Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-11-15
guatrbmun & State 5uurnal.
BY K. p. WALTON.
MONTPELIER, NOVEMBER IS, 1861.


t-SH An incident in the Senate on Friday
was reported by our Reporter in an unexoep-
tionable manner, las the business should have
been done, if done at ALL as follows.
"Reso'tion by Mr. willard. referring the report Of
Hon Joseph Poland the special financial agent appoint
ed 10y Gov Fairbanks, 70 the com on the judiciary, to
port as 20 the authority u his appointment aud the
pediency of continuing the office adopted"
We find that the daily paper published by
Senator Willard records the same thing in
these words.
"Resoiaion offered by Mr. willard that the com
municatun Of the Governor coyc the report Of Hon
Joseph Poland assuming a special financial
agent &c, together with the called report Of the said
Joseph Poland be referred to the Judiciary Com with
INSTRUCTIONS 10 report At their earliest convenience the
senate, by what right authority Of law II any the
Governor appointed the said Poland 60 the Office he
sumcd 20 hold, and whether, in the opinion " the Com
there Is any necessity. legal or otherwise for the contn
uancc Of this office adopted.
From the announcement of the selection Of
Mr.. Poland for the service in which he has
been engaged, the Hon. c. w. Willard has
pursued very extraordinary course, serving
only to prejudice the Legislature against
project Of great Importance to the soldiers,
to their families, and the State; but most ex-
traordinary Of all is this abuse Of the privi-
ltge Of his official station to Willy and insult
one Of his constituents. Mr. Poland has "as-
sumed' nothing, either in respect to his office
or his report lie went out with the author
ity Of Governor Fairbanks to perform an i'm
portant duty he was put under bonds to die
charge that duty faithfully; he has very prop
erly made report, as he was desired TO do,
Of his doings and that report has been Off
cially communicated to the legislature by
Governor Holbrook We sec no assump-
tim on the part Of Mr. Poland and we don't
think that either Gov Fairbanks for sending
him out, or Gov. Hobrook for sending in the
report, deserves the censure of Senator Will
lard, CT any body else 1t strikes US that he
has assumed the role OF censor quite Off
ciously, indecently. and unnecessarily.
In respect to this subject we will give our
own notion Of propriety it is to settle upon
the best system to save the pay of the soldiers,
irrespective Of Mr.. Polands or Senator Will
lard's interests. If that system requires one
agent or more, then let the friends of the
candidates fight their battles on the appoint
ment That is legitimate and fair, which is
more than we can say Of the course of Mr.
Willard, editorial or official, in this case.
Our representative in the Senate (NIr viii
lard is very unfortunate in his way of resent
ing the rebuke we gave him for his unsenato-
rial course His column OF reply in the daily
Freeman is, from head to tail, but an elonga-
ton Of the blunder committed in the Senate.
1t would have been better to have confessed
the mistake handsomely; aud then we would
endeayor as handsomely to set the gentleman
right before his constituents. But wrath at
the financial agent and his friend" has ex-
tinguished wit and turned wisdom out Of
doors. 1.-The griefs Of the financial agent and
his friend, forsooth That is the head Of
the Senator's article. SO he has not even the
wit to conceal the fact that he, a senator,
sworn to conduct himself as a faithful repre-
sentative Of the people, permits personal
spleen to influence his course on a measure
Of public importance--of as great Importance
as any before helegislature. This is not all
the Senator PROVES the fact "Nir Poland
pretends to act in an official capacity :" iii he
holds himself forth as such an agent, he is
pretending and claiming to have an official
character &c. So much, and more Of the
same sort, says the Senator to prejudice Mr..
Poland. Nj Poland is to be trounced. But
what was Mr.. POLAND, in this matter, more
or less than the agent of Governor Fairbanks
Who is responsible for his appointment but
Governor Fairbanks: Who is responsible
for putting Poland's assumptions, prcsump-
tions and pretensions before the legislature
but Gov. Holbrook; And yet how does the
Senator treat the principal in this affair, Gov.
Fairbanks, and Gov. Holbrook, who transmit
ted Poland's report; All he takes special
care to exempt both Of them from all blame.
1t is only the subordinate, Mr.. Poland, who
is guilty. The agent, and not the principal,
is to be publicly bounced upon in the Senate,
where he could not defend himself That is
the version of the affair now offered by SEN
ator Willard himself! 1t strikes us that he
has made bad matter worse.
SO far as the Frvemqns article is personal
to oursel!, we will say that we confess friend
ship for Mr.. Poland, who was brought up
with us in the Watchmdn office, and is, as we
well know, deserving of respect and conf
dence. IL there is to be financial agent we
think him admirably fitted for it; few as good,
and none better, can be found, As to the
agency we believe an agent on the ground,
to come in personal connection with the SOL
diers, is the best sort Of agency. If we we're
to send our own money, we should like very
well to know the man who is to be RESPONSE
BILE for it, and to know also just how the thing
is to be done; and so it will be with the SOL
diers. That is our guess. Whether Mr.. Po-
land or some other good man is to have the
place, we go for financial agent; and if Mr..
Poland should not get the place, we will not
insult the man who does get it, or condemn
the plan because of the man.
Senator Willard chooses TO intimate that