Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-12-05
THE LEGISLATURE.
Final Form Of the License Bill
Agreed on in Committee
Both Houses Hard at Work to Clean
Up their Business.
MONTPELIER. Wednesday. Dec. g.

Up their Business.
Montpelier, Wednesday, Dec. 3.
The legislature returned to it's work
cess. The members were slow in
getting back, and during the entire
morning session of the House there
was no quorum, but no objection was
raised and a good days work was
done in both branches, confined most
ly, however, to disposing of unlmport-
ant bills. On resuming its work af-
ter the recess the legislature had be-
fore 1t a total Of 1858 bills to be con-
sidered, or more than half of the 653
bills introduced in both houses.
The most important single item of
business during the day was the intro
duction in the House by Mr.. Dart
of Springfield, from the committee on
ways and means, of a bill amending
the corporation tax law. This bill
makes no change in the rate of taxa
ton, but changes the method of ad-
ministration with a view to facilitat-
ing the collection of the corporation
taxes. 1t increases the amount of
exempt savings banks deposits from
81 500 to $4,000. The House wrestled
with the "noxious animals" bill, and
got a little fun out of the discussion.
The result was a refusal to concur
in the Senate amendments which
placed a bounty OF 1925 on foxes dur
ing the summer and a bounty of 40
cents on hedgehogs.
The Senate, after a somewhat
lengthy discussion, refused a third
reading to the bill introduced in the
House by Mr.. Dunklee of Vernon, do
ing away with exemption from tax
alton for debts outside the state, the
balance of opinion being that the
dishonesty in making out inventories
which the bill would prevent might
be more than balanced by the injury
and hardship 1t would work among
honest tax payers.
Gov. Mccullough sent in his first
veto of the session In a message re-
fusing approval OF the House bill
authorizing the town of Woodbury. to
appropriate $4,000 to aid the Fletcher
Granite company. The governor
holds the bill to be unconstitutional
in principle. The House sustained
the veto by vote OF 1877 to 2.
Senator Greene submitted the re-
port of the committee appointed to
examine the murderers, Doherty and
Eastwood, as to their sanity. The
committee reported In substance that
they believe Doherty afflicted with
form OF insanity called paranoia and
that he was probably insane at the
time of the commission of the murder
as all paranoiacs are dangerous.
They report that Eastwood is suffer
ing from alcoholic dementia, compli-
Gated by degenatiye disease of spinal
cord known as locomotor ataxia.
There is some difference in the COM
mittee as to whether his insanity is
due to alcoholism or result OF
general paresis. The report was re-
ferred to committee on judiciary.
At today's session in the Senate
Senator Graves's bill giving presiden-
tial suffrage to women was defeated
90 to after hard fight. Senator
Spencer of Windham strongly advo-
Gated the passage of the bill. Among
the bills passed by the Senate Were
those doing away with the necessity
for the presiding judges certificate
for the payment of salaries Of states
attorneys, and to equalize school adj
vantages by providing for transporta-
ton of pupils or payment of tuition
in adjoining towns.
There was a sharp discussion in
the House on the bill called the
liability of railroads" bill. This
bill, which was finally passed on
yea and nay vote, 40 to 33, makes
railroads liable to fine of $4,000 TO
IS 900 in case of death of any person
through the fault of the company or
its employees. There was a close fight
on the bill amending the law relating
to road commissioners, so as to re-
quire these officers to get authority
from the selectmen before exceeding
the amount of their appropriation
The bill was finally passed. The
Senate bill in aid of higher education
for women at Mlddlebury college was
concurred in. Other bills passed by
the House include that Incorporating
the Grafton & Saxtons River Railway
company.
The bill prohibiting the sale of fish
caught in Vermont waters was killed
after a warm discussion. Mr.. Law
renee of Rutland said he had in
troduced the bill by request of work
ingmen of his own city. who could
fish only one day in the week and
wanted to enjoy the sport instead OF
finding the brooks depleted by those
who catch to sell. Following the
recommendation of the committee on
the state prison, a bill has been In
troduced appropriating $4,000 for re-
pairs and for the erection of a hos
pital. The bill providing for county
license fee of $500 for peddlers was
refused passage after spirited dis
cussion.
The report of the committee on
the house of correction was presented
in the House, giving a favorable ac-
count of the condition of that insti-
tuition. The bill creating the Office
of insurance commissioner was killed.
There was hearing this evening on
the bill to commute the death sent
ence of Frank Shaw. A good deal
OF testimony was heard. Mrs. Big
wood of Winooski. recently admitted
to the Vermont bar, appeared for the