Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1866-11-09
Doings at Montpelier.
IMPORTANT MEASURES rENpIN,

There are several important measures
pending before the legislature which may
De deemed of vital interest to the welfare
and prosperity Of the State. One of these
Is the bill introduced by Mr.. JOHNSON Of |
his town, to encourage manufacturing by
inviting foreign capital into the State.
This bill simply exempts from taxation
property invested in manufacturing in Ver-
mont for ten years. 1t is the same policy
which has been adopted by the other New
England States, and which has enabled
them long ago to so far outstrip Vermont
in all that kind Of industry. When the
extensive manufacturing at Lowell, Mas
sachnsetts, was first started, ii had this kind
of legislative aid, and SO in Maine and
New Hampshire, and if Vermont had
adopted this policy at that time she would
have kept pace with her sister states in
wealth and population, especially in the
latter,which has been at a stand still for the
last twenty years. 1t is increased manu-
featuring which Vermont needs so much
at this time, and this established other
things will follow. We cannot but regard
this measure as of the most important of
any introduced at the present session,
though as yet we are unable TO judge as
to how much favor it will be received by
the legislature.
Another measure is bill for an insol-
vent law, introduced by Maj ROUNDS of
Chester. The policy Of this measure is of
course to do away with the grab law"
by which the few attack their debtors and
get their full pound of flesh, while the
other creditors can only look on in dumb
silence and lose their whole debt, while
the debtor is kept down and from rising
forever after by this same law, and finally
seeks relief by leaving the State. Thus
these two measures are nearly related to
each other, so far as the best interests of
our State are concerned. Our present
laws are such that if man once fails he
has no chance to rise again, and thus they
are drove from the State to places which
offer better advantages. In the above two
measures Vermont is decidedly behind The
other New England States, and we Lope
new era is about to dawn upon her bus
mess prospects by improved legislation.
There is also some bill pending we
forget exactly what form it has assumed
by which change of school or text books
is to be made throughout the State, or one
which will produce this result. 1t is esti-
mated that this will be an expense to the
State--that is the people who will hay to
buy the books--of more than ONE Hun
DRIED THOUSAND DOLLARS We trust
therefore that this measure will be defeat
ed. There can be no possible good rea,
son for saddling such an expense upon the
people at this time. We hear that agents
from the cities who are anxious to make
sales for their books, are at Montpelier
lobbying he members on this project.
There are one or two bills in the House
with reference to elections, providing FOL
a registration Of all the voters similar tt
laws now existing in other States. These
bills would long ago have been on our stat
utes if Vermont had been a doubtful o
close political State.
There is also another bill which make
radical change in the manner of electinl
the State Board Of Education. Now they
are appointed by the governor. The new
bill proposes to have them elected hereaf
ter by the legislature. We are not pro
pared to Judge OF the merits OF the bill
not having seen one, but if we remembe
rightly it was introduced by Mr.. JOHNSON
Of this town, which is a pretty good sig
it is good one.
We have thus indicated what are likel..
to be the most important measures acte'
upon by the Legislation this year, an
which are now pending and must soon b
decided, as we hope they will not think o
remaining in session beyond next week.
L. IL.