Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-11-08
MUCH WORK THAT
DOES NOT SHOW.
APPARENTLY. LEGISLATURE DID
NOT ACCOMPllSH MUCH.

Assemblies, Sanuuets, etc, TAKE
Too Much Time. --Golna to Count
Those Bennington County Votes
after Al.--The Situation Builetined
as Things Stand.
last " eek was one OF the few such that
| always characterize every session OF tbs
Vermont legislature, Apparently, little
was accomplished; really, good deal was
done, II does not show on the surface,
but il will later, Onlya few measures OF
| importance were disposed OF hy either
house, but the consideration of several
| important bills was taken up in com
! mittee, and some were reported, while
others are nearly ready. The framing OF
substitute committee bills-a tayorlte ANA
generally acceptable method OF dealing
with heavy propositions also IN pro-
| cess. A number OF important measures
! that had been held up until they could be
| whipped into shape or until sentiment
! could be prepared for them appeared last
week. II takes good deal Of tlnesse TO
accomplish legislation, The work was
somewhat delayed last week by various
reunions, banquets, JOINT assemblies, etc.
! II is apparent that rather too much Of
this sort is creeping in,
| The PRINCIPAL matters engaging atten-
| tiOn last " eek may be considered under
! the following heads
Postmasters unseatcd principle
| seems to have been fully established this
/ session that persons holding he office Of
postmaster at the time OF their election
+ are not eligible to seats in the House.
/ A provision OF the state constitution quite
| clearly iurbids a man holding an office
of profit or trust under the authority Of
| Congress, whose emOlumeuts come from
| the treasury OF the In ted States, from
serving in the Legislature There were
I five such this year in the House, and the
elections committee, after fun Cousidera-
ton, reported that they should he UNI
seated, The House debated the matter at
length. la defence OF the holders it was
urged that tourth-class 1 postmasters do
not actually receive their pay from the
treasury, but from the sale Of stamps,
also that a liberal construction OF the
constitution left the question in doubt,
and that the holders should receive the
benefit OF that doubt. The House gave a
test vote OF l23 to 70 in favor OF unseating
Mr.. FELTON, OF Hlghgate, then unseated
Mr.. Slade OF Rutland town, Mr.. Burnham
OF Woodbury. and Mr. Spaulding of Sher-
burne. The case of Mr.. Hapgood of Peru
came up Thursday and he Jared like the
rest, after being given the courtesy OF
chance to plead his own case. The vote
towns will have TO go unrepresented the
balance of the session. The holders
will rec i've pay and mileage up TO the
time they were unseated. II has been
suggested that when the cards OF M
structions are posted for September
election they should include a notice that
postmasters are Ineligible as town repre-
seDIatives.
Court reorganization House Judi
clary committee has reported a substitute
for the So called lawyers bill, embodying
Its main features, but with some COM
promise changes. 1t provides for two
courts, one supreme court, or court OF
appeals, consisting Of four judges, the
other a superior, or county trial court,
OF six judges. Salaries Of all judges are
liked at 5000 year. By requiring that
the superior court shall perform the
duties now performed by referees, special
masters, etc, it is hoped to save an ex.
pense of about $4,000 a biennial term.
A superior judge may be called to the
supreme bench temporarily. It will re-
quire the concurrence Of three of the four
supreme judges to reverse ruling OF the
lower court. The bill combines much in
the way OF desired improvement and
will probably pass, though not all of the
lawyer members even are for it.
Plurality elections-Mr. Chedel's bill
providing for election of representatives
by plurality on fourth ballot, if ma
Iority is not secured before, was refused
third reading in the Senate, IS to ii,
but later was reconsidered, 10 to IA. and
was set for special order Tuesday.
capital punishment-A substitute BILL
favorable to abolition, has been prepared
by the House judiciary committee, and
the subject Will engross the attention of
that body.
Automobiles-A few more bills relating
to regulation have appeared in the House,
but the subject seems to have lost its in
terest. The opinion expected from At
torney- General Fits as to the authority
OF the state or of towns to bar highways to
the auto has not yet been made public.
Bennington county contest-More real
"blood" has developed over the election
contest between Daley and Meagher and
their respective partisans as to counting
the votes cast for states attorney IN Ben-
nlngton county than anything thus far.
Ii was supposed that when the House re-
fused to authorize the canvasslng COM
mittee to send for the ballots and nav the
expense connected that ended the matter.
out 1t did not. 1t appears that the as
semDly as such has no authority over the
canvassing committee in the conduct of
It's work, which is expressly defined bv the
constitution and which the assembly il
bound to accept as final when reported
Inc question If sending for the ballots
was therefore taken up before this com.
mittee and elaborate constitutional and
other arguments presented by counsel and
afhdavits submitted tending to show queer
40 ngs IN Bennington county on election
Gay, While others refuted them. The
committee itself then debated the matter
al length, finally voting, "a to Is, to send
Tor the ballots, and a sub committee was
named to do this. There is some Question
as to who will "pay for the shot, mas
much as the House has refused 70 antbor-
lie the expenditure. This contest NAV
prove TO be of further interest.
Voting by delinquent taxpayers-This
CUES ION came up in the Senate on bill ~
senator johnson TO repeal the act passed
Two years ago denying delinquents Ihe
rlgnt 10 vote in town, village and schonI
meetings.: The bill was adversely renort-
ed by the committee. The introducer
supported 1t IN speech, but third readino
was refused. Later an ATTEMPT to recon-
slaer JAILED, l6 to IL. Senator Van Patten
nus plils In requiring that taxes must he
palo al least 80 days before such meetings
or the delinquent cannot vote: also thai
Ihose whose taxes have been abated shoIi
not vote. ''eu 'llail
Champlain tri-centennial The HorOo
ADOPTED Joint resolution looking toworS
me celebration in 1909 of the three ~
dreoth anniversary of the discovery %
lake Champlain. 1t is proposed to invite
lhe cooperation Of New York and Cano5o
anu an exposition is suggested. This re,
olution is not definitely committive and
carries no appropriation. anu
1g,trT -.