St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-10-16
IMPORTANT BILLS
Legislature Starts Business With
Some of the Larger Subjects
Big Appropriations Asked

; Much of the time of the legisla
ture last week was oct upied will
completion of organization and en-
tertaining the president but the in
PRODUCTION of bills was begun and
some very important ones made the
earliest appearance. The first bill
in the senate was introduced by Sen
Babbitt of Windham county and was
an act relating to debts exempt from
trustee process. This bill is the one
that passed the house two years ago
and was killed by the senate. The
bill was introduced Wednesday, re-
ported faVorably by the committee
on judiciary on Thursday, ordered to
a third reading and the senate lacked
only two votes of suspending the
rules and putting the bill on it's pas
sage. Friday morning the bill was
passed. Senators Croft, Darling and
Dodds voted against the bill.
The first bill to be introduced in
the house was an act abolishing the
bounty on he6gehogs and was intro
duced by Mr.. Mears of Sandgate.
! Mr.. Billings of Woodstock intro
duced bill providing that all the
agricultural fairs of Vermont, which
have been in existence for Is years
or more and have yearly fairs, be al
lowed $4,000, divided pro rata, dur
ing the years 1913 and 1914. This
oil was referred to the appropria-
tions committee.
ElectrOOutiOn of Criminals
Two bills, numbered 3 and 4, were
introduced in the senate, relating to
capital punishment in Vermont. They
were presented from Senator Nc
Feeters of Franklin county and Sen
atOr Elliot of Windsor county.
Senator Elliot's bill, the simpler
of the two, goes to the extent of sub
stituting electrOcution for hanging
and stops there. The bill presented by
Senator McFeeters provides not only
for the change in the method of
carrying out the extreme penalty, but
also for the erection of a separate
building and the purchase of the nee
essary apparatus. The gist of it is
that an appropriation of not more
than $4,000 be authorized to be ex-
pended under the direction of the
governor for the purchase of the cleo,
trocuting apparatus and the erection
of separate building in which to
house it.
Other Important Matters
Senator Wallis of Washington
county introduced a joint resolution
which was adopted on the part of the
senate providing that the commits
sioner of taxes be instructed to
forthwith procure for the use of the
General Assembly data relative to
taxation of personal property and the
q amount of dadnoffnnc 01o
account of debts owing, in not ex-
ceeding 80 representative towns to
be selected by joint committee of
two senators and three representa-
tives to be appointed by the presi-
dent of the senate and speaker of the
house of representatives, respective
ly, the expense of obtaining such data
to be audited by the auditor of ac-
counts and paid by the state.
Senator Darling of Orange county
introduced bill appropriating $780,
900 for building dormitory, water
system and to provide tools and
supplies for the state agricultural
school at Randolph. Senator Elliot
of Windsor county introduced a bill
appropriating $4,000 a year for the
state fair for the years of 1913 and
1914.
Mr.. Cook of Lyndon has introduce
ed a bill amending sections 1897 and
1893 of the Public Statutes relating
to amendments in civil causes.
DIR. Aldrich'S Case
On Thursday Mr.. Cook presented
the following resolution which was
adopted by the house. That the
committee on elections be directed I,
investigate, ascertain and report to
this House whether Mr.. Aldrich of
ST. Johnsbury is disqualified under
the provisions of the constitution of
Vermont from membership in his
House by reason of his holding at |
the time of election or at the present |
time any Office of profit or trust und-
er the authority of congress, said |
committee being empowered to send |
for persons and papers.
Caledonia County Club
The Caledonia county members in |
club. They have elected Mr.. Ward |
of DanvilIe president and Mr.. Cook |
of Lyndon as secretary.
The members have agreed to stand |
together on measures agreed to be
general.
Cook for Woman Suffrage
r. A Cook of Lyndonville is the
champion of woman suffrage this
session and on Tuesday introduced |
bill striking out the word male"
in sections 68 and 346 in the Public
Statutes.
A special committee consisting of
members of the senate and house
have been appointed to consider the !
proposals of amendment TO the state |
constitution. Senators Roy OF Gale
donia, Davis of Orleans and Dale Of
Essev counties and Representative
Shaw of Peacahm, Lathe of Maid
stone and Wylis of Glover are on
this committee.