Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1901-03-21
CORRESPONDENCE.
OUR CONCORD LETTER.
The End Approaching Dual Court
Bill Many Measures Killed.

back from town meeting until Wednes-
day afternoon, but enough to do business
stayed here until late Friday afternoon.
The Senators got here Wednesday morn
ing and went home Thursday afternoon.
so that each branch put in practically
two days. A large amount of business
was transacted, but so much more
appeared, in the disposition of which
there is likely to be trouble, that dark
clouds still obscure the date of final
adjournment. An attempt was made to
fix it for Friday of this week, but to this
the house refused to consent March 20
now appears to be the more probable
date and unless a different method of
procedure is adopted from that which
has so far obtained the general court
will be here into April. Powerful influ-
ences, however, are DESTROYS that the end
should be reached at once, so that it will
not be a great surprise to see the legisla-
ture cut loose and quit at any time with
out ceremony.
The most important action of last
week was the passage by the house of
the dual court bill, the title of which
was amended to read ian act providing
for judicial system consisting of two
courts On Thursday morning the
house committee on appropriations re-
ported that the bill ought to pass. Four
members of the committee, including
Mr. Bill of Westmoreland, dissented, but
did not make minority report. Mr..
Burroughs of Bow moved to indefinitely
postpone the bill and spoke in favor of
his motion. Batchelder of Keene replied,
, and that, Engagement, closed the debate.
| The vote resulted: Yes 1923 no, 100
which was the greatest strength devel-
! oped at any stage by the opponents of
| the bill.
| Numerous amendments we're next Of
fered; leaving the salaries of the judges
at the present figures, making the num-
Der of law court judges three instead of
! five, postpGning the bill to the constitu-
tional convention, and expressly denying
to the new law court the power of judg-
ing questions of fact. All these were de-
feated by varying majorities and the bill
was read a third time and passed, the
it was referred to the Judiciary commit.
tee and will doubtless be favorably re-
ported and passed tomorrow by the up
!
second Tuesday in April SO that the law
term in this city last week was probably
the last time the present full bench OF
the supreme court will be officially to-
gether.
Another important measure passed by
the house last week was that providing
for the holding of convention to revise
the constitution. House and senate con
Cured in the appointment of a joint COM
mittee to confer with similar commit
tee from the Massachusetts, general court
| in regard to drafting bill defining the
boundary line between New Hampshire
and the Bay State, a matter of ten years
standing.
lfsThe senate passed the bill to revise the
fish and game laws of the state after quite
an exciting battle; also joint resolution
directing the encouragement to proceed
in the courts against certain banks which
are said to have withheld from their re-
turns for taxation some millions of dol
lars worth of Concord & Montreal and
Concord & Claremont railroad bonds and
other securities. The banks will fight
the matter, claiming that the bonds in
| question are exempt from taxation under
the law, and the decisions OF the courts
in the case will be important.
/ Nearly 20 new bills, some of them de-
handing careful consideration, made
their legislative debut last week. Among
4 them was an act establishing the appor-
1 tionment of representatives to the legis-
lature for the next 10 years in accord
ance with the populations disclosed by
| the census of 1900; also a caucus law,
providing for the use of checklists to be
| made up by the party executive commit
| nd ot fol- in hn
| of jailors and the control of jails away
from the high sheriffs and vesting them
1 in the several boards of county commits
sioners. There will be warm debates be-
/ fore either of the two last named bills
| becomes law.
! In addition six special orders have
been made for next week; on Tuesday
! the bill to change the method of distrib-
uting the public acts and resolves, on
which the committee on revision of
statutes has made two reports, the bill
to incorporate the Nashua, Manchester
& Concord street railway, and a joint
resolution making heavy appropriation
| for highway repairs in the town of San
| bornton; on Wednesday, bills to regulate
| the inspection of milk, to provide for
flags upon school houses, and to prevent
prize fights and sparring exhibitions.
Moreover. the public printing commits
sion bill is on the table in the house and
similar position in the senate is occu-
pied by the bill to exempt from taxation
the real estate of the Appalachian Noun
tain club, measure which was killed
in the house, but has come to life in
the upper branch.
Last week the house killed about 30
bills, including acts to require the Ii
censing of auctioneers; to establish a
bounty on hawks; to require non-resi-
dents to take out hunting licenses; to es-
! tablish state constabulary;> to provide
for the appointment of state engineer;
to regulate the hours of labor on street
railways; to amend the mortgage laws.
The state highway bills came forward
in bunch on Friday. The house COM
mittee on appropriations reported in ia
vor of $40, 900 for such a road between
Nashua and Manchester and the COM
mittee on roads, bridges and canals
brought in an act for the appointment of
commission to lay out the same high
way from Manchester to Concord. The
same committee reported in favor of a
| $50, 900 appropriation for that part of the
ocean boulevard between hotel Went