The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1900-11-23
Harris's Melange.
MONTPELIER, Nov. 10.

important ones of the session-are yet il
the hands of committees and unreported
OF 145 Senate bills introduced, 81 are ye
in possession of the various committees
This makes 176 bills yet to be reported
and acted upon by the two bodies. Many
of these bills are of considerable conse
quence, action on which has been delayed
until the flood Of small trash could be
weeded out. Their are eight more work
ing days before final adjournment, if il
is had the day before Thanksgiving, as
usual. With this statement of the condi-
tion of business and with your knowledge
of the ways of legislation, you are as com.
petent to Judge of the probability of final
adjournment before Thanksgiving as any.
one. AS a matter of fact, the work can.
not be thoroughly and well done if adj
journment is had at that time. The sub
iects yet to come before the two houses
are of large consequence to the people,
most of them, and cannot be given the
consideration which is their due in the
| limit ed time. They can be cut and slashed
and slaughtered and thrown overheard
bodily, and this is very likely what will
be done in order to adjourn next week
! Wednesday morning.
OF all the bills to be considered, the To-
cal option measure is of course upper
most in the minds of the legislators All
possible investigation fails to give any ac-
curate idea as to what the result of the
vote will be. The most that can be said
is that the bill will probably pass the
Senate and fail in the House. Everybody
expects some red hot discussion when it
comes up in either house, and that ora
tory will be rampant appears to be appre-
hended. Only one public hearing has
been had on the bill, and that was a
dreary fizzle. The hall of the House was
crowded by anxious and anticipating men
and women last Tuesday evening. but
| not word was said on the question be-
fore the committee. G. FL. Robb of Bel
lows Falls and Elder Hunt of st. Johns
bury each made a good old-fashioned
spread eagle temperance address, but
were of no assistance whatever in assist
ing the committee in determining If they
should or should not report iii favor of
allowing the people to decide the ques-
tion. The arguments of the two gentle
men seemed to assume that the legisla-
ture was about to vote on a free rum bill
at once, when in fact, if the bill becomes
a law, it will be enacted by the people
next March. This was all the speaking
| for or against the bill, and no further
| hearings were announced. Meanwhile,
petitions for and against the bill continue
to pile in, although the flood tide appears
| to have passed.
The meeting of the Joint assembly to
complete the election of state officers, did
what was expected in the election of Gen.
Gilmore as quartermaster general and
adjutant general. the passage of the mil
itia bill having consolidated the two of
fees. A surprise came in the election of
Hamilton S. Peck of Burlington as judge
advocate general, with the rank of briga-
dier-general. Previous to the election
Peck's candidacy was known to but very
few. The democratic contingent in the
Legislature named Representative Mona
han of Underhill as their candidate for
the office, thinking perhaps that. as they
had realized absolutely nothing out of
their large and reasonable expectations
at the opening of the session, they might
possibly be allowed this crumb by the
majority, But place had to be made
for Peck and although Capt. Monahan re-
ceived quite number of republican
votes, the result was foregone conclu-
sion. Therefore, Burlington continues to
have general by the name of Peck.
Representative Currier of Troy is yet
prolific in the great schemes of states
manship. Last Thursday he introduced
bill to create state distillery. whereby
the state could produce all kinds OIL - 1T
and spIrituous liquors, of absolute purity
and at cost, and thus save i'll the state
the considerable sum sent outside for
goods for medicinal and mechanical pur-
poses. But the word distillery scared
the committee and the House into blue
fits, and the bill was killed as dead as a
misfortune came to Mr. Currier in the
utter failure of his attempt to abolish the
board of agriculture. He had worked on
this subject during the ses sion, was the |
father of the bill and was loaded to the
muzzle with facts and figures bearing on |
the case, and when the bill finally came
up for consideration in the House he |
found himself absolutely alone. The bill
was vigorously opposed by several of the
leaders, and was finally dismissed by an |
overwhelming vote. AS one member put
it, "If we abolish the board of agriculture,
the backbone of the farming interests of
the state, we might as well remove the
COW and sheaf of wheat from the state
coat of arms and substitute therefor the
fish hatchery and the Buffalo exposition"
so the board remains, but very likely the
governor will change the personnel of the
board very materially.
The biennial rumpus over the fish
hatchery is at last ended, after the bill
was kicked from one house to the other
dozen times more or less, and Commits
sioner Titcomb is at last at rest. just
what condition the state laboratory bill
Is in is not definitely known, but it is
to be somewhere in the archives
Of the Senate. 1t will probably be taken
put and passed before the end comes, if it
,an be reached and anybody happens to
5hink of it.
Senator Cudworth's bill to provide for
/ forestry commission meets with more
md more favor, the more it is considered
Ind the better it is understood. The i'm ;
Dortant point in the bill appears to be
hat which allows the commission to pur-
chase for the state waste and unproduc-
i've lands and to retain them until they !
IAN be made to produce valuable crop !
If timber. Immense tracts of land which
ire now absolutely worthless would in
ime bear timber crops of large value if
hey could be kept from being devastated
or sufficient length of time. In view
If this fact alone and considering the fur
her fact that no appropriation is asked
or and that the expense to s-ate will |
Dc very little, it seems as if t-s PROPOSE
ion ought to be given trial.
The Buffalo exposition bill is yet in the
lir, but there will be very little further
5rouble with it. Very likely WI an it is
it will provide for $1,000
appropriation.
The bill for the removal of the capital
hasn't come out of its hole at date of
writing, and very little more is expected
70 be heard from it.
The bill to increase the per diem pay of
the representatives and senators from
three to four dollars per day each and ten
cents a mile for mileage meC with sud-