The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-12-13

the office Of State Superintendent Of Com
mon schools-and the last Chronicle says
EVE are unaoquAintsd with the gentlemen
who have taken sbe lead" ia opposition TO the
present system, "but understand Mr. Barlow
ofFairfsld introduced the bill" &c. la Vie~
Of the existence Of 80 much laudAblr curiosity
upon the spLjspt i may be- the duty Of those
who posseas Aay light upon q matter Of %
much inrrrst 10 do something 20 aid honest
inquirers aficr truth ia uieir researches 20 Ear
as may seem convenient aud proper. ltnuy
aid future Legislators, Also, 10 take a eanoy
glance at the logic enAnAting from this source
aud Il u 10 be hoped that those who have
honestly followed this year Lead which for
Three years bad been attended with mo per-
ceptible influence, may learn wisdom from
their experience, A few specimens must
suffice, a. your correspondent will aim at a
due drgrru Or ifvNiI3 IN order 10 give those
chance who have morn TINS as well a. tal /.
ent 10 besiow upon 20 fruitful a theme. When
a memorial Of Tie Vermont Teacher Asso.
cation was introduced, the reading VI which
would occupy somc eight Minutes, objections
were made TO granting this privilege. be-
cause, iorsooih, every man Lad made his
mind up long ago" This was oVorruled by
some OF tbe friends of far play, as well ~ "
Fairfield, and whether the remark proved
true or not, this respectable body Of citizens
were allowed hearing, aud similar docu-
ment which was afterwards read in the Sem
ate, was listened TO with Attention--no doubt
producing is legitimate effect The few min
utes were wanted unquestionabIy by the 9th
or party in interest for the purpose Of "air-
ing his vocabulary" as was once remarked
in reference to the declamatory propcnsities
of Lord Castlerragh. Although the law pro-
yides that the election oGthis officer, shall be
made in Joint Assembly, there was decided
refusal from this quarter 80 10 treat tho qucs-
lion-it being alleged that the Flaw had just
been repealed by this House" and in refer
cnee TO the non-concurrence of the Senate,
Language failed for words 10 express the
hearty contempt frli Tor that bodY"l The
vote upon this question vas given probably
under a misapprehonsion; as majority OF tho
members would not have considered the law
as actually repealed without theieOnesrrenee
of the Senate, and thAt was The place where
the decision of the case. properly belonged
Nearly every subject was met with the ster-
eotypcd phrase ..there--is altogether Toe
much legislation. about surh things" people
would get along better tomanagc matters in
their own way"--and indeed il was consider.
cd "a great piece Of imperIincnce in some
body TO aIlow the Legislature To be troubled
7 ~ tbs mahH6V, Though EJtHU -IersUns w1Trv
so unsophisticated as TO suppose Legislators
had been sent there as the servants of the
people TO confer upon the requirements Of
the public veal, aud To act in a spirit oG can
! dor and beuevoiguCp, rather than Of raptious
| ill-wilk The Interests of Agriculture were
treated in the name summary. wny--''thC
farmers did not ask any assistance they could
take care OF themselVes'-and yet il is hum
tbiy opihet that if this respectable body Of
men could have seen that about three foprths
of the members were booked as belonging to
the same calling, they would have question
belong to the amateur rather than the prae-
teal or working department. This was simp-
ly stealing or borrowing characters. 80.
The Temperance cause Was thought to be
been il this theory of non-intervention had
prevailed Senator Barstow was heard
to remark, "that he had attended Election
day as a representative from the town Of
Shelburn, twenty-one years ago, when there
WAS great solitary display, and that on that
OCCASION htnAobably saw as many as one hun
dred drunkaFds, while this year he had not
seen single case, and in this last remark
tho writer not only concurs, but would ex-
tend it to the whole period oftho session.
You will excuse the rambling and desulto-
~ manner in which the assumed task of en-
! lightenment has been discharged, especially
as the brief allowance Of paper remaining,
reminds me that the main question at issue
that part which relates to the identity Of the
mover upon the educational merits of
the case, as set forth in the bill itself. In this
the Chronicle is doubtless. correct, though
strict equity requires that the fact should not
be concealed that there were two bills, hav-
ing in view the same object, introduced, one
of which was dismissed,as having been super
seeded by the passage of the other One of
these fsub rosa) was introduced by Mr. Rose
OF Waltham, aud ,ohich bill was the true bb,
remains to be seen, though il is due to the
gentleman from Fairfield to presume that the
presiding officer, who did his duty in that ca
pacity to the acceptance Of all, selected the
one which was spelled the best. To conclude
it is to be hoped that ''croaking" viii not be
at premium in our Legislature another year.
.r. X.
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