Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-11-20

Montpelier, Nov. l3.-The one topic of
|uonversatlon around the State house to-
day has been the report OF the majority
and minority of the joint committee on
temperance and the liquor bills submit
ted by them which were Introduced in
both houses this morning, read by their
titles only, and under the rule ordered to
lie and he printed. The line w of the COM
mittee was as follows; For the high Ii
ccnse local option bill with a referendum,
Senators Russell, Downcr, Sibley, Nelson
and Tracy, and Representatives Ellis OF
Fair Haven. Fletcher of Cavendish,
Douglass of Williston, Howe of Reads
boro. Vincent of Orwell, Conland of
Brattlcboro, q sullivan of st. Adams city
and Pape of Barre city, for the Battell
bill, Senators Emery, Spencer, Annis and
Walbridgo, and Representatives Battcll
of Middlebury, Bailey of Newbury, Dartt
of Springfield Fish of Royalton, Dixon of
)Itardwick, Seaver of Barton, Randall of
Wocott and Vail of Worcester. The high
license bill is made up from the Ii
cense measure introduced by Mr. Peck
OF Brandon, and the bills introduced by
Mr. Fletcher of Cavendish and Mr.. Bat
tell of Middlebury.
The majority bill follows the general
lines of the bill for which it was sub
stituted, high lcense-local option, with a
referendum on the first Tuesday in Jan
uary on the question when the act shall
go into effect.
! The minority bill is the Battell bill with
d some changes. The cider clause is altered
so as to confine sales to cider in the
barrel by the makers thereof or those
who raise the apples Licenses granted
to railway dining cars 45 per carp and
steamboats, (s2j per boat. The referendum
. clause provides for vote a March meet
ing next on the question of the accept
Iffatt
'rence TO date when 1t goes into effect
Il straight referendum.
| Had either one of these bills been unani-
moUsly reported by the committee or had
the minority report on either bill been
N"ry small il is probable the bill reported
would have been passed by the Senate and
louise with little or no opposition or dis
| cussiOn. This close lineup of the commit
ice and the fact that the license bill only
has majority of one, makes the situation
very much more complex and no one is
rash enough to predict the length of time
ii will take in either house to bring either
one of these bills to a vote. The opinion is
quite generally expressed to-day that It
will he impossible to complete the work of
the session before Thanksgiving and 1t
| has been suggested that an adjournment
he taken from Friday November u to this
. Monday or Tuesday after Thanksgiving
| Inasmuch il would be folly to return
week unless final adjournment can he
| rea ched at that time, the above suggestion
meets with considerable favor. 1t is not
expected the license bills will be returned
from the printer in time TO take them w
| this week.
The license-local option bill is printed be
low in full
| DEFINITION OF INTOXICATING
LIQUOR.
Sec l. The term Intoxicating liquors
as used in this act shall mean ale, porter,
beer, lager beer, cider. all wines, any pew
| crage which contains more than one per
cent. of alcohol by volume at sixty de-
| grees Farenheit. and distilled spirits; and
he sale thereof shall be regulated as in
| his act provided.
Sec :. The warrant Of every town
meeting to be held on the first Tuesday OF
March 1908, and annually thereafter shall
| 'ontain an article providing for a vote
| pom the question Shall licenses be grant
| 81 for the sale Of intoxicating liquors in
this town. The vote under this article
Bhal be by ballot in the following form: