Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-11-04
ing to the expenses growing GU, Of The troubles or

the northern boundary Of this State. that the sum
OF SlGiSs3 has been paid BY this State.
HOUSE, -Sdiaries. The House resumed consid.
Grafton Of the bill reducing salaries of sundry state
officers, and Judges of the supreme court title in
amendment OF chap. l07 of r. s. Salary of Judges
OF supreme court 81, 200; pay of Secretary Cover
nor, ASSISTANT Secretaries Of Senate and House, and
Expressing Clerk, 81 per day during tho session, and
~ cents per mile travel salary of Treasurer, $500
MT Rice moved to strike out the clause reducing the
ed to amend BY abolishng the office of Assistant
Cierk, end raising the salary of Clerk, SI00,he to
employ his own assslants,-and for time 10 prepare
this amendment the i'll was laid on the table.
in alteration Of chap. eS r. S. seectmen alone TO
nPpronnte retailers OF spurious liquors for license
ms blil gave rise TO considerable discussion. 1t was
urged that the bill would enable the seecmen to
iuse license to Improper persons and that il would
render the different parts of the license laws more
consistent. On the other hand il was objected that
LEGISLATION could not advance the temperance cause
mat the seectnen nlone ought not TO have the pow
given by the bill, and finally that this very expert
ment had been once tried and failed. The bill was
supported by Messrs. Van Sicken and Woodbridge,
opposed 6y Messrs; Billings, Cobb of S., Villas,
:ed BY very strong vote-By select committee,
bill districting the State, and il was made the order
for Tuesday morning. This is the bill introduced by
The Governor communicated the proceedings of
the late State Military Convention, which were read
MIR kce moved to refer them TO the Military commit
tee. MIR Garfield thought that portion of the pro-
ceedlngs reflected somewhat upon The legislature and
he moved to lay the document upon the table. After
some remarks and explanations by Messrs Baker,
Rice, Canfeld and Cushman the motion to lay was
agreed to.
SENATE.-OcT, 81.
Bills, Abolishng capital punishment, taken
up, when Mr. Butler went into the merits of the
question, and in favor of the bill, and addressed
the Senate at some length. lie took the
ground that the scriptures are opposed to CAPT.
tai punishment; that, having no right to take
our own lives, we have no right, as individuals
or as governments, to take the lives of others
that even admitting we have the right, there
was no necessity of exercising 1.-THE safety
OF the community could be secured with less
expense, by confinement for life, than by pub
lie execution; tnat it was the certainty, not the
sererny punishment, which ensured the safety
and promoted the morals Of the community. II
evidence this was wanting,it was to be found in
the histories of those governments where capital
punishment had long been abolished. Another
serious objection ocapital punishment was found
in the painful fact that the innocent frequently
suffered, while the guilty escaped In illus.
tration Of the position Mr. b. introduced mum.
Der OF affecting cases in different parts Of our
country. and the case of the Bourns in our own
state. Mr. Starr, one of the committee who re.
ported the bill, being opposed to its provisions
replied TO the arguments of MIR b., taking the
ground that the author of human life had the
right, and had conferred the authority and i'm
posed the duty upon human government to
take life for the commission of murder, aludnp
to and quoting scripture in illustration of this
position that not only the divine authority
commanded it, but the safety of the commune.
ty, and the preservation of human life, required
it, Mr. Briggs followed Mr. Starr, in "a few per-
tinent remarks upon the magnitude and So
lemniiy of the subject in debate. He did not
assent to the position taken by Mr. B., that the
opponents of the bill were to furnish the arru
ments for not passing it. The duty devolved
upon the friends of the bill to show the reasons
for so great an innovation upon the system o.
criminal Jurisprudence from the earliest ages to
the present time. He feared that the abolish
ment OF capital punishment would remove one
OF the greatest restraints upon the commission
OF murder; besides, if we had not the right to
lnfllct capital punishment, it might be question.
ed whether we had the right to deprive the Of
fender of liberty, and consgn him to imprson.
ment, thus taking his life by piece meals. Az
ter further remarks by Mr. b., the bill was laid
upon the table.-BIl relating to chap. 80 r. s.:
vote rejecting bill reconsidereJ, and the bill re-
committed
HOUSE.-Reports. A bill relative to cleo.
tons. requiring roll of voters for State officers,
it was ordered to third retdng after discuss.
ion by Messrs. Villas, Peck, Sprague, Rice,
Eames and Cobb of s. BY committee on the
state prison, against petition Of overseer of the
of the town of Burlington, when Mr. Van Sick.
len moved to recommit it, which was agreed TO-
BY general committee, against bill in relation
TO vlctualling houses, and it was referred to the
judiciary committee.
HOUSE.-Resolutions By Mr. Villas, rela
tive to remission of fine upon Gen. Jackson BY
Judge Hall, which was made the order for
Wednesday morning. by Mr. Cummings, as to
eXpedency of a school tax of 10 cents on the
dollar in lieu of 3 cents.
Capital PunishmenL-Nr Pettibone called
up the bill TO abolish capital punishment, and
its passage was supported by Messrs. Baker,
Pettbone, Cobb of S., Davis of ~, Stark, Bar
ton and Robbins, opposed by Messrs. Garfield,
Niles and Noyes, and dismissed, ayes Ill,
noes "a.
TUESDAY Nov. l,
HOUSE.-Mr. Garfield called up the bill to
divide the state into congressional Districts and
at the call of Mr.. Villas explained that the com.
mittee did not agree TO this or any other bill,
but reported this for the action o! the House.
This bill forms the districts as follows LIST,
Wndham. Bennington and Rutland. I'd, Wind
sor and Orange Sd, Addison, Chittenden, Frank
mia, Essex, Orleans and Lamoille.
Mr.. Wardner moved to lay the bill on the ia.
BILE: negatived.
Mr.. Rice moved to amend, SO that Wndham
and Windsor should constitute the first district
After explanations by Messrs. Villas, Garfield
and Rice as TO the principles of the division
whether by natural boundaries, or by county
lines, &c. the amendment was rejected.
Mr., Villas moved to amend so as to form the
I'd, district of Windham and Windsor counties
instead OF Windsor and Orange; supported by
Messrs. Villas and pettibone opposed by Mr.,
Wardner and rejected, ayes 81, noes l2O.
Mr.. Cove moved to amend SO as to form the
Sd district OF Franklin, Chttenden, Lamolle,
Orleans and Grand Isle, instead of Addison,
Chlttenden, Franklin and Grand Isle: supper
ted by Mr.. Baker, and rejected, ll9 to 92.
Mr.. Cove moved to strike out Orleans and
Lamoille from the fourth district and adding Or.
ange. MIR. Davis of N. hoped the amendment
would be withdrawn, as he presumed from the
Votes given, that the whole question had already
been arranged before brought into the House,
and could not be altered. Amendment rejected