general. who was to be retain
ell at Scop and Of the quartermaster general
$50. These amendments were each killed
and everything looked as though the
House would pass the bill exactly as II
came from the Senate. Mr.. Harris of Ben
ming made Il speech in behalf of the Ma
tional Guard, claiming the State should
keep the pledge 1t made with the National
Guard at the special session that II
should be rclnstated on the return from
the war with Spain. Gen. Butterfeld made
his best speech of the session in behalf or
Gen. Peck, subdivdinE his remarks under
three heads the punishment, the offence
and the man, and maintained that the
punishment; proposed was the most severe
known to Il military man-dishonorable
discharge. The offence was extravaganza.
not crime; the man was one who had
served his country with honor and dis
tinction The browning piece of oratory
was accomplished by Mr.. Kemp of Mont
pelier who maintained that he could not
cast one vote and express his convictions
fts...NN Ntatn n hn
bill He moved to amend the bill by
str king out the first two sections of the
bill. This was done. and the National
Guard was saved. making 1t necessary
for the governor TO reorganize II on the
same basis that existed before the war.
This left the bill with only one proposition
to abolish the office of adtutant general
and the yea and nay vote on ordering this
BIZ. to Il third reading was--yeas VI, nays
-, and the reading was refused. This is
a great victory for the friends of Gen.
Peck and the officers of the National
Guarc.
The detailed story will be found in the
Official report.
Both bodies have done good day =
work, disposing of several important bills.
but unless the deadlock which now exists
between the two chambers on certain bills
is broken early tomorrow, the rush and
confusion of the last night will not be
avoided.
The general appropriation bill has been
referred to the Senate committee and that
committee will report the bill in the morn
ing with the recommendation that the
rider concerning the board OF agriculture
Dc stricken out. The Senate stands to-
gether as one nan in their resistance. The
House will refuse to concur and IL Will
be a game of wait. Representative Vial
OF Randolph has made arrangements for
the State treasurer to draw money at his
expense from the National bank of Mont
peler to pay the salary and debentures
ui every member of tho House up tC
Thursday morning and expects the House
will remain firm in their position. The
situation is very serious one and the
outcome exceedingly difficult to forecast
The House has tried It's strength with
certain railroads and won again and the
Pnti-scalping bill is dead. Senate bin No
l76 was the victim and 1t came to the
House for concurrence. The first blow al
the bill was made by Mr.. Stiles of St
Johnsbury. who moved to dismiss the bill
but this was not In order Messrs. Sears
of Monkton and Choate of Barnet spok,
against the bill. Mr.. Emery of Chelsea
then stated that he was opposed to the
bill but moved to amend 1t, making 1t i'm
possible for ticket scalpers to sell ticket.
in or about the depot or cars of any rail
road company. Messrs Dodge OF sheldon
lance OF Cabot and Dickey opposed thu
amendment and Messrs. Emery of Chel
sea and Kemp of Montpelier favored it pu
the House refused to adopt 1t. Mr.. Camp
bell of Albany proposed an amendment
making the price charged by scalpers tw,
and one fourth cents per mile for lest
than one hundred miles and two and on
eighth cents per mile for a greater dis
lance. This amendment was opposed b,
Mr.. Butler OF Jamaica, Mr.. Jackson o
Watcrville. Amendment lost and the thir'
reading of the bill was refused
That the House intends to have its wa,
was shown by the Introduction of a bill
by Mr.. Luce Of Stowe in behalf of tn
general committee which prcscribes a fin
of $500 to $1,000 for railroads failing to kee
mileage books for sale.
The House and Senate have locke,
horns again and the record of all Vernon
Legislatures has been broken, though III
practice obtains in Congress, by attach
Ing to an appropriation bill a rider whc
will either kill that measure or else XII
the board of agriculture. House bill Nc
50l an act making provision for the sup
port of the government, was the bill whic
was so loaded. Owing to the increase Il
the expenses of this session Mr.. Richard
son of st. Adams moved an amendmen
raising the appropriation defraying tn
expenses of the Legislature from $65 &C
TO $4,000 which was adopted. Mr.. Via
Of Randolph then offered an amendmen
providing that none of the money here
by appropriated shall be expended in sup
port OF the board OF agriculture. Mr.. Via
supported the amendment Mr.. Butler Q
Jamaica opposed it, Mr.. Wall demande
the yeas and nays, which resulted, yea
100, nays 70, and the amendment wa
agreed to and the bill passed.
The fact that the Senate to-day pass
ed Senate bill No. 1853, making the boar
of agriculture consist of Ave member
and have made House bill No. 321, abolish
ing the board of agriculture a special oil
der for 1915 Wednesday morning leave
the matter in state OF much uncertaint,
However, II 1t is necessary to appoint
conference committee 1t is not probab
that tho appropriation bill would be sacr
feed for a rider but 1t Is evident by tn
vote given above that the House, whel
Vermont farmers arc the most largel
represented. is growing moro firm in II
conviction that the board should be jill
pensed with.
Gov. Smiths taxation scheme came b.
fore the House again this morning In II
form OF bill introduced by Mr., Richart
son of St. Adams In behak of the COMM