Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-10-21
Our State Legislature.

x The Legislature met at this place on the l4th
Both Houses organized without delay, and went
to work in good earnest, as will be seen by the
lengthy details in another part of this paper,
for which we are largely indebted to the Legis-
latire Journal.
The Governors Message was delivered on Sat
urday. 1t commences by reference to the gen
eral condition of the State. then making hasty
illusions to the several reports of the Auditor
OF Accounts, Commissioner of the Insane, State
Prison Directors, and Bank Commissioner, the
Geological Survey, State House and Railroads
come in for a short space in its treatment. The
subject Of the Militia is dwelt upon at consd-
cradle length, but without direct reference to
the recommendations of his predecessors, Or the
expression of opnon-trom which we CLEAN
that jtbas occupied a considerable portion of the
Governors attention, without his being enabled
to arrive at a conclusion sufficiently satisfactory
to warrant specific recommendations as to future
legislation. Attachment of property on mesne
process is next referred to- and in manner
which cannot fail to carry conviction.
From this he comes to the most important
matter of his whole Message the treatment of
which the people have been most anxiously
awaiting. Iii Slavery and from careful peru
sal of his remarks we are satisfied that there isno
occasion for disagreement or dissatisfaction with
them on the part Of any true Republican. The
principles of the Republican platform of 1856,
and the State Convention of last June, are re.
iterated and heartily concurred in, as are the
able resolutions of the last session. The Gov
ernor has accepted, not from mere policy, but
from an evident conviction Of the business of the
principles therein promulgated the high and
noble platform declared to be the pride of the
Republican party of Vermont, And with this
concurrence in the earnest action of anti-slavery
men there is no ground to fear that the rcsolu-
tions Of the State Convention against the insti-
tuition will not be carried out by an almost
unanimous enactment Of Il proper law, by the
Republican members of the Assembly.
But while commencing this high position
upon the subject of Slavery, We regret to notice
that the necessary haste OF preparing the Mes
sage, and the short period allowed for research,
prevented any allusion to the immature recon-
mendations of his immediate predecessors in re-
gard to an institution for juvenile offenders and
the subsequent appointment of a Commissioner
10 visit similar institutions in other Statts, and
mako report, together with bill providing
far i'm 10 iho of tba
Legislature. Also the subject of Temperance
Legislation and the cause of Temperance. Much
discussion has been had upon this question du
ring the past few years, and as it is by no
means entirely discontinued the people quite
naturally looked for the result of a wise consd
GRAFTON in some recommendations in regard
thereto.
Agriculture, the all-important interest of our
State, is also overlooked. There has been an
increasing interest awakened in this branch Of
industry during the past few years, and move
ment so just and honorable to our people should
have received every word of encouragement and
advice, together with such recommendations fol-
Legislation as might seem fitting to the Execu-
i've of the State.
The cause of Education, if treated at length
in the Message, would have come to the knowl-
edge of thousands more than it will in conncc-
ton with Report at a future day Secretary
Adams has nobly performed his duties, and the
cause is in a prosperous condition, and will
probably be set in favorable light when his
Report is sent in.
But we will not compare the sins Of omission
to the sins of commission, for, as we said before,
the haste of preparation which necessarily at
tends the short period intervening between the
election of Governor and the time at which he
is called upon to deliver his message is of itself
sufficient reason for not treating upon subjects
which want Of time prevents being done salts
factorily.