Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-03-20
Correspondence.
For the Standard.
County Commissioner.

he County Temperance Society, and as n
hat meeting nominated the County Com !,
missioner / took the opportunity among a
other things, to present my views OF his !;
duties, and to criticise his course the last /;
year; also to present my views of tenn ,
perance men generally. / claimed no
stated my convictions clearly ,
as l thought, and was fully sustained
by the convention. BUTT now appears
that / was misunderstood as to what
said of the commissioner, and the idea is
held up to the county that the object of
my discourse was to give him eastiga-
ton, simply on account of his course in
Irasburgh. 4 crave theprivilege through
you of correcting any misapprehensions
that may obtain on the subject.
The Legislature in their session of
1852, passed law prohibiting the sale of
shirts except & for medical, chemical and
mechanical proposes" They well un-
derstood that in the present state of edu-
cation, and medical practice, unless it |
could be obtained for these purposes the
law could not be sustained. Therefore
they created the Office of agent, whose
business should be to sell for these puI-
poses. Then how should that agent be
appointed? If they gave the appoint
ments to the people in the several towns,
they might elect men who would misuse
their authority so as to nullify the law
To meet the case they made another Off
Ger, the County Commissioner, whose
duty it should be to appoint an agent in
every town, one honest, and who would
do the business. The Commissioner is
further to regulate his agents, and he has
the entire control of their appointment,
as much as the County Court the appoint
ment of Clerk.
Now, it must be borne in mind that the
Office of the Commissioner was designed
to prOride the agency. If he fails in this,
his office is nullity. Unless he does
this, he might as well not be.
: Then as to consultation with select
men as such. The law does not pre-
g scribe this course. 1t only makes it i'm
perative on the Commissioner to provide
the agency. But the law does make i
L the duty of the agent to buy and sell il
the name of the town, and pay into the
, town treasury. And pecuniary matters
in the towns are all under the control O
= their authorised agents, the select men
4 SnR Jg u hfs e foh
an officer who is to control their finance
:. independently of these guardians of thei
interests. So in this case the law mad
the compensation of the agent to depen
upon the select men, and by implication
- they were to furnish the funds to max
IL purchases. 1t being proved on trial
" that they would not always do this, tn
/ Legislature in 1858 passed an additions
. act empowering the agent to bind tn
>" town or purchase on its credit, but, ths
" the select men should still have the ovel
:" sight of the matter, they made it ii
IL duty of the agent in case he was con
: PEELED to resort to this power to give
bond satisfactory to the select men,
RI, with two good and sufficient securities
Is the sum of $500, in which case he cou
N bind the town to that amount and 1
by more.
Now the select men are just as ind
lot pendent of the Commissioner as he is
ed them; they cannot control his appoir
1rl ments, nor can he compel them to barga
ic- with his agent. The powers and RICH
1t of the one are just as legitimate and DC
zen feet as the other. The law does not ma
of it the duty of the Commissioner to CO
ms, suit with select men, nor with any DO,
nth else, but the universal practice in
Inc parallel cases, as well as the necessities
as this case, seem to make consultatio
lte' proper, and almost indispensable. T
-
ON Commissioner may stand upon his a
er- thority and the select men upon thei
md and there will be a dead lock. Hen
IN an effort to haruoniso can at least
made, and have sufficient confidence
the authorities of Orleans county to |
DO lieve that by courtesy, and fair treatme
,ow the object may be attained in every TOW
One and as good agents secured as by |
ten other course, and thus all will me
des along harmoniously, and the cause Q,
of in the estimation of all good men. /
tier if the select men aciH not Be decent, '
lay make no bargain or insist upon & ru
lilk my" then let the Commissioner put
ven his authority and appoint with perfect
half dependence. But then he should appc
O1cs man who will go forward and act, 2
his bond and enter upon his duties "