Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-11-18
& sTArE JOURNAL
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER Is. 1912.
CLOSE OF THE SESSION


The late session OF the Legislature, 1--WE sneak q
she House particularly, as the editor was s,rnnv.
cd there exclusively was remarkable for ,brao
thIngs--ihe courtesy aud kind feelings which iron.
orally marked the debatos-a more ,hou usu..,l,
strict regard fortho legislative laws of ord,r n s
"""s"cuoh oil Olls'ness-nnd finally, "a the .,or, nj
many OF The members, u diyreEriya of .,o LION,
Jaw, IN The violation Of the Sabbath. ,,i,,, H., 49,.
credt OF the Legislature of v, ,,,,,, ,,,1 .r i,a
s'O'e' we trust never will be. Witnessed again. 70,
"o Two irSt' so Tar MS the House is concerned
m"cn 10 due TO The. Spsaker, who porfor,red hi.
u"''oS o""""'' " and to tie perfect acceptance OF
every "'''"oer' Many have done well in tIu,
u'"'''-" post nut Mr.. Tracy las exceeded all who
nave occupied tho chair within orr remembrance
fe'i'a'F liable fact, that ia not single in =
e'o"'o WINS mere OH appeal taken from the decs-
'oU' VI ne chair, during The session.
AT Ten minutes before ~, of Saturday night, the
last paper was taken from the table, and the bust
ness ofthe House closed, except the exchange of
the usual messages prior to adjournment. That
paper was an important bill, in amendment of The
general listing laws it was signed by the presiding
O'Clock was put into the hands of the Governor
Tor his approval. The bill was not engrossoI, and
the various amendments were not inserted, but
presented to his ExcelIcncy on separate pieces of
piper, as originally adopted. To sign so impor-
tnnt Bill, without n reading, would he nm
improper performance of constitutional duty /;
butte examine the bill or read it, would re-
quire time, and thus bring The date of The appro-
val or disupprovn Of the bill upon the Sabbath
Under these circumstances, the Governor very
properly refused to sign The bin az that time, and
notified the House that OIL Monday morning, nj
o'clock, he would communicate u message. At
first blush, that portion Of The House who were
anxious TO close the session then, regarded ibis
act of the Governor as u uetu-not of the bill-bm
OF their intention ~ take leave on the Sa.barh,-
surprising that quorum must be present ON Mon
day morning, or the bill would he lost Some
who thus viewed the matter, were disposed to
blame the Governor aud were inclined torcmain
in session. Sunday though it was, until he should
either veto or sign The bill. This course, however
was very soon seen 10 be vain aud the lio,isc nd.
journed. On Sunday about one hundred mcn-.I
beers left town, aud on Monday morning. Mt =
O'Clock, about 40 members Of the House and II
Senators were present. when the Governor an.
nounced his approval Of the listing bill, and both
houses were adjourned without day
There is another thing which demands nolice. |
though II be not any more remarkable of Ills ses-
sion than of others. 1t is this: the most important
bills were crowded into the heel of the session. and
consequently were hastily forced through, by the
Impotence and anxiety of the members to yet
home or else were not touched Mt al ,Oi those
thus passed, are The militia bill, the listing bill.
and The act relating to public accounts. All OF
these were introduced pretty early and printed,
and were probably well considered by the mem.
bers individually but there was little time To
compare notes, to explain differing views, and 70,
that discussion which nigh, reasonably be sup.
posed proper in making laws oe such importance
Ofth subjects not touched at all, was shat of can
ceiling Ihe stale debt by approprialing that Utopiaa
achool'fund, which has been contributed by us
OF this day for generations yet unborn, and which
will be unborn for al least half century To- come
On this point more anon.
AS 10 tho laws enacted, we have neither Time
norroom fer remark. Ofone we.w say, that in
our OPINION 1t will prove OF great benefit by an
annual saving of much money to the reasury we
mean the act relating TO public accounts drawn
up by Auditor Pierce. We give it to day. with
all OF the public acts, except the ntin bill.
In conclusion we have to renIark, that this ses
sioo with lis faults alone will prove beneficial
one, if so be hese faults are rightly improved.
Let them teach future Legislators never to send i'm.
pornnt bills 10 the Chief Magistrate at an unsea
sonable time and in mn incomplete form; mover to
Tx upon day near the Sabbath for an adjourn
ment; and never 10 postpone business, which is Of
the most importance 10 the public 10 the close OF
the session. Were we to lay ont,he business of
session. it would be thus: lst, get rid of The Of
hcs-seekers by making the appointments, md all
should be done in q week at leas; ID take up and
dispose of the bills of public importance and last,
dispose OF corporations and private claims This
disposition OF business, we are persuaded, would
save time aud money, and give us better and more
stable laws