Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-12-16
LEGISLATURES WORK ENDED
Adjournment Saturday Morning Passed Liquor Law
Indicated in The Phoenix Last Week
BILLS INTRODUCED BY THE WIDNHAM COUNTY ME-
More Important Measures Passed Than by Any Other Legislature
in MISREPRESENTATION to Speaker Merrifed
Montpelier, Dec. 10.


The legislature that was "snuffed out"
at o'clock this morning, after the candle
of legislative zeal had burned all night,
will be criticized of course, as all its pre-
decessors have been, but II will be re-
membered for its gift of 100000 to build
a Morrill, Agricultural hall; for its step
towards caucus reform: for giving the
state an attorney general; for amending
the license law; for creating n permanent
school fund; for the automobile BILL for
it's foot BALI practice with plurality; for
repeating the noxious animal bounty
laws; for its reconstruction OF the statute
as to fishing; for its refusal to abolish
capital punishment for its child labor
bill; for forestry legislation; for the near
ness to which 1t came to the passage OF
a woman suffrage bill; for increasing the
tax on corporations; and for several other
things. for all of which 1T is entitled to
some credit. Five hundred and fifty bills
were introduced in the house and 1874 in
the senate. This total of 734 included 225
corporation and so-called private meas
ures.
The main features of the last days ses-
sion were the debate over the license bill,
a joint resolution on the Mary Rogers
case, final action on the plurality Ques-
ton, and an almost interminabe run of
amendments to house bills by the senate.
which consumed a large amount OF val
liable time. Bills regulating the manage
ment of creameries, providing for the
taking of water for public purposes en-
larging the powers of the cattle COM
mission as to Importation of cattle into
Vermont, and relating to exemption of
church property were among those which
successfully finished their course on that
day. Included in the list of defeated bills
was the one making the railroad commits
sion elective by the legislature every two
years, and cutting down the per diem of
the conference.-the by the senate
after passing the house The bills rem-
bursting certain towns for money paid for
high school education, authorizing the
election Of selectmen and listers for a
term of years, and giving the husband
one-thrd of deceased wife's estate, were
also killed.
Warm Debate on the License Law.
When The Phoenix went to press last
week the house was having n warm time
over the bill reported by the Joint tenn
perance committee, and certain excited
members whose objections to the measure
were being overruled were saying some
thing about gag" law and too hurried
legislation. The statement then made
that the bill would probably go through
as reported was confirmed to the letter
by the action OF the house, but the atmos-
phere grew decidedly CLOSE" and the
tension high before it was done
The bill had gone through the senate
without ripple, but when the house took
it up Mr.. Archibald of Manchester siren
uously objected to the appointment of Ii
cense commissioners by the assistant
judges. and the provision for search and
seizure without Warrant. Mr.. Billiard of
Burlington Joined in the attack on these
two features and pitched into the
clause relative to the sale OF cider. Mr..
IIilliard of Cabot wanted to eliminate the
second class license altogether, and anoth-
er member criticized the bill because II
did not require the Australian system OF
balloting on the yes" and mo" by every
town in the state.
Mr.. OSullivan of st. Adams city made
the principal speeches in defence of the
bill as reported and he was earnestly
backed by Mr. Proctor, Mr.. Grout and
others. II was insisted that the com
mittee had taken much pains to draft the
bill in the interest OF the people and not
of the rum sellers; that the features of
the act OF 1902 to which rum sellers had
strongly objected before the committee
had been retained: that there was peril
in allowing selectmen or aldermen to
name the license commissioners, and st.
Adams city's experiences were cited as
proving the opportunity for disastrous
collision between local authority and the
the license board: that the bill was the
best that could be framed under existing
| conditions The house. after shutting off
debate in the forenoon. allowed a half
hour of 1t in the afternoon, and then
passed the bill exactly as the committee
reported 1t, by a vote of 15S to 70.
| That Auto Bill.
In the wee. sma hours of the morning
| of Saturday the automobile bill finishedS
a successful run through both branchesl
the house good-naturedy agreeing with
| the senate amendments These struck
out the section giving selectmen the right
to exclude automobiles from certain roads
and modified the provision requiring auto
| operators to stop 75 feet from an APP
! preaching team until signalled to ad-
vance, so as to require simply the ut
most precaution the part of every