The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-10-11
LEGISLATURE OF VERMONT,
Annual Session. 1862


BILLS.
BY Mr. Kirkland to amend Chap. 10, {. S. title,
towns so as to authorize towns to raise money for
military purposes referred to Committee on Print
NJ.
By Mr.. Cree authorizing towns to raise mon
ey to pay soldiers; to the Committee on Print
ing.
By Mr.. Stafford extending the charter of the
Ascutney Bank, to January /, 1885, without re-
distributing the stock,) to the Committee on
Banks.
House Bill, providing for paying the seven
dollars month to nine months men was taken
up.
Mr. Stafford moved a reconsideration of the
vote adopting Mr. Stevens amendment, agreed to.
Mr.. Stevens was permitted to withdraw his
amendment.
Mr. Clark. Of Bennington, desired that action
be delayed till he could see the financial State
ment in the Governors Message. At present he
did not feel at liberty to vote on the Till. lie
believed il the nation was to be broken down, it
would he broken down financially. Hence, he
thought we should pause and see it there is not
some better and safer way than this bill proposes.
lie said lie had heard of only one town which
had guaranteed the 81 and was surprised to
know that it had been generally done. lie
thought that when the 81 was first adopted, the
| Legislature would have hesitated in framing such
a measure if they had foiese the length of the
war. If the State now gives these drafted men
the 81 it would implicitly promise the same to all
| future drafted men. He made an estimate by
which he stated that hereafter, in that event,
drafted men would be paid $31 month, and
only $l3 OF it by the General Government. lie
| feared and dreaded national reputation and
bankruptcy. He wished the bill might lay over
| till he could examine the Governors Message and
Treasurers report.
Mr.. Cree, said he had listened attentivey to
| the remarks Of the Senator and was surprised
both at the arguments, and that any one should
/ oppose the bill. What is the object Of the bill
The State has raised sixteen regiments-eleven
| of these regiments are paid the seven dollars
Five of them are not 80 clearly entitled to this
pay. This bill, however, had been introduced to
| set at rest the question, whether these five reg-
| ments should have the seven dollars. lie thought
these regiments expected TO have this pay. 1t
had been pledged to them by the people when
these troops were raised. The people had n-
s,ruc'ed their Senators and Representatives to
make this pay sure. These glments contained
the best blood in the State. Many of them left
business worth more than even the ihrty-one
dollars month. Shall we not pay it to them?
The gentleman has we'll said that we were IN
gagged in life struggle, and ne believed it, and of
what importance, in comparison, is money? He
was in favor of making no discrimination in pay
ing soldiers. Vermont is not bankrupt. She has
money and credit and is able to pay all her soldiers
whether drafted or volunteers. In this life
struggle if he was able to save the lite OF the ma
ton and his own lille he ready to sacrifice his
last dollar.
We are at work for postetity, and although We
are creating debt Tor them to pay, we are say.
ing the liberties of the country; aud if we save
for them the country, they will not object to the
cost. lie thought the arguments against this bill
were inspired by the almighty dollar. As to the
argument that the burden OF taxation would drive
men of property out Of the Safe, he thought we
could safely spare any citizen who desired to leave
on that account.
Mr.. Keith sad that the question Of the eXpe-
dlcncy OF paying the - a month 20 any oi our
soldiers, II was to ate now to discuss. 1he queS-
ton before The Senate was whether We would
treat our soldiers all alike. lie Was in h.yor OF
paying orr soldiers all alike.
Nh Edmands sad that Gc expected the bill
would pass, not because i, ought 10, but as one OF
The bitter fruits Of the hasty legislation OF the eX
ira soss.on lie thought it the dary Of tue State,
however, to treat these regiments all alike, ii it
took the last dollar in the State. lie condemned
the policy Of paying the - at The outset, bat in
asmuch as lie was satisfied that the l2,h had al
ready cen legally paid the - month, he was in
favor OF paying the other four the same gratuity
Mr. Sioughton, said he had just learned from
the Governor, that lie had received u Telegram,
from Gen. Washburne stating that the 18th resi-
ment was in readiness TO leave, and desiring 10
hp pfnrpnn cd rasrpctiDv fha pas.a ~ ,boir
1t was desirable that the troops leave the State
tomorrow.
lie said be didu't know but it might be the pol
icy OF the citizens O! Bennington AID OF Citizen
den counties not to pay this 81.
He believed. however, that the people of the
State, if in mass convention, would vote, by an
immense majority, this bounty. His motto was
Millions for defence but not oue cent for tri-
butte"
lie supposed that the preservation Of the gov
! ernment would be received as return for this
outlay and il the government was not preserved
1t would be Of no consequence whether We had
| any property left or not.
He had no sympathy with those who would
put obstacles in the way Of the passage OF the
| bill.
| lie thought that monipd men would as soon 90
to the devil as South Of Mason and Dixon's
line, and therefore did not apprchend that the
passage Of the bill would G.yc that class from
the State.
! lie said Vermont bonds are 0 per cent prem-
UNI to-day and it was folly to talk about rtpudia-
| ton.
lie said, in answer to the statement of Mr..
Clark that We bad no Washington now, that
Washington was in the boots of Abe Lincon.
MIR Clark, of Bennington, made an explanation