Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-03-20

Montpelier, March 1S.-With the Senate
passing S. 8, giving women the right to
vote for presidential electors over the
Governors veto by a vote of Is to Q,
an exact two-thirds majority, and order
ing to a third reading H.. 26O, providing
for district health officers, while the
House ordered to a third reading: S. 75,
the University of Vermont medical
scholarship bill; H.. 2s7, the motor truck
bill; II. 37, and (under suspension of the
rules) H.. 1879, the two barge terminal
measures, without opposition. a thing
which woul nave seemed impossible
two weeks ago. The Vermont Legisla-
ture to-day put itself Enthusiastically on
the map.
The Senate committee on Judiciary, to
which S. 8 was referred after 1t came
from the executive chamber with the
Governors veto, reported in favor of the
passage of the bill Notwithstanding the
objection of His Excellency, the Gov
ernor. The committee reported that II
had found the bill constitutional and
saw no reason why it should not pass.
HOW THEY VOTED
Those senators voting for passage over
the Governors veto were Senators
Amey. Ballou. Bates, Billings. Daniels,
Hamblet. Hill, Rowland. Jackson, Kings
ley, Morgan. Payne. Root, Steele, Stuart,
Tenney, Tracy and Villas.
The senator's voting against the pass.
age of the measure were Senators
Adams. Belknap. Carr, Hall, Hendee
LaFleur, McKillip. Taylor and Varnum
Those absent and not voting were
Senators Lewis. Noonan and Schoff.
DEBATE ON BILL
During the debate on the measure
passage of the bill was opposed by
Senators LaFleur and Carr. Senators
Amey and Steele of the committed on
suffrage n elections and judiciary
respectively, explained why the COM
mittees had considered the bill con-
stitutional. Senator LaFleur did not
believe 1t advisable to pass the meas
ure with the question Of It's constitu-
tionality raised. Senator Carr urged
the Senate to sustain the veto of the
Governor.
Senators Kingsley and Villas summed
up the argument for the passage of the
measure. Among other things, Sen
ator Villas said that the constitution
does not provide for the choosing OF
electors through tho popular vote, but
provides that the people shall act
through their representatives in the
Legislature on this question. Each
Legislature is, therefore, a law unto
itself.
The United States constitution defines
the situation. said Senator Villas and the
constitution of Vermont is overruled by
that, but Senator Villas maintained tina,
he found nothing in the constitution OF
Vermont which would make this measure
unconstitutional.
The Governors veto message was
clouded with obscurity.' declared Sena.
tor Villas. The lawyer who wrote that
message land / am confident that a law,
yer did write it) had made up his mint
that he would not give anything to womer
In Vermont that he was not obliged t
give"
Senator Villas read several decision.
which were quoted to s~ubstantiate hi
position. There were a number of womeI
In the Senate chamber when the vote wal
taken.
Toward the close of the afternoon SEES
sion in the House H. 8 was messaget
from the Senate and the statement &C
c~ompanying the Governors veto wa
read. Preparations were mad to taxi
yea and nay vote on passage over tn
veto when Mr.. Tracy of Johnson movet
that the bill be ordered to lie and mad
a special order for Thursday morning a
l0:30 o'clock. Mr.. O'Brien Of South Bur
lington opposed the motion, but 1t wen
through by a vote Of 1N to 70.
BARGE TERMINAL BILL
At the same time tina the Senate wa!
passing s. s over the Governors veto
Mr.. Hopkins of Burlington was making
a mastery argument for the barg'
~w-.{- d. IT, LI~ Ill lar A.
come up as a special order at 1913
O'Clock. Mr.. Hopkins went into prac
tically every conceivable detail of thu
barge terminal proposition occupying tn
floor for nearly an hour. When thu
morning adjournment came. following tn
announcement OF the vote on the meas
ure, the gentleman from Burlington wa!
heartily congratulated on the manner IL
which he had handled the matter. boil
In the committees and on the floor o
the House. At the opening Of the dis
cussion on the barge ermin measure
Mr.. Alexander of st. Adams city pro
posed the following amendment to sec
ton 3, which was adopted:
said terminal. including the sit
thereof, shall be acquired, constructor
and equipped with all machinery ant
facilities necessary for the practical us
and operation Of the terminal within
said sum of s25O.o0 said commission
shall select and acquire as soon as ma.
be the site In their judgment most suit
able for the termina and shall so plal
and conduct the construction Of the sam
that Its completion will coincide a
nearly as possible. with the completion
Of the necessary work on the Champlail
narrows by the federal government
The barge terminal measure also wa
favored on the floor of the House b
Mr.. Clark of Brookfeld. Mr.. Goss o
: Danville. Mr.. Mcfarland of Hyde Parh
Mr.. Befknap of Rockingham and M
Estee of Montpelier.
COMPLIMENTS MR.. HOPKINS
Among other things. Mr.. Belkna
said that the people OF Burlington an
other cities Interested ought to b
proud of h ann In which Mr.. Hop
kins had turned a hostile louise int
one which now favored the project 8
strongly.
Mr.. Hopkins in his argument for tn
bill went into detail on the subject O
water transportation in general an
dwelt especially pon the possibilitie
of opening up Vermont TO the entir
interior of the country. as far as Ne,
orleans and Texas through inland wa
terways. He spoke of the $4,000 ap
~propriated by the government to Ell
large the narrows of Lake Champlai