Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-01-09

III ic-o Ut WIS noiuitu Win lHN heSitt
of Doctor of Laps by the University of
Vermont, and subsequently,, in 1928 re-
ceived the same degree from Dartmouth
College.
Governor Van Ness died at Philadel-
phia, Penn, December 18th, 1882, in the
I'D year of his age.
70, EZRA BUTLER.
Ezra Butler, the ninth Governor of
Vermont, and the only Clergyman who
ever filled that office, was born in Lam
cester, in the County of Worcester, and
State OF Massachusetts, on the oath day
of September, 1853.
At what exact time he first came into
Vermont, cannot now be definitely ascer-
tanned. In the Spring of 1885, then a
resident of Weatherstield, he visited, for
the first time, the town OF Waterbury,
Being pleased with the location of that
town and its fertile soil, he determined TO
make il his future home, and accordingly
spent portion of that year and the next
in preparing a place of residence. In
September, 1886, he removed his family
from Weathersiield to his farm in Water
bury, and continued to occupy the same
farm from that time till his death, period
of more than forty years
On the organization OF the town of
Waterbury, March 3lst, 1870, he was
elected the first Town Clerk, and contin-
ued ever after TO be prominent not only
in the political and ecclesiastical history OF
that town and county, but also of the
State.
In 1894, he was elected Representative
from the town of Waterbury to the Gen
eral Assembly of Vermont, and was an
nualy reelected in 1895, '96, '97, '99
1900, '0l, '02, '03 and '04, and again in
1907. This last year he was also elected
one of the twelve Councillors OF the State,
and seems to have acted during that ses-
sion of the General Assembly, in the ca
pacity both of Councillor and as Mem
Der OF the House Of Representatives. 1t
does not appear in the Journal of that seS-
sion that he resigned his seat in the House,
or his position as Councillor-and during
the earlier part OF the session, after his
election as Councillor mad been officially
ascertained and announced, he was re-
peatedly appointed member of some of
the more important committees, but later
in the session, his name does not appear on
he list of yeas and nays, which were Ia
ken in quite a number OF instances.
In 1909 he was again elected Council
Tor, and continued 10 hold that office, with
the exception of the years 1918 and 1t
till 1926, having thus received sixteen
annual elections TO this office.
lie was elected in 1903 Assistant Judge
of the County Court Tor the County of
Chittenden, Waterbury being then in that
County, and was reelected in 1904 and
O5,-and in 1906 was chosen Chief Ju ICE
of that Court and held that position five
years.
On the organization of Jefferson Coun-
ty the name of which was altered TO
Washington County, November, 9Th 1914
December lst 1911 Judge Butler was
chosen Chief Judge of the County Court |
for that County and was reelected in |
1812,l5,16,l7, 19, 1921 ,22,23 and "a
In 1928, a judicial system, similar TO the
present one, was adopted, whereby Judge
of the Supreme Court became Chief Judge
of the County Court. and under this ar
Judge Butler was elected first
assistant Judge of the Washington County
Court, and at the termination of that year
closed his judicial labors. 49,.
Judge Butler was a member OF the |
Council of Censors in1806, and Of the
Convention of 1922.
This Convention was called by the
Council Of Censors which assembled in
1925 and q, and were called to decide
upon the following proposed amendment,
among others, TO the Constitution LIST.
To make the Council similar to our pres
ent Senate, and 10 consist of one member
from each county, to be elected by the |
freemen OF each county respectively, I'd.
To reGuce the number of Representatives
TO one h'aored and fifty, and to apportion
them according to population Sd To
elect the Judges of the Supreme Court,
for the term OF Seoen years, but to be re-
naosable by two thirds vote in joint as
semby. These amendments, however,
were all rejected by the Convention by
decided majorities, there Icing only some
twenty or thirty votes in their favor.
inlSl3, Judge Butler was elected, on
the general ticket, one Of the six Mem
beers of Congress from Vermont, and
served only single term. He was also
in 1904 and in 1920 elected, by the Leg
islatlre one of the Electors from Vermont
Of President and Vice President of the
United States. In 1904 the six votes OF !
Vermont were given for Thomas Jeffer-
son tor President and George Clinton for
Vice President; and in 1920 her eight
votes were given for James Monroe for
President and Daniel D., Tompkins for
Vice President.
In 1926, Judge Butler was elected
Governor of the State and held the office
two years. During his administration,