Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-11-12

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SCI -oi,: know Of nothing connected with
legislative proceedings which will be of greater
interest to the reader of rIr Pu1NlX than the
debate ON the I'LL 10 pay the Superintendent
Tor rebuilding tie State House, which took
place Yesterday. Hence ! will copy from an
excellent report in Waltons Daily:
Mr. lIurton Of Bethel called attention to the
recommendation OF the Governor. to nav the
superintendent fur lis arduous and Valuable
services. lie stated that the committee was
uui nmouS in reporting the sum named in the
bill. Or Powers could have obtained the same
salary in other yocaiious, when he assumed this
Ollie; It appeared to the committee that one
individual would have paid him moro than $1,000
per year for his services. Further, the services
themselves were worth the amount proposed to
be paid. We could have men cheaper than this.
to be sure; but their capacity and talent were
not adequate DIR Powers had been dilgent.
faithful and competent officer; why, then, should
we not pay him what he could have got for his
labor elsewhere? TO him it would be ycr,
strange if the House should refuse to pay him.
Mr. Allen Of Rutland moved to strike out the
amount SG325, and insert SHIPS, it being. as
he said, at the rate of $1,000 year for services
and expenses.
Mr. Colby Of llartlaul was, in general oppos-
ed to large salaries. lie regarded this case as
an exception. Justice required that We should
pay DIR Powers as much as he would have re-
ceived, even if he had shown, in the discharge
OF his duties, no particular fitness for he mace.
Indeed, be could not see on what principle the
House could cut down the amount claimed.
Mr. Kellogg was in favor OF paying DR. Powers
literally, but he could vote him no cxorbi,unt
sum. lie did not believe that the true standard
.xT al tFl,f 10. not Al, +
was what he could have got from somebody
else. He was in favor of the amendment. The
former superintendent received but $1,000; Mr.
Edgerton but $500. lie had been informed
that DR. Powers did not receive 2O00 at the time
he assumed the office Of superintendent: but.
as he had said, he did not deem this of anv i'm
portance. We ray small salaries TO all our of.
iicers. The House was averse, and the people
of the State were aversc to p' wing their officers
great salaries. He did not deem it Just. right
and prudent to pay the amount named in the
bill, and felt that his constituents and the peo-
pie at large would not sustain us in such lavish
expenditure.
MIR llunton said he did not put this on the
ground of what Mr. Powers could have got for
his services, but the value of them. How much
a former superintendent had received was no
criterion for us The value of such services
had advanced. The committee did not think
that the amount was too large; some, indeed,
thought it too small. DIR Powers had expected
more. Win this House be small? 1t would
be honorable to pay him fair compensation.
He hoped that the House would do itself the
justice to vote sum commensurate with the
onerous duties and very valuable services of the
superintendent.
Mr. Sherwood of Fairfield remarked that this
matter had been talked over much among the
members, and among the people He had been
inquiring what the extraordinary qualities of
DR. Powers were; and said he, what are theyP
Why he found that they lay in his ability to
lire mechanics at low wages and purchase ma
teras at a low price. But now, in making out
his own bill, does he make small bill? No,
but lie asks the sum of $G,325. This monstrous
Mr. Powers! why DR. Powers and all the powers