St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-10-17
LEGISLATIVE LETTER.
The Governors Supreme Court
Re-Organization-A Few of the
Bills-COming EVents-Flotsam and
JetSam.
editorial Correspondence .


Editorial Correspondence.
Montpelier, Oct. Is. The sessions tn
past week have been characterized b.
short hours, many bills and the begin
ming Of lots of committee work. One bill
has been passed in each branch. Tht
senatorial contest takes precedence, how
ever, of all other work and all hope il
will be settled this week so that both
houses can settle down to work.
THE GOVERNORS STAFF.
Gov. Stickney has announced bis staff
as follows: DR.. William D. Huntington,
of Rochester, surgeon general, with rank
of brigadier general; Lieut.. Col. !. H.
Mimms of st. Adams, chief of staff, with
rank of colonel; Homer A. Dudley OF
Londonderry, inspector of rifle practice,
with rank OF colonel; and John c.
Coolidge of Plymouth, Frederick E. Bur
CESS of Burlington, Henry o. Carpenter
OF Rutland, aids-de-camp, with rank of
colonel.
The list is all right with the exception
of Col. Mimms and here the Governor
has made an egregious blunder. No one
attempts to explain this slap in the face
at the militia and the appointment has
raised howl of useless protest from the
volunteers. But as the Vergennes Enter
prise says, che possesses an educated
taste in cigars and wears dress uniform
with cultured grace, if not majesty"
RE ORGANIZATION OF THE SUPREME COURT.
1t may not amount to anything but
the democrats are trying to get repre-
sentaton on the supreme bench, which is
entirely proper, and several bills have
been introduced looking to that end. An
interesting feature of Mr.. BARRIERS bill is
the abolition of the assistant Judges.
Mr.. Barber of Barre town introduced
two important bills to reorganize and
establish supreme court to consist of
the county courts into five district courts
with districts as follows: First, Frank
lin, Chittenden and Grand Isle counties;
second Addison and Rutland; third,
Bennington, Windham and Windsor;
fourth, Washington, Orange and
Lamoille; fifth, Caledonia, Essex and Or
leans. 1t abolishes the side judges and
provides that each district shall have one
Judge who shall reside within it, to be
chosen by the legislature of 1900, and
shall preside at the county courts within
his district for term of two years and
perform all other duties of the judgeship.
In 1902 and thereafter the district Judges
shall be elected by the freemen of the
district for the term Of six years. 1t
peclhes when sessions shall be held at
the several county seats. The judge may
have a grand jury summoned for any
term. The salary Of each judge is $4,000
per year. The judges shall be chancel-
Iors. The existing statutes are amended
to conform to this bill and it goes into
effect December 1, 1900.
Another scheme which is heartily SUD-
ported by Orange county members who
want to save Judge Watson is a plan to
reorganize the supreme court by placing
an additional judge on the bench without
any of the present members.
Their proposition is to elect three su-
preme court judges who shall constitute
an appellate or supreme court and five
circuit Judges, who shall hold court in
The various counties. 1t is proposed to
meet the added expense of $500 by
abollshing the side judges in the various
counties. This plan, if carried out, would
open the way for a democrat and save
all the present incumbents.
A FEW BILLS INTRODUCED.
Senator Dunnett has introduced a bill
which provides that husbands and wives
shall be competent witnesses in court for
or against each other providing that
neither be allowed to testify in any ease
in which the court decides such testimony
would be looked upon as violation OF the
marital confidence.
Mr. Whittimore of Eden has introduced
a bill to regulate fishing in ponds in Rye
gate and Eden.
Mr.. Hatch of Groton has introduced a
bill to exempt from taxation groves of
not more than five acres held by churches
and religious societies for the purpose of
holding meetings, picnics, ETC.
Mr.. White of Rutland introduced bill
providing for the consolidation of the
Rutland railroad system. This bill per-
mits the consolidation, on such terms as
may be agreed upon by the directors and
ratified by the stockholders, of the Rut-
land railroad with the Bennington and
Rutland, Rutland Canadian, Addison
and Rutland, Ogdensburg and Lake
Champlan and Rutland and Noyon rail-
roads and Rutland Transit company,
and providing that they may consolidate
with transportation companies within
or without the state that may connect
n NJ r. oil 4 l.