Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-11-24

were on the same side, with the exception of
those of Mr.. Wright of Castleton, and Mr..
Stockwell of Glastonbury. 1t is proper to re-
mark, however, that many of those who voted
against the bill confess the equity of the meas
ure, and some of them would undoubtedly
have voted for the bill had the condition of the
State finances at this time been in q condition
to warrant this additional expenditure. have
no sort of doubt that the day is not far distant
when the entire sum advanced by the State will
be reimbursed with interest.
A round dozen of bills have been introduced
into both houses altering, amending or other
wise tinkering our present school laws. There
seems to be a chronic disposition on the part of
some men to find fault with every modern i'm
provement or innovation that looks to the eff
cheney of our common school system. These
murmurings and grumblings reached focus in
bill introduced about two weeks since by the
member from Clarendon, and bearing this pre-
tcntious title: "An Act restoring to the people
some of their primitive rights" Its pith is con-
fined to the first section, which reads as follows
SEC. 1. All laws now in force creating or estnb-
fishing board of education and superntendetts of
common schools and defining their respective duties
are hereby repealed"
About two fifths of the members voted in fa-
vor of this bill. The Board of Education
"composed,' as the gentleman from Newfanc
remarked, ''of three old pcdagogues," is not in
particularly good odor in many quarters. am
happy to say, however, that no objections have
been made to its able and efficient Secretary. ]
s. ADAMS, Esq. His faithful labors, great en-
ergy and untring zeal seem to he appreciated
The decision of the Board and its Secretary
that the Bible is not proper tert-Jook for use
in our schools has stirred up L" hornets nest &"
in some towns and bill has been introduced
into the Senate providing that some portions of
1t shall be daily read in our SCHOOLS. A ventil-
alton of this subject will very naturally occasion
some sharp hits from unexpected quarters.
The House passed bill, Tuesday, providing
that no person who has husband, wife. child.
or parents, shall devise by will over one
third ofhis entire property to any cheney olent
charitable, literary, scientific, religious or mis-
sionary society, association or corporation. in
trust or otherwise" This singular and ms it
seems to me, foolish bill was supported by Mfr.
Colby of lIartland and by Mr. Field, and it was
ably opposed by Mr.. Ranney and others; but
the temper of the House was clearly against
eleemosynary appropriations, and the bill has
gone to the Senate.
One of the Circus bills before the House came
up for consideration, Tuesday. 1t provided
that any one paying $4,000 into the State Treas
ury every year, and obtaining license from the
selectmen OF the towns where they proposed to
exhibit, by first paying therefor sum not ex-
ceedirg fifty dollars, should be entitled to cx
hlblt IN such towns not to exceed two DAYS in
any one town. No debate was had upon the
merits of the bill, but its engrossment and third
reading was refused--yeas LOG nays los. The
vote Of the Representatives from Windham
County was as follows:
Ieas-Barnard, Boyden, Field, Fuller of
Nottingham, Howe, Johnson, Lynde Perry.
Plimpton, Rice, Robinson, Stafford, Severens.
Whitney.-l4.
NdyS-Estabrook, Fuller of Londonderry.
Hall, Myers, Ranncy, Reed, Scott, S,ebbns.
Stoddard.-9.
The time will soon whom ps~ri. -;n
learn that decent regard for public morals will
not be promoted or maintained by keeping on
our statute book an enactment so discreditabe
to the State. If the moral sense of Vermonters
is SO weak that Circuses will corrupt and ,iliate
It's purity it is hardly worth the while to lcgis-
late iori, preservation. "Salt will not save it,"
The following is an abstract of the valuation
OF real estate IN Vermont as ascertained by the
appraisal of 1860, together with the loss and
gain in the several counties, as compared with
the last appraisal: