Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-12-25
a NEEDED REST.

r-cord never equsll-d by any other like
body in Vermont, hy taking holiday
vacation. Before final adjournment It
vii, have held sessions in at least four
different months, October, November,
D,c-mber. January aud r 'ssihly f-brn-
ary. The work yet to he done u 81 far
NOR importance L. the state than all
that has been done, hut this should not
he construed to mean that nothing has
been done during the many weeks OF the
session. Hundreds of bills have been
disposed Of, hut they have all been OF a
private or local interest. Bank charters,
city. village and town charters, aud
rail,oad charters have b-en amended
electric railroads have been incorpor-
at 4 aud town lines have been changed
Sal ries have been raised for Judges,
States Attorneys, County Clerks, Score
tati-s, Auditors and Governors. The
Agricultural interests have been disposed
OF by combining the Agricultural aud
F. -stry departments with expenditures
ne TO exceed $4,000 per year. The
ca lie commission has been considered
ana is left practically as before except
that it is given more under the control
OF the Governor and its expenditures
ar limited to $4,000 per year. The
State Board OF Health have asked for
several small favors aud have received
every thing asked for. The fish and
game laws have been given considera-
bic attention and We may now take
pckerel through the ice from s,ers not
Inhabited by trout; but the laws have
been 40 changed that one person can
o. Is catch sIx pounds of brook or rain
boN trout in one day We may shoot
our deer Of either sex between SUI
risa and sunset during the last full week
OF October. The town of Pswlet WAS
H. rouble because minority OF the vot-
e. ,ersisted In electing the town officers
l., the Legislature refused TO divide the
T., on that account. The county OPP
! l.. bill, which was a ehack at the local
g. va Law, WAS killed by the House.
4 II providing for plurality elections
OF. he iirst ballot has been killed so
has Till t" compel teachers 10 teach Il
certain brand of temperance in the pub,
ljc schools. The offset bill aholishing
Offsets although iah-led "killei" is not
dead. 1t sleepeth.
The reason why this Legislature is
having snch loug session is because
the members are like the man from
Missouri. They have to he shown. Com.
mittees will hold hearings Oh a particu.
lar measure and will send Ia an unani.
nous vote either to kill or pass the bill.
A Legislature not capable OF acting Tor
itself would naturally accept this report
and would kill or pass the bill in sccor'
dance with thu recon mendatious of the
committee. II u not so with the legs,
nature Of l90s-9, To he sure the CON.
,ptt-es consider the matter and report,
Then some mep1her OF the House Jumps
up and asks the committee why they AZ
reported. This starts a discussion in
which every free thinker and free talk
er in the House has to be heard. He
wants to know just how the proposed
measure will affect him personality, how
j, will affect his neishbor and how j,
Will affect his own town. The members
of this legislature are suspicious OF
themselves. For this reason they have
moved slowly, but when = bill ha
Il ally passed the House and Senate aud
t~en signed ty the Governor, it has
surely been we'll considered and wisely
passed. | know of but one mistake
that has escaped detection in its course
though the committee room, through
the House and Senate and finally by the
Governor. They have amended the
state constitution. They have passed q
Law which reads that neither branch Of
tue general assembly shall pass upor
any matter relating to town lines unles,
such matter shall have been advertised
Ia the local rapers for csrtaiu length
q. time before the meeting OF such
legislature. In, other words the legis
IA IRE of l90S-0 in its wisdom tells the
legislature of 1910 what it may do in
relation to town lines. What fix WI
would be IN now if the legislature Of
1905 had said that the legislature OF
1908 must take final adjournment befor,
Christmas. 1t might have been gooc
avice aud it may be good advice TO,
this legislature to say that the next
ieg stature shall not pass upon matters
r@ ating to town lines. The Legislature
get, its power only from the constit
ton and it is not answerable to any
, preceding session. There are doze,
able lawyers in the House and hall
dozen able lawyers in the Senate and
yet this matter escaped.
The important measures yet to be
disposed OF are the tax problems, the
| & ~ T.. L.