Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-11-19
FROM MONTPELIER.

MONTPELIER, Nov. II.
Editors Free Pres.
Tho Legislature, in both Houses
still " drags its slow length along" without COM
ing to any point from which it is possible to see
the end, or any thing that looks like it, or even
foretclls its coming. The fourth week has gone
and none of the weighty matters of general inter-
est have been disposed Of [ believe not of the
important matters which mentioned last week as
still to come, have yet been fully discussed and
finished. Yet the Legislature is not idle. Bills
to alter the names Of pcrsons to change Town and
County lines; to pay small claims; to incorporate
Manufacturing Companies, Hotels, Academies,
Institutes, Medical Societies, ct i omne genus, con-
tnuc to come in, in a constant stream. The bill
to grant licence to show ponies and monkies re-
peats itself in protcan shapes; and bills to alter
amend, add to and strike out the section of the
y chap. Of the S. flow on like the stream, from
our mountains endlossly. The axe, chisel, ham
mer and saw are piled to the school law, the Pro-
hibit5ry law and the laws concerning Agriculture,
as if our legislative mechanics really thought they
could make these several buildings perfect.
Although Democracy is fast dying out among the
Green Mountains, we are still very democratic
people. All our respectable citizens must have
their turn as members of the Legislature. Very
few serve in this Office than successive years
Before they are fairly acluoi4'l with the laws
and the process of law making, they are sue ceeded
by others entirely inexperienced But as each one
is a Sovereign, he has the right and is likely to
assume the responsibility, to attempt to weave his
own peculiar notions into the fabric of laws. Hence
we have great many htis bills of a special or
amendatory character, which are brought into the
the Legislature once in two or three years, each
time to receive new and full discussion. While
this order Of things remains, are certain to have
enactments repeals and re-enactmcnts as the per-
petually recurring order Of our legislation. The
good sense and intelligence Of people are sure
to make the corrections balance the errors in time
but they do not prevent the numbering and patch-
work character Of our statutes
The people demand short sessions of the Legi'-
lature, and the members, if they would meet this
demand, cannot sit down to their work with the
patient purpose Of investigating each proposed
law to the end They must rush it through its
first reading without moments delay, read 1t
the second time by its title, and in few hours it
must be brought in again, read the third time
fncrhans bv It's title, also,) and it becomes law
without any one knowing whether there may not
be all the provisions Of it found in previous en"-'
ments still on the Statute Book. public senti-
ment that would approve Of longer sessions, would
remedy this; and then sessions once in two, or even
in three years, would be better than annual ses-
sions. If judge correctly from the actions anu
remarks Of some Of the most experienced members,
they actually dread to grapplc with some of the
harder questions of legislation before them, from
the fact that these questions must be put through
in the few days which the people expect them to
stay and they k,9'r that these measures cannot be
made even tolcrably or creditably perfect in this
time Yours, L.