Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-11-18
Saturday, Nov. u, 1889
Editors Free Press;

Editors FREE Press;
Ia one Of my first letters,
l noticed an evident difference in the temper Of
the members here. as compared with last year
The leading speakers in the House are mostly diff
ferent. The topics that call forth debate are
mostly different. And the same topic, on the
docket last year, and coming up again this, is
treated in a different manner, excites a different
interests met or sustained by different argu-
ments. and not unfrequeutlv the same man Is
fund on a different side Of the sans qaes'iv"'-
This may be a fancy ofminc, but yet. as "a locker
on, So IL seems Let me notice a few things
wherein tais change seems to have taken place
Election day last year was a day Of forms, and
military display. The Governor was escorted to
the Housc-an election scr1on was preached
then the Governor was escorted back again, and
the soldiers performed evolutions, and went
through With drills before the officers Of the State.
This year, there was nothins cf this. But in its
place was a crowd of noisy %peidlers hawking their
wares. and Z . chief interest Of each one who had
come to election, " seemed TO be to make some
SHARP bargain for himself. Last year there seemed
to be an "a .erness TO increase and foster the Mill
tin Of the State. This year, on the election Of a
Brigadier-Gen eraI for the volunteer Militia, the
Joint Assembly came within an ace Of carrying o
practical Joke into an accomplished fact, by which
the whole system ofour Military would have been
shocked on the head-and also a gross insult
would have been offered to the men who have gen
crously and patrioticaIly eulistedi in this v%olunta-
" service. The election Of a man with no Mill
tarv tastes or capacitios, and who is radically and
heartily opposed to all warlike preparations, was
only defeated because a few men, who would
gladly abolish the whole system, seeing that this
was a very awkward and ungenerous way to do it,
voted with the friends Of the military system.
It was attempted last year to defeat the elsc
ton of the two Oldest men on the bench of the
Supreme Court, but the attempt did not succeed.
Ii was opposed by the staid conservative virtue of
the Assembly, by those who wanted a permanent
judiciary and were satisfied when they knew that
the bench was led by tried men Of ability and
incorruptiblc integrity. This year the same ef-
fort was made, but under a different plan, and
urged by different reasons. Conservative virtue
that opposed last year, was induced to take the
lead this, and what failed largely then, is easily
accomplished now-that is, the part undertaken,
the remainder may be in the programme for next
year.
An appropriation Of $1,000 was asked last year
for a statue of Ethan Allen, by Mead, to be set
ON his monument. 1t was violently opposed, and
lost. This year an appropriation Of $1,000 for
the same, to be set in the State House, was east
ly obtained.
Last year no measure was pressed with more
poTscv eranco and pertinacity, nor with more
speaking and feeling than the circus bill. This
year st was introduced without vote, entertained
without interest, came to a vote without one
word Of support, was rejected without more than
a dozen feeble yeas, and with a round volume of
nays.
Last year the st. Adams Bank asked to be re-
Iievcd from the tax to the State which it had in
cured by falling to redeem its bills in Boston
during the financial panic Of 1851 The request
was met by earnest, strong, and excited opposition.
1t was said that several other banks were in a
similar position, and would claim the same favor
should it be shown to the st. Adams Bank.
Also that other banks had maintained their de-
posts in Boston only by mourning a large extra
eXpense-and these would be entitled to ask re-
lief for their extra expense when they did redeem
in Boston, just as much as the other to ask relief
from the lawful tax imposed because it did not re-
deem in Boston. Each had suffered greatly in
the panic-and about equally but in different
ways, both perhaps without fault. But shall the
Legislature iscrininate? shall it relieve one, or
both, or neither? Last year it said neither; and
the relief to the st. Adams bank was lost by the
decisive vote Of Sc for and 1879 against-more than
two to one. This year the Missisco Bank has asked
from the same tax, incurred in Just the same
way and at the same time. This bill has passed
along without debate, till, on its final passage, a
few questions were asked, one short speech was
made in its favor mo one spoke against it), and it
passed by a vote of about two to one.
Last year all appropriations to carry on the
of the State House, and to furnish it,
we're defeated by about forty majority, after pro-
racted and excited debate, on the ground that the
expected the signers of a certain bond to
urnish the money. The Superintendent of con-
~truction should not have one cent from the treas
Try, only what the signers of the bond should pay
n. Nothing has been paid in and endorsed uTon
be bond; but the Superintendent has prosecuted
he work, large bills for which have been presented
S against "The State of Vermont" A bill has