Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-11-18
NEARING THE FINISH
THE LEGISLATURE NOW ON ITS LAST
WEEKS WORK.

Doing Lots of Business, But Little of Gen
eral Interest The Vermont Central Re-
organization Bill Goes Through-The In
vestigatiou Grows Sensational.
Last Monday, when Speaker Haskins
hinted to the members of the lower
house that he'd Just as lieve as not come
back after Thanksgiving, there was a
noticeable briskenlng up and an evidence
shown of desire to avoid working over
the usual time for adjournment. The
house decided to begin sessions at 8 a. m.
thereafter, and it really looks as if the
work would be finished by the 23d.
Mr.. Cook of Manchester Introduced a
bill empowering towns to appropriate
money for the destruction of worms on
forest and shade trees.
A measure ordered to a third reading
was the house bill forbidding the hunt
ing or shooting of wild ducks and geese
by moonlight
The senate was in session only three
quarters of an hour Monday afternoon,
all matters ready for action having been
transacted at the adjournment.
The senate ordered to third reading
the senate bill prohibiting the killing of
deer, moose and caribou for period of
four years from Nov. l, 1898.
The senate also ordered to a third
reading the house bill putting a bounty
on the killing of noXious animals.
On Tuesday the house ordered to a
third reading the bill relating to legal
holidays. This measure amends the law
so that Jan. l, Feb. %, May 30, July 4,
Aug 1G, the first Monday in September,
Dec. 25, and any day set by the governor
or president of the United States as
Thanksgiving day shall be legal holi-
days. Aug. lG shall be known as Ben
nington battle day and the first Monday
in September as labor day.
House bills ordered to a third reading
that morning included acts to amend the
statutes on trout and other fishing, max
the penalties of trout poachers more
severe.
Wednesday morning the bill providing
for the reorganization of the Central
Vermont railroad was reported favorably
by Mr.. Wall of Randolph for the rail-
road committee, with proposed amend
ment providing for the payment of un-
secured creditors with bonds of the new
road at par value of creditors claims.
The amendment was adopted and the bill
read the third time and passed without
debate.
The fish hatchery bill, which was voted
down the other day and afterward restor-
ed to the calendar, was ordered to "a
third reading that afternoon by yea and
nay vote of 1872 to 92.
The railroad mileage bill came up in
the senate as a special order on the ques-
tion of the third reading. Senator Wat
son moved to refer the bill for further
hearing. Senator Hit demanded the
yeas and nays and the vote stood: Yeas
II; nays, II. The president pro TEN.
Senator Mccullough, voted yea, and the
bill was recOmmitted.
The bill amending the Bristol village
charter was killed.
The investigation of unauthorized ex-
penditures by state officials has been
continued during the week and consider
able sensational testimony has beel
taken. Ex-Governors Grout and Page
and Gen. Peck were called to eXplaiI
some items of their expenses. They ad
mitted there was no law authorizing
them to draw on the state for expense
but they pleaded the law of custom.