The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-01-21
LOvElAND MONS0N
AGAIN At HEAD OF
SUPREME COURT
Justices and Superior Court
Judges Elected Today
BOTH COURTS ARE RESTORED
Haselton and Munson Come Back to
Supreme Bench and Fish to
Superior Court.

Montpelier, Jan 21.-In Joint as
sembly this afternoon the following
justices of the supreme court and
judges of the superior court were
elected:
Supreme court-Loyeland Munson
of Manchester, chief justice; associ-
ate justices, John II. Watson of Mont
pelier, Seneca Haselton of Burling-
ton, George NJ Powers of Morris
Vile. William II. Taylor of Hardwick.
Superior court judges-Willard NJ
Miles of Barton, Eleazer L. Water
man of Brattleboro, Zed S. Stanton
of Roxbury, F. NJ Butler of Rutland,
Frank L. Fish of Vergennes, Leigh
ton p. Slack of St Johnsbury
Following his message to the sen
ate yesterday announcing that he had
signed senate bills and the COVER
nor received the following communi-
cation from the supreme court
judges:
1--WE have just learned that. by
your signature Senate e. relating to
the term of office OF the justices of
the Supreme court. has become a law
BY passing this bill the Legislature
has manifested a definite purpose to
elect justices We take this, our
earliest opportunity, to make a brief
statement of our position. Until this
bill became effective we have re.
garded all questions of our resigning
as wholly premature We are now
ready to act. Unless we act the pro-
posed election by the Legislature
may create grave and deplorabe
condition and might lead to most
serious complications. Whatever
the attitude of others may be in pres
ent circumstances ours must be one of
patriotic purpose
Therefore, and for the sole OBJ
ject of averting the calamitous conse-
quences which may impend, we here
by tender our respective designations
to take effect at midnight on January
81, 1915, or as soon thereafter as our
successors are chosen and qualified
George NJ Powers,
John II. Watson,
William H.. Taylor,
Leighton p. Slack,
Robert f. Healey."
The Powell bill, Senate 2, provides
that the term of office of the justices
shall begin on the first of February
This bill, now enacted, puts the as
sembly in position to elect new
bench on the fourth Thursday in Jan
uary, as provided by statute The
resignation clears up all constitutions
al doubts as to whether the justices
commissioned by Ex-Governor Fiat
cher for term OF two years from the
first of last December shall continue
to be the de jure judges. The posi-
bility of having two courts is now
avoided, the Legislature continues in
its prerogative of electing justices,
no future governors will be in posi-
tion to choose court.
The Powell bill was referred to
Governor Gates last Friday after hav
ing passed both Houses in short order
under suspension of rules. He had
five days to consider the bill and had
he left it without signature or veto it
would have become law today
Some assign the delay to the justices,
believing that the Governor labored
suaded them to resign. 1t is stated,
on good authority, however, that the
Justices did not consider the matter
at all together until it was known
that the Powell bill was about to be-
come a law, when they asked the
Governor to delay his message to the
Senate until they had communicated