The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-11-08
LETTER FROM TEIE CAPITAL.
Correspondence Of Che Californian.

-
MONTPELIER. Nov. 3.
MESSRs EDITORS - The election of to-
morrow, and desire for short respite from
the tttiyues of legislation. has sadly DUNN
ishrd the number Of our Senators and Repre-
sentativcs at the capitol. The Senate have
dispersed without adjourning. aud a majority
Of the Representatives have gone home
About hundred, however, are still left, and
to day they transacted considerable business
until in the Afternoon on a division it appear
ed there WAS no quorum and it became peces-
sary TO al journ. An attcmp, was made on
Friday to adjourn over the 4,h, but it was
killed by amendments, prominent among
which was one offered by Mr. Powers, who so
loves the good people of this place that he
desired to mulct the members to the tune of
six dollars each If they voted to leave US only
Cor three days. But the patriotic gentlemen
who in resolution censurrd the unpatriotic
gentlemen at Washington for voting them
selves three thousand dollars a year out OF
the peoples money. inron'inently rejected
this amendment whirh would have prevented
the State from p,yiny them two dollars a day
while v>itin. their families and friends
The election of Sergeant AT Arms has been
of more general interest than anything else
the past week \ bitter contest between
the present incumbent aud a rival as,.irant
gave rise to charges which produced an in
vestiaating committee to examine the ac-
counts Of the Sergeant alarms from the time
OF his appointment, and resulted in some spi
cy Developments ana the defeat of both can
Iida'es. Mr.. Stephens, the officer elect, will
perform his dates honestly a. least Mr.
Buvcc of the Freeman, was the witness whose
lie had told portions OF i>s'ory before to in
dividualS, bat ii had not been generally cred
tied. lis testimony, although the way in
which tie acquired some ct his knowledge did
not rebound much to his honor, was OF cr at
importance to the State. and con>i .nS to pc,
litical death nearly dozen of those patriotic
Democrats who for wears have been shrek
ing about l,Ni>h expenditures and wa>tctui
rxtravasanri..s of ,ur Wig. and lately Of thu,
RrPublcsn administrators. and bcsrcchin
the people I" trv an honest. frugal and ;,ur..
! Democratic one i;ut when in a. hv an ex
traordInary combination Of parties they gait
ed the power. ron>i'lrrin= that an oprortnni'.
once les, Wi! never come again. they tl.cr
their pc, kcts wih ,ll creed, h1,,c tina; ali
/ caution was forgotten and a discovery was III
ryita!le
/ \ till has ra>s,d providing that frr thr
punishment of minor offences where nov the
! penalty i. tin,'~ " Imprisonment IN III, hard
labor u,.Lcr l direction I'll >herlii> and con
stables nay be- substituted tbs was pass, ii
AS an experiment. ;a,r he way. If success
full for House, e.: Core, :.,,. and Refuge
The i'll clan in. cur ais and prisons into
= tortrc>s"> hrl>'liny With !.eonets to pro
tert the "Ia,.t'na fugitive" from III" slave
hunter, failed 10 pass the Senate. TINS body
though august and venerable. has not tn,
prophetic VISION OF some members OF the
House, and cUE>ru~cnti, could not see IN
the dun future our State swarmnc with [
). Ma,>ha> aud their posses hunting the
poor Slaves filing our llli, and prisons with
tie captured tu.,,lves. ard, to make r,o.n.
turnin" loose upon the community the thlc,c.
and mur.icrcrs confined il them
This refusal appears almost criminal when
We consider that bill has been Introduced
to abolish capital punishment and substitute
for it Imprisonment for life. \ very abl" DIS
cu>sion was elected by this till. and the MN
listers engaged in it with great zeal aud ar
dor. Four Of them argued. and all were AL
verse to the Lil The argument turned al
most wholly upon the doctrines of the Bible.
and the ministers utterly demolished the ar
cument> Of their opponents and triumphan'iy
sustained their own positions. The bill comes
up again on Thursday ard will doubtless be
defeated.
! The select Committee raised on that part
of the Governors Message relating TO Slave
~ and affairs in Kansas, made rtrg lony
report, accompanied 10y bill. providln. for
an appropriation TO an amount not exceeding
twenty thousand dollars, to be expended at
the discretion of the Governor in relieving
our suffering citizens in Kansas. This is the
most sensible thing that could I've done and
most of the other Free States would probab-
ly follow the example. 1t would do more to
revive the sinking spirits of the Free State
men in that unhappy territory and even keep
them alive than all the Indignation meetings
and private donations to shreking' impos-
ters since the passage of the Kansas and Ne
braska Bill tits the right kind of aid and
would probably 20 to the right persons.
The session will probably continue fort
night longer. Many bills yet remain to be
acted upon, some Of which are very important
and will give rise to much discussion.
SPECTATOR.
u,nnvr