Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-11-04
the st. Lawrence. He was ffty-siS years
of age when he died.
FROM

Editors Free Press:
To-Day the Houses are thin, a. m17y have Ia
ken leave Of absence, but in working order. Inc
introduction of new business continues without
abatement. But I believe that nothing that Is
,ike,v To produce much feeling has as yet come be-
fors the House. There are about the usual num-
b.- IF names to BE- changed. These always 60 of
v;tbont debate or interest. I have never known
anv opposition; and this suggests that some gen.
eraI law BY which the thing can be done without
unnecessary labor or expense, nearer home, / sneed-
al Anotber class Of bills before the Legislature
;..to. accommodating hotel, manufacturing and
otbar comnenies. The %proprietv and safety OF
,iv;nc corporate rights and privileges, and what
restrictions they should be guarded with. have
been heretofore much debated; but the principle
has become pretty we'll settled in Vt. lie gislation,
- riro oil srcb charters as are asked for; and the
soferuards which the legislature demand are so
we'll known that nearly every bill introduced con-
.oi,s them. So these bills merely go through the
form Of Ie ~islation, arc-I suppose-examined
nv the Committee on Corporations, and become
q law without the attention of anybody, save him
who introduced it, and perhaps a few outsiders
,vbo are personally interested. They arc always
read the first and second time " BY the title only,
and sometimes the third also. They arc never
nrinted; so laws are sometimes enacted which the
Lawmakers have never read or heard resd. OF
course. this class like the first, takes up but little
time.
Another class Of bills comprises those which re-
late to the technical matters of law. They are
intended to make existing laws more plain, to
supply s deficiency or abate a superfuity, or to
provide that the law may be more easily admin
istered. These are OF chief interest 0 the law
yers, and sometimes call out protracted debate,
and much legal ability. They take up consider
able time. One Of tbis class came up for its pas
sage yesterday, and took up all the time OF the
afternoon, and this morning, that was not set by
the rules TO special business. It involved an
important principle in legislation, and was ear
nestly debated on both sides. 1t was a bill to
punish malicious injuries. making it a crime
punishable by fine or Imprisonment in the State
Prison, to wantonly injure or destroy fruit trees,
fences, harnesses, carriages 30, or any other
property. The bill puts such destruction o fprop-
erty into the same category Of crime with larceny
That is just, every one will say; yet may it not
be liable to abuse? I is a step backward, since
the tendency for two hundred years has been to
make penalties less severe. This bill makes them
more severe in a very large class Of cases Is II
best to hold up and begin to turn backward IN Pc
nal legislation? The legislature Of Vt. would
seem to say yes. The bill passed the House this
morning by a large majority.
Another class of cases comprises the bills to
change town lines, county seats, and county lines
There are many Of these on hand now. To make
Arlington the shire Of Bennington Co, instead Of
the two half shires. Morristown Of Lamoiilo Co.
instead of Hydepark. Another is expected &c
come, to make johnson the shire of Lamoille. A
bill is in also to set from shelburne to St. George
that part of Shelburne thai lies east Of the Pond
Each Of these bills take up much time before th'
committee, and often provoke the sharpest debUt'
on the floor Of the House and consume much time
Another class Of bills is composed Of the dam!
for money preferred by individuals against th'
State. Many Of them come from sheriff. anC
bulifs who have failed to get their charges au.
dited at home. Some are for special objects, an'
just now very many for work done on the new
State House which the Superintendent has refused
to allov-unjustly or justly the Legislature i
called upon to say,-and so, in some sort TO pas
judgment on the administrative equity Of the su
perintenient. No easy matter truly These cal
for a great amount Of timO towards the close o
the session.
Yours, DEAN.