Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-12-09
THE LEGISLATURE
Communication Refused to Mrs
Mary Rogers, the Murderess
Several Bills Of Interest to Brattleboro
Acted Upon important Measures
Through the Gauntlet.
Montpelier, Dec. 3.

Acted Upon Important Measures
Through the Gauntlet.
Montpelier, Dec. Q.
The legislatures week has been busy
and hurried one. The treatment of so
| important measures as the local option
| law. womans suffrage. plurality com
mutation Of a death sentence, and bills
bearing on the educational. financial and
other features of the state economy has
been more or less impeded by the de-
! mand of numerous private and corpora
ton bills; and the tendency of the house
| to talk on matters that are naturally not
| expected to evoke much debate has block
! ed somewhat the rapid transaction of
| business. The house has been meeting
/ earlier in the day in order to get through
! without leaving much undone.
The senate has INDUCED in bit of in
dependence and refused to confirm Gov
/ Bells nomination of l.. a. Cobb of Brigh-
| ton as inspector of finance, but the upper
branch was satisfied with the reappoint-
ment of Tax Commissioner Cushman and
promptly confirmed it. Another man
| resident of Wndham county--is said to
! have been considerably talked Of for that
position, but the executive decided to re-
tain the present efficient incumbent.
OF Local Interest.
Three bills introduced by President
/ Pierce have gone successfully through both
/ houses the past week. One of them pro-
| vides for the exemption for a term of
| years Of waste or uncultiVated lands that
| are planted with forest trees. The second
/ makes some distinct changes in the de-
| partment of game and fisheries: estab-
| fishes one fish and game commissioner
/ instead of two, to be appointed by the
| governor, with the advice and consent
| of the senate, at a salary of $1,000 year:
/ rarn dos oil
| commissioner of a fish and game warden
| in each county, who shall operate under
| the supervision of the commissioner, and
| receive ~ a day and actual travelling eX-
penses while officially employed The
idea of this bill is to conserve and develop
the fish and game interests of the state
The legislature saw the point, recognized
the measure good thing and so push
| ed 1t along. The third bill imposes a
penalty for injury to highway by divert
ing any water course, by dragging logs
or timber or by using wagons with mar
! row tires or rigid wheels; and for OBJ
structing a highway in any manner
whatever.
Three measures touching directly upon
the interests of Brattleboro people. and
which have been referred to in detail in
this correspondence, have this week
| finished their course with the sanction of
both houses. These are the bill amend
]
the amendment of the Connecticut River
| Power company's charter as to the flood
ing of the Retreat meadows. etc, and the
incorporation of the Austine Sanitarium
Communication Refused.
BY the decisive vote of 139 to 81 the
house on Wednesday afternoon refused
the third reading of the bill to commute
the death sentence of Mary NJ Rogers TO
imprisonment for life. and settled a ques-
ton that has attracted more attention
outside of the Legislature than among the
members. The proceedings savored some
what of the spectacular though not so
much so as on that previous occasion two
years ago, when the sentences of the con-
victed murderers We're commuted. Repre-
sentatives' hall was packed to repetion-
so crowded that many were unable to
get in. A large majority of the specta-
tors Were ladies. The main speakers in
behalf of Communication were Mr. OSulli-
van of st. Adams city and Mr. Archibald
of Manchester. Mr.. Shaw of Marlboro
was among the supporters of the bill He
said that although he voted for the re-
tention of capital punishment he could
not give his vote to thus destroy this
fellow being. lest. haply, there might be
possibility of reform and change of
heart. 1t was not denied by the advo-
Gates of clemency that Mrs. Rogers had
just been found guilty of a great crime
D
right to take human life, but communal
ion was sought on the ground of mercy
and the fact that the public would not
benefit by the woman's hanging.
The opposition TO the bill was led by Mr..
Hlliard of Cabot and Mr. Grout of Derby,
the argument being that the majesty of
the law must be upheld; that member
voting for the measure would in point of
fact, be helping to break law which he
was sworn to maintain; that sympathy
and sentiment should not decide so i'm
portant question; that the courts, after
most complete acquaintance with the
| facts, had decided the matter and that it
was not for the legislature to interfere.
A majority of the house took this view.
Windham countys vote was thus re-
corded: For commandments. Brown of
| Wilmington, Hastings of Athens. johnson
of Somerset Marsh of Brookline, Miner
of Halifax, Porter of Nottingham, Shaw
| of Marlboro, Tyler of Guilford, Wood of
| Windham. Corser of Putney. Against
| commandments. Clark of Grafton Fits
of Wardsboro, Melendy of Londonderry,
| Nutting of Westminster. Pike of Stratton,
| Ryther of Dover, Sherwin of Jamaica,
Walker of Dummerston, Willard of Town
shend, Wright of Vernon Mr. Campbell
of Rockingham was away on account of
sickness in his family.
Laws OF Late Manufacture.
Among the measures which have been
| finally passed on by both houses and ad-
mitted to the dignity of full-fiedged sta
| tutes during the past week are the fol-
| lowing: