Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1842-11-11
Legislature Of Vernon,
Monday. Oct. 81 Isin

i lHcHty 'dNCh w, WITCH hT. Dutler went l.,
the merits of the question, and in f,,,'
the bill, and addressed the Senate !" W
length. lie took the ground that tho s.'
lures are opposed to capital puni,bm."t
that, having no right TO take our o,n H.
we have no right, as individuals or az
ernments, to take the lives of Others. ~ 4
even admitting we have the right. tbe,,o ~'
no necessity of exercising 1.-THE ssc.'
the community could be secured viii
expense, by confinement for life ,b..%
public execution; that il was the ,,r r,;
not the s6cCrify of punishment. which
sured the safety and promoted the mo,.l
the community. If evidence of hi,
wanting, it was to be found in the bs,o's
Of those governments where capital Num-
ment had long been abolished AnoI
serious objection to capital punisbmen, n.y..
found in. the painful fact that the inno,.''
frequently suffered, while the guilty esc, rs%
In Illustration Of the position MIR R
troduced number Of affecting cases in St
ferent parts of our country, and the case y
the Bourns in our own state. Mr.. Starr ~.
OF the committee who reported the bill be;0.
opposed TO lis provisions, replied to ,bs
gument of Mr.. b., taking the ground ,Ss
the author of human life had the rich, .sI
had conferred the authority and imnosed ,L
duty upon human government to take r.
for the commission of murder. aluding
and quoting scripture in illustration of n, ?
position that not only the divine su,bor,,
commanded it, but the safety of the com
munity, and the preservation of human lEs
requested it. Mr. Briggs followed Mr. Star
in few pertinent remarks upon the maou.
tude and solemnity of the subject in debal.
lie did not assent to the position taken b.
Mr.. b., that the opponents of the bill WEI.
to furnish the arguments for not passing i
The duty deyolyed upon the friends OF ,k
bill to show the reasons for so great an i,
novatlon upon the system Of criminal iurls
prudence from the earliest ages to the pres
ent time. He feared that the abolishmeu
OF capital punishment would remove one O
the greatest restraints upon the commissiO,
of murder besides, if we had not the rich
10 Inflict capital punishment, it might 5,
questioned whether we had the right TO de-
priye the offender of liberty, and c0nsign hin
TO Imprisonment, thus taking his life By
piece-meal. After further remarks by M
b., the bill was laid upon the table. ..
HousE-EngrOssed bill Senate bill in
addition TO act for the benefit of the insane
poor, and it was passed.
Bills. In addition to chap. ls ofR.S
authorizing selectmen to borrow, for ID,
use OF the towns, portions of the surplus rev.
enue j read third time and passed SUI
veying and ascertaining the boundary lin.
between the counties of Windham and Ben.
nlngton; supported in debate by Messrs
Townsley, Barrett, Plumb, Dutton and STAR,
opposed by Messrs. Briggs, Camp, and Ea.
ton, and rejected, yeas ii, nays IL.
Capital Punishment
Mr.. Pettibone called up the bill to abolish
capital punishment, and its passage was SUD
ported by Messrs. Baker, Pettibone. Cobb
of s., Davis of N. Stark, Barton and Rob
bins, opposed by Messrs. Garfield. Miles
and Noyes, and dismissed, ayes Iii, noes
u Adj
Tuesday, Nov. |.
SENATE.-Mr. Alien moved the recons&
Grafton of the vote of yesterday. rejecting
Inc bill TO ascertain the line between the
counties OF Bennington and Windham vote
reconsldered, aud the bill laid upon the ia.
bic.
Congressional Districts
HousE-Mr. Garfield called up the bill
10 divide the state into congressional dis
tricts, and at the call of Mr.. Villas explained
that the committee did not agree to this or
any other bill but reported this for the action
of the House.
This bill forms the districts as follows:
LIST, Windham, Bennington and Rutland.
"a, Windsor and Orange. Sd, Addison,
Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle. llh
W ashlngton, Caledonia, Essex, Orleans and
LamolIe. IH+
Mr. Wardner moved to lay the bill on the
table, negatived.
The bill was then ordered TO a third read
ing, III to so.
SrNATE-BiHs for surveying and ascer.
tanning the line between the counties Of
"lndham and Bennington called up and
ordered to be engrosscd.
EngroSSed BM-In amendment
Of chap. 81 r. S. (no officer in charge Of
jury TO speak to them, except to ask iftheg
ire agreed y passed.
Wednesday, Nov. 2,
SENATE.-BiH-In addition to chap. 20
u H. s., relating to bridges and the duties
u road commissioners, reported by Mr.
,malley' and ordered to be engrossed for
bird reading.
HOUSE, ngrOssed BiW.-To divide the
state INTO Congressional districts Mr. Har-
,,hg'on moved that the bill be dismissed
VT, Harrington supported the motion, OBJ.
ec'ing that the division was unequal and
must as to population, and he deemed tin,
consistent with the apportonment bill Of
congress. Mr.. Villas again stated his OBJ.
ectlons, and in allusion TO the remarks Of
mr. Garfield yesterday, denied that New