Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-11-01
Letter from Montpelier.

ate, the bill making drunkenness cause
for divorce was taken up, and Senator
Reed the author of the bill, made an
elaborate argument in its defence. Sem
ator Dorr rjolned, and spoke to such
good effect that the friends Of the bill
were again under the necessity Of moving
to lay it upon the table. He strength
ened his argument by statistics, show
ing that even rs the laws now are,
Vermont is fast acquiring an unenviaole
notoriety for the frequency and ease
with which divorces are granted. In
1864 the number of marriages IN YER
mont was ,804; the number OF divorces
in the counties of Franklin, Rutland,
Orange, Windham and Bennington, was
So. If the same proportion OF divorces
was granted in the other counties, the
whole number must have exceeded l6Ur
and the divorces were in proportion to |
the marriages about as one to eleven.
In view of these facts, and Of the I'M |
doubted increase of divorces since 1864, !
the Senator well appealed to the legis-
lature to pause and consider before pro-
viding any new facilities for dissolving
the marriage relation. And it will pause
! for a while.
In the House, bill was introduced
| to establish new county, by the name
| of Union. to consist of the towns Of
Ludlow, Cavendish, Weathersfield, Wes
ton, Andover, Chester, Baltimore, and
Springfield, in Windsor county, and
Londonderry, Windham, Grafton, Rock
iugham, Westminster and Athens in
Windham. It leaves the location of the
shire to be determined by commission
ers and gives the new county one Sen
ator, which decreases by one the Sen
atorial representation Of Windsor cOun-
ty. There will doubtless be a severe
contest over this. In fact, the contest
commenced with the very introduction
of the bill. It's friends wanted it re-
ferred to a select committee of five, and
it's opponents favored a reference to the
members from the two counties. Mr..
Harris of Windham, Mr.. Johnson OF
Rockingham, and Mr.. Hubbard of Stock
bridge, spoke in behalf Of the latter re-
ference. and Mr. Rounds of Chester ia
behalf of the former, and the House by 6
strong mejority referred it to select
, committee. A similar bill was intro
, duced in the Senate, and was there re
, ferred, without opposition, to selec'
, committee Of three.
One of the most important bills, per
haps the most important bill, of th'
session, was to-day introduced in th'
House by Mr.. Carpenter of Randolph, &c
establish normal school at Randolph
Center. A we'll conducted school OF tina
= kind seems to be the one thing needed
to perfect our school system. The lack'o
thoroughly trained teachers Away ha
been and still is the great obtacle to th
Improvement Of schools. A norma
school in which teachers can be in
= structed in the theory and practice o
= teaching will remove the obstacle, q
least in part; and a class of teacher
will gradually come into employment
L whose superior qualifications cannot fsi
to increase the efficiency and prosperit
:, of the schools under their care. TN
- trustees of Randolph Academy pre-
D pose to give the State, for the term 6
five years, the use of all their schoe
. property for the purposes of such
I'll" school. AS such an arrangement vii
Il secure to the State decided good with
Il out involving it in any expense, it is t
- be hoped that the offer will be accepte
>, and the school be established.
- The necessity Of remaining in sessio
y" this forenoon till noon, in order to hol
% joint assembly for the purpose of com
pleting the election Of Senators, was tn
III occasion of a good deal of bushes
&c being done in both houses. The table
At We're cleared of all business that ha
in been accommodating, and one sanguin
,t member had his hopes Of a short sesslo
pe so raised that he introduced resolutio
" for fual adjournment on Friday c
pr next week. On motion of more eS
t. perieuced legislator, the resolution wa
W ordered to lie. To-day has howeye
=. been an unusually busy day, and tn
ga offices being all disposed OF, there is a
he evident disposition to dispatch bushes
in with all reasonable speed. Unless tt
at Hyde Park convention, which occur
,e- tomorrow, shall draw off the workin
at members, (of which there are SON
A. symptoms a good deal of legislatio
will be done before the close of the wee
The third house has adjourned to Hyd
,e- park or elsewhere, and the Hobbies an
,al galleries present beggarly account
in empty boxes.