The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-12-05
Committee Reports and House
Favored Plan
MOTION WAS RECALLED
House, the Only Branch Of Legislature in
Session To-day, Had Fears of Being
Locked Up Before Adjourn
ment Could Be Taken.


had an awful scare this morning by th'
apprehension Of some Of the member
that II the yea and nay vote on adjourn
ment was taken someone might raisi
the question of a quorum being present
and that this would be followed by tn,
locking Of the doors and keeping thu
members in until enough could be hauleC
into the House to make a quorum which
could transact the necessary business oI
adjournment. As it happened, there wal
one more than quorum present, and i
there had not been there would have beer
no danger. for after the House had ad
iourned by its vote nobody could have
raised the question OF a quorum.
Ii there had been but ten present il
would have been Just the same. Mr.
Barber of Brattleboro was In the chair
intthe absence of Speaker Cheney, and
he looked up the rules and declared, to
case the feeling of unrest, that if the
members voted to adjourn on the yea
and nay vote, the House would be ad.
journed.
Il all hapepned like this. After con
siderable business had been transacted
motion was made that when the House
adjourn 1t be until Monday evening
This was carried by a standing vote, 81
to 30. II was evident then that there
was not present the necessary l23 for
quorum. Later Mr.. Seayer of VIII
liamstown moved that the House ad-
joiirn, after he was informed by the
speaker that the business remaining on
the desk was Of such a nature as to war
rant the attention of a larger number
Of members than were present
Mr.. Howe Of Bennington said that he
wanted record Of the members who
were present, as he wanted the people
to know really tho members who meant
it when they voted to stay over Satnr-
day and do business. He therefore called
for a yea and nay vote. It was then
that some Of the members became alarm.
cd, as they had visions Of conditions
years ago, when the members were locked
in until enough not present could be
raked in to make a quorum.
Mr. Goodell of Whitingham asked the
gentleman from Remington to withdraw
his demand for the years and NAYS. Mr..
Lewis hoped the demand would not be
made, because he said he could remember
once when the legislature was tied up.
Mr. Goodell asked Mr. Howe what would
happen If somebody raised the question
Of a quorum. Mr.. Howe replied that
they could not raise the question until
after the adjournment motion was taken
and in that case the House would be
already adjourned.
Mr.. Martin of Brookline wanted Mr.
Howe TO consult with the members Of
the judiciary committee before forcing
his demand for the yeas and nays He
said he had already consulted the best
authorities in the House. MFR. Barber
looked up the question and stated that
II the House voted to adjourn, it would
be adjourned. Then the yea and nay
vote was taken, which resulted in the
adjournmen, l07 to II.
Some are OF the opinion that anyone
could have raised the question Of quo.
rum even after the demand for the yeas
any nays on adjournment had been made.
Mr.. Barber was Of this opinion after
looking up the rules Of parliamentary
procedure. Others were Of the opinion
that after the motion for adjournment
was made nothing was in order until the
vote on that subject had been taken,
Others thought the question Of a quorum
could ber aised before the speaker had
directed the clerk to take the vote, but
not after the vote had started. Others
believed the quorum question could be
raised at any time II II had been on
any question but adjournment, there
would have been danger, after vote,
that somebody might raise the question
Of a quorum.
The big taxation questions viii be
taken up by the House and Senate the
first Of the week. The House this morn
ing advanced to third reading House
bin 306, providing for the doing away
with Offsets for debts owing, but after
Mi. DeBoer had stated that this was
one OF tho most important measures be-
fore the House and that it should have
The consideration Of the greatest number
the House moved to reconsider |
is vote and. upon motion Of Mr.. DeBoer, |
4 was ordered to lie Mr. DeBoer stated |
hat this was one of the big taxation
luestions on which the special committee |
IN taxation had decided to report favor
IDLY.
The other two which the committee /
llso had decided to report favorably on
we're the one imposing a tax Of five mills /
IN intangibles and the one coming into I
he Senate the first OF the week creating /
! taxation commission. Il had been de- I
ided to give. these measures publicity I
10 that all the members OF both branches /
ould be present next week to vote upon +
hem.
Miscellaneous Business.
Among the other acts Of the House
his forenoon was the killing Of no less
han five bills relating TO the hunting
Il deer and one requiring teams to carry
iehts at night. A number Of new bills
we're introduced also, being as follows:
II. 563, BY Mr.. Barber for the com.
1ittce on state and court expenses. to
mend section 8245 Of the statutes relat
nc to fees of jurors before a Justice.
lrdered 10 lie and be printed
II 564, BY the committee on corpora
ions. 10 amend section Of No 3l4 Of
be acts Of 1904. entitled, 4An act TO
Incorporate the Rutland County Tele
hone and Telegraph company. Capital
tock not to exceed s25,0oo Ordered to
e and be printed.
H 565, bY Mr.. Howard from the com