The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-12-10
KEEP PENALTY
OF DEATH
House Refuses Passage to
Daniels Bill
GIVING JURY THE OPTION
There Is Still Considerable Talk Over
Offsets, and There Is Nothing
Certain the Bill Will
Pass.


The House this morning just before
dinner, killed the bill with reference 70
capital punishment almost four TO one.
The vote was 43 to l62 on the question
OF its third reading. 1t was Mr.. Daniels
bill and he explained that IL did not do
away with capital punishment altogeth-
er, but simply gave the jury a right
to say whether man found guilty Of
murder in the first degree should be
hanged or not
The bill read as follows; Whenever
person Is found guilty of murder in the
first degree under the provisions Of sec
tions 5693 and 57oi Of the public statutes
the jury may qualify its verdict by add
ing thereto without capital punishment;
and whenever the jury returns a verdict
so qualified the person convicted shall
be imprisoned in the state prison for
life"
Mr.. Barber of Brattleboro made a
strong argument against the bill, saying
that Il meant practically the abolishment
Of capital punishment Mr.. Fletcher of
Cayendish did not think it was necessary
as things were going now, because per-
son sentenced 70 be hanged had recourse
to the legislature as last resort In
special cases.
The Offset question is being discussed
to-day about the corridors and fight
may come up on the passage Of the bill
abolishing offsets, which was passed to
third reading Wednesday afternoon,
after a day of debate. There are changes
both ways. The grangers are in session
in Burlington to-day and the friends of
the bin fear that an attempt win be
made BY them to lobby on the bill and
kill II. Mr.. DeBoer. who led off the
debate in favor Of the bin on Wednes-
day morning. was called TO Boston to.
day to attend the funeral Of Vice -Presi-
dent Phelps Of the National Life Insur-
ance Co.
In the Senate this morning the bill was
killed prohibiting ashes from being
placed on any highways Of the state.
The arguments In favor Of the bill were
That automobiles very often ran onto
tacks and nails in the ashes. The argu-
nents against it were that II was a
severe bill and would affect towns which
used ashes for filing purposes and TO
avoid slipping 1t provided for a fine
of not more than SIS for each violation
OF the act
A Joint resolution was adopted in the
Senate in an amended form calling for
commission to investigate the conditions
at the state hospital for the insane On
the commission are the governor, one of
the supervisors Of the insane, and three
citizens to be appointed BY the governor.
The purpose Of the resolution is to make
provision for future buildings on account
OF the increase in the number Of insane
each year and the crowded quarters Of
the institution which now has 575 pa
tients
In the House on Friday morning the
new cattle commissioner bill, the one
which came to the House from the com
mittee on agriculture the other day, win
be taken up as special order. II does
not change the IS per cent; allowed for
cattle killed by reason Of tuberculosis.
Several important bills came into the
House from committees this morning, |
including the one from the Joint com
mittee on temperance having reference
to the manner of appointment Of the |
license commissioners. A bill came from |
committee on education to do away with |
secret societies in high schools and one |
from the committee on railroads provid |
ing for the interchange of mileage books |
on railroads charging the same mileage
rate The bill provided for the tax on
intangibles, in It's amended form, came
into the House from the committee on
taxation.
New License Bill in House.
The new license bin that came into
the House this morning from the COM
mittee on temperance provides for a
state license commissioner to be ap
pointed by the governor before January
!, 1909. Within 40 days he shall appoint
three license commissioners in the towns
voting for license. The state commits
sioner shall receive So day and ex-
penses for time spent in the work. He
shall have q clerk and stenographer
and have on Office at the capitol in
Montpelier.
He will have charge Of the fourth
class licenses now in the hands of the
secretary Of state and shall also appoint
the druggists licenses in towns voting
no The state commissioner may remove
q license GOUlInlshtOD WIEN ne DeueNeS II
is for the interests of the town, and he
can employ agents to 60 around with
to enter saloons and make in
vestigation of conditions. He also has
the authority not to appoint license
at all in towns when it
appears that they vote yes to get the
trade of neighboring places. He has the
to say that license shall not
be granted on the border of town
when not in a principal village He has
also to hold hearings at any
time and summon witnesses TO testify
on subjects
How Washington County Voted
The Washington county representa-
tives in the House voted as follows on
The question Of the bill doing away with
ofIsets: Yeas, Davis of Barre Town, Dan
els of East Montpelier, DeBoer Of Mont ]
pelier and Webber Of Woodbury.; nay,
Tiiden Of Barre City, Hewitt Of Berlin, ,
Ballentine of Calais, Hart Of Duxbury.
Long of Fayston Lamberlon Of Marsh
ield. Brown Of MSddlesex, Howes of
Noretown. Tilden of Mortified, Martin
of Plain6eld, Wilder Of Waitsfeld, Ly-