The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-04-04
DISTRICT COURT
BILL KILLED IN
STATE SENATE
Administration Measure Defeated
By Vote of 10 tO9
WILL ADJOURN ON SATURDAY
Senate Rejects Appointment Of Park
n. Pollard as Member of New
Board of Control.


Montpelier, April 3.-The house this
morning adopted a resolution proyid
ing for the adjournment of the legisla
ture Saturday morning at ten o'clock
The senate committee on state ex
penses has presented a bill providing
for an increase of fifty cents per week
for each state patient cared for by the
Brattleboro Retreat
The senate in executive session al
eleven o'clock refused to confirm the
appointment of Park II. Pollard OF
Chester as fifth member of the new
board of control. Frank c. Williams
of Newport as bank commissioner
and Dewey Hanley of Montpelier as
purchasing agent were confirmed.
The house temperance committee
created a stir this morning by intro
ducing bill prohibiting the granting
Of second class liquor licenses during
the war.
When the Senate this afternoon by
the overwhelming vote of l9 to re-
jected the Judiciary bill, creating 10
district courts, abolishing the present
municipal and city courts and chang
ing the jurisdiction of the justices of
the peace, one of the bitterest fights
of the present legislative session had
resulted in the first defeat sustained
by the champions of simplifled sys-
tenn of local courts. Debate concern
ing the measure. which commenced at
1915 o'clock this morning lasted until
four o'clock this afternoon and during
that time, it could be plainly seen
that the day was going against the
supporters of the bill. The defense
of the measure rested almost wholly
upon the shoulders of Senator Morse,
although Senators Daniels and Lea
vens made a futile attempt to snatch
victory from defeat by brief speeches
Just before the vote was taken The
result of the roll-call did not come as
a surprise, but the decisiveness of the
defeat was somewhat unexpected.
Bennington county senator, Dimond
and Howe voted for the bill.
Interest now centers around the
fate of the other administration judi
ciary bill, introduced by Representa-.
tive Stearns of Burlington which has
been for some weeks in the hands of
the House judiciary committee. The
administration has already won a sub
stantial victory in the committee,
which originally was almost wholly
opposed to the measure. The bill as
introduced by Mr.. Stearns abolished
the superior court and provided for
nine judges on the supreme court,
with various other changes in the
present methods of judicial proce-
dure.
Mr.. Stearns will on Thursday pre-
sent the unanimously favorable re-
port of the judiciary committee con
corning the bill. The opponents of the
have conceded practically
everything except the abolition of the
dual system of courts. The amended
bill will provide for five judges on
each of the supreme and superior
court benches, and the section of the
original bill providing for the automa-
tic clearing of the supreme court
docket will be sticken out. In practi-
cally all other respects, however, the
bill will remain unchanged. Its pas
sage in the House seems practically
certain and it should also be passed
by the Senate according to present in
1ications. The defeat of the district
court bill today will not have any bear
ing on the fate of the Stearns meas
IRE as the bills are entirely separate
and relate to different courts.
A resolution that final adjournment
be taken at ten o'clock Saturday morn
ng is expected to be introduced in the
House tomorrow morning Up to this
afternoon hope that the Legislature
would finish this week was very faint,
out after he result of the vote on the
district C, -irt bill became known mem
)ers of both House and Senate be-
,ame seized with desire to end mat
ers and go home. Tomorrow will
equal the second longest session on
ecord, that of 1908, which lasted 80
lays. The 1912 session lasted 119
lays, so that it is not likely that its
ecord will ever be eclipsed but the
917 session is certain to be the sec
md longest in the history of the State. |
The State and court expenses com
nittee introduced bill providing for
he payment into the State treasury of
ines and costs collected for violations
# the automobile and fish and game