St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-12-10
OUR MONTPELIER LETTER.

=. disposed OF by committee OF cOnterenc
r appointed to adjust tie disagreement be
tween the two houses. The bounty OF
foxes, all the year round, is fixed at x
cents, and that on hedgehogs at 30 cents
and the hunters of these "noxious" ami
mails can now proceed to capitalize them
selves to their hearts content.
Another thing: The legislature has
liked eight o'clock on Friday morning
the 18th, as the time Tor final adjourn
ment, and consequently has but two
days more of life, so far as this session
goes. Both houses got right down to
business on Tuesday morning, and have
ground out heavy grist every day since
then. There was quite feeling in favor
OF remaining in Montpeier over Sunday
and closing up by Wednesday morning
| but the opposite sentiment prevailed and
the senate adjourned from Friday after
noon until Monday afternoon, the house
keeping at work till Saturday afternoon,
before breaking up. The business in hand
can easily be cleaned up, decently and in
order, by Friday morning.
The popular discussion of the license
local option bill during the Thanksgiving
recess, and the sober second thought,
have borne fruit in the shape of several
desirable changes in that measure
changes unanimously made by the Joint
committee on temperance after the bill
passed the house on the night of Nov. 81
had been taken up in the senate and re-
ferred to the committee. The date on
which the people vote on this very i'm
portant question is set a month later
the first Tuesday in February. The time
at which the law becomes operative in
case of mo" vote at the polls in
February is fixed as December, 1906, in
stead of 1904. The distance of the
saloon from church or school is made
200 feet, in any direction. The division
ofreyenue from license fees and fines be.
tween town and state is fixed at half and
half instead of three. quarters to state
and one quarter to town as provided tor
when the bill passed the house. Ard a
saving clause, covering pending actions
under the present law, was added. The |
senate has passed the bill in this form. |
and 1t is expected the house will agree to |
these changes, with the exception, pos,
sibly, of the division clause, which NAV
provoke little debate. This reconcilia.
ton process makes the bill more accent
able and obviates any further prolonged
struggle in the legislature.
The desire OF the town of Woodbury. to
aid the Fletcher Granite Company by an
appropriation of $4,000 was interiered
with by Gov. Mccullough, who returned
the bill to the house with his disapproval.
He held that such action by tie town
would be unconstitutional, and the
house sustained his veto by a vote of
1877 to 2.
There was a very pretty scrap" over
the bill introduced by Mr.. Durick Of
Castleton, holding railroad companies
liable to the extent of from $4,000 to
$4,000, for deaths by accident resulting
from faulty construction orequpment or
by reason of negligence on the part of
their agents or employees. Mr.. Durick
had to do most OF the talking for the
bill aud entertained the house with !
VIVID picture OF the corporation lawyer.
The lower branch passed the measure for
him, but the senate hit it hard and it
died.
The weekly payment bill has again
undergone the usual experience. As mer-
toned in our last letter, the house passed
it, but on Thursday the senate killed it
by vote OF 21 to 8. 1t is understood |
that about every senator objected to the
bill at the outset as savoring of "class
legislation" but few of them were will
ing to vote for it if certain qualifying
amendments could be made. Several
were attempted and voted down, and
alter nearly two hours of debate the
whole proposition was '1aid away" to
await resurrection two Years hence
Senator Stiles of Caledonia county
voted for the bill, and Senator Graves
against it.
The Russell cattle commission bill.
which has been so long bone of conten-
ton completed its legislative trip on
wednesday, being passed by the house,
1877 to SO. 1t was slightly improved by
an amendment providing for a tubercu.
lin test of cattle to be imported into this
state, and by an empowering of the