Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-11-14
Thursday Nov. 13

BY very close vote, 13 to -, the
joint temperance committee of the
House and Senate voted last even
ing to report the liquor bill which
they have been working on since the
first week of the session. This morn
ing the bill was reported in both
houses. in the House by DIR. Conland
of Brattleboro and in the Senate by
Senator Russell of Chittenden county
in behalf of the joint temperance
committee. The two gentlemen. who
reported the bills, were both directly
interested in the measure. as they
were members of the subcommittee
which drafted the proposed bill. and
it was from their own measures that
the new bill was made.
Besides the Reconsideration bill.
another was reported from the minor
ity' of the committee. based almost
entirely on the Bsttell dispensary bill
and with very few changes from the
original In the Introduction of this
second bill lies a good deal OF sig
nificance. for It represents a split in
the Republican partv on the liquor
issue and the snlit is not confined to
the committee. but has spread to the
of the CONTROVERSY Is looked for only
after long struggle.
According to the statement of
Senator Russell. the hill which the
committee hos framed is a makeup
from all the bills put before the COM
mittee. II represents the work of
five weeks. being adopted section bv
section by the committee. The sub
committee which finally drafted the
bin was. according to the statement
of senator Russell. appointed simply
to present thu bill in proper form.
The committee meeting last even
ing. which was a closed one. was en-
tirelv harmonious so far as acrimon-
ious debate was concerned. but there
was an intenseness of interest about
the nroceedirgs that was plainly dis
cernihle. The Battel bill was read
in full. (The committee bill was
read the previous evening,) There
was not the least debate over the bills
hut simply on which one should be
adopted as the committee bill. A
question was also raised as to wheth-
er the Battell bill is a license-local-
option measure, and whether, in re-
commencing such a bill, the Republi-
cans of the committee are not break
ing the pledges made in the Repub-
lican state convention. The Battell
bill was championed chiefly bv Mr..
Bailey of Newbury, while Mr.. Fetch
er of Cavendish Senator Russell of
Chittenden county, Mr.. Conland of
Brattleboro and Mr.. O'Sullivan of ST
Adams city defended "the committee
bill" as they called the high-license-
local-option measure.
After two hours discussion the yeas
and nays were called for on which
bill should be adopted. Those vot-
ing for the committee bill were Sena.
tors Russell of Chittenden courtyl
Downer of Windsor county, Sibley OF
Washington county, Nelson of Rut,
land county and Tracey of Grand Isle
Representatives Ellis of Fair Haven
O'Sullivan of St. Adams city, Fletcher
OF Cayendish, Conland of Brattleboro
Howe of Readsboro, Vincent of Or
well. Pape of Barre city and Douglass
OF Williston. Those voting nay were
Senators Emery of Orange county
Annis OF Orleans county, Spencer OF
Windham county, Representatives
Battell of Middlebury, Bailey of New
bury, Fish of Royalton, Dart OF
Springfield, Vail of Worcester, Seaver
of Barton, Dixon of Hardwick and
Randall of Wolcott.
When the result was announced, q
lot of good natured chaffing between
the majority" and minority" fol
lowed and then the two separated in
to caucuses to plan on courses of &C,
ton. When the bills were present
ed today they were read by title only
and ordered to lie and be printed
Before the session opened this morn,
ing lobbying was started by both
sides, the beginning of the fight that
will follow. The main features OF
the license bill are as follows:
Term intoxicating liquors. shall mean