St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-11-23
MONTPELIER GOSSIP.
lcontinued from Second Page.l

The debate over capital punishment
lasted two hours and halt. and the ten
sion was high. The house was against
abolition, from the start, but it courre-
ousiy listened to impassioned appeals
and twice Withdrew a motion to close
the discussion. An attack on the clergy
by Mr.. Billiard of Burlington for their
supposed attitude In favor OF capital
punishment was manfully and effectively
met by Mr. Hubbard of Cabot and Mr..
O'Sullivan OF St. Adams city. The best
speeches against the bill were made by
Mr.. Fits of rattleboro and Mr.. Miles
of Barton. The house was convinced
that capital punishment does deter crime
and so voted to retain that penalty.
1t was a case of small town against
a city and big town in the contro-
versy over the proposed increase of the
state highway tax to eight cents instead
of FIVE. The large fellows didn't want
any heavier burdens put upon them, and
thought the FIVE cent tax ample. The
smaller fellows, while willing to be help
ed to better roads saw the point, refused
to use the power they had, did the fair
thing by the cities aud large towns, and
killed the bill.
The Lowell Albany fight was warm
one, but the house refused to pass Low
ellis on the ground that the giving away
useless and undesirable territory by one
town to another which didn't want 1T
wasn't entitled to legislative sanction.
Some of the New Laws.
Both houses have passed the bills au-
thorizing tests of the evesight and hear
ing of public school pupils and for the
condemnation of school buildings exam
ined and found unfit for use, from the
sanitary standpoint.
Il HI IaG~
and Furnishing the crime of kidnapping
the fine was raised from $1,000 to $1O,-
900. A close season for English pleas
ants has been established, the bill pro-
viding for assessments of county tax has
been put through, selectmen are author
lied to take land necessary to the laying
out of wood roads, and the measure re-
lating to the filing of bonds with the pro-
bate court is a law.
Widows have been given the right to
take household goods left by husbands
dying intestate and without issue. The
bill reimbursing farmers IN Chester and
vicinity for losses incurred in fighting the
foot and mouth disease has finally passed
and involves the payment of 1882.
There was no opposition, of course, to
the $24, 900 appropriation for the Sol
diers' Home for the next two years term.
And the legislature has decided that tree
wardens may be appointed by the towns
and public shade trees duly protected.
The bills relating to expense of comput-
ing the reserve liability of life insurance
companies, and providing that domestic
insurance companies shall not do bust
ness till certified copies of their charters
are filed and their general condition ex
amined, were successful.
These Were Defeated.
The special committee of Caledonia
county members reported adversely on
the bill for new jail-only FIVE out of
the seventeen thinking such a building at
all necessary. 1t was thought that with
some repairs the present jail would do
for several years to come.
Competition was kept away from the
Hardwick village electric light and
power plant by a refusal to incorporate
a private concern and let it into that
village.
The effort on the part of some Rutland
business men to secure a general charter
act that would apply to all cities of
Vermont was not endorsed by the cor
porations committee or the house. In
view of differing local needs it was de-
cided that no general charter would fit
all cities alike. The bill in question was
framed, and did not harmonic with
the laws of Vermont.
The senate killed a bill imposing fifty
dollars fine for hunting on Sunday; and
the house rejected a new rule for meas
uring saw logs and round timber.
Bills providing for a town highway
tax Of IS cents. making selectmen settlers
of disputes over money to be paid out by
road commissioners. and providing tor
changes in the state highway commits
sioner's administration, with view to
permanent road work in the respective
towns, were refused third reading.
The senate objected to increasing the
powers of married women as to becom-
ing surety. The bill exempting money
loaned at four per cent. or less mortgage,
met the usual tate.
The house wouldn't vote to change
the boundary line between Ira and Poult-
ney, and killed the bill putting the re-
pairs of bridges into the hands of road
commissioners.
The biennial try at repeating the six
inch trout law failed again; cities and
towns were refused the right to unite for
highway Improvement; and savings
banks were told that they couldn't in
vest in bonds of towns of 5000 popula-
ton In Texas and Tennessee.
The familiar bill to give Craftsbury
and Derby academies the Orleans county
grammar school fund was again defeated
after a spirited debate by members from
that county; and the county was also
refused the chance to levy special tax
to pay up it's indebtedness. The bill to
make GO hours a weeks work in state
institutions was also killed, as was that
taxing personal property and debts ow-
ing where located.
The senate killed the house bill to pre-
vent publisher from collecting for pa,
pers sent after the subscription had ex-
pired and it also laid away a bill regu-
lating the practice of embalming. and
another providing for compulsory
connections between telephone COM
panies. 1~.E
The house killed the measure intended
to protect the small evergreen trees that
are being cut down for Christmas pur-
poses in such large numbers; and re-
fused to prohibit deer hunting for three
years. The nonresident can now dig
oiusenp in Vermont without anxiety as