Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-10-25
LFrom our Special Correspondent. I
Letter from Montpelier

Letter from Montpelier
MONTPELIER, Oct. 10.
The House yesterday adopted reso-
luton that, whenit adjourned this after
noon, 1t would adjourn till Monday
next at p. m. Practically, this was an
adjournment from Thursday till next
Tuesday. Many of the western men,
bers left for home on the Thursday after
noon train, and many of the eastern
members took the cars this morning.
When the House assembled this morn
ing, less than seventy member were pres
ent, and an immediate adjournment was
matter of necessity. In the Senate,
no quorum was present, and that body
could not adopt a resolution similar to
that of the House, but is compelled to
hold its sessions regularly, though with
only enough Senator's present to adjourn
from one half day to another.
The only business of the legislature
that has been completely finished is the
election of all the State officers. This
allows the third house to adjourn sine
die, and leaves the way clear for the
works of legislation. Not single law
has yet been enacted. The House has
passed bills to legalize the grand lists of
Benson and Chittenden, for the year
1865, also to incorporate the West Ru-
pert Dairy Association, and the North
field South Village Slate and Tile Com
pany. A great deal of the time of the
legislature is occupied with chartering
manufacturing corporations which
might be organized under the general
law. An act for the Introduction and
preservation of shad in Lake Champlain
and Its tributaries has passed the House,
and has been ordered to third reading
in the Senate. The judiciary committee
of the Senate reported in favor of the
bill making intemperanoe a cause for
divorce, and In favor of the bill relat-
ing to the property and liabilities of
married women. The latter, with some
amendments, have been ordered to a
third reading, the former was ordered to
lie on the table. That is about all the
results of the session thus far.
Among the public documents Of the
present session, none is of more perma-
nent and substantial value than the
Eighth Registration Report, for the year
1854, which has just been distributed.
The birth and death of person are the
greatest epochs in his history, and his
marriage stauds next in Importance.
The preservation of the facts connected
with these three great events is impor-
tant, not only to individual history, but
may be made to contribute to the high
est welfare of the whole community.
The average age of man in different To-
calities, the comparative healthiness
of different regions, the prevalence
of particular diseases in particular
| localities, the effect of different &C.
equations upon the length Of life, are
among the things to be learned from
registration reports.
1t is to be regretted that any of the
| proper officers should have failed to
make returns, and that the returns of
some have proved defective and mac
curate Twenty.four towns, among
which were Burlington and vergennes,
made no reports for 1854. The number
of births reported for that year was
4,753, less by GIG than the births of the
year preceding and easily accounted for,
not only by the deficiencies above
mentioned, but by the absence of more
than tenth of the adult men of the
State. The number of marriages was
1904, less by 203 than those of the pre-
ceding year. The number of deaths was
5,293, less by All than those of 1868.
In 422 instances of marriage the
bride was under twenty years of
age, in 45 the groom was under
twenty, and in q both parties were
under twenty. Two hundred and
ninety-four widowers were married,
and only hundred and eighty-fve
widows. The number of deaths was
$50 more than the average for the eight
preceding years. In that respect the
influence of the war is apparent, not
only in the greater prevalence of some
forms of disease, but also in the deaths
of many returned soldiers. Diphtheria
was the most fatal disease, and occa-
stoned S43 deaths; consumption stood
next, having had 733 victims. Only
eight deaths were by suicide, less than
half the annual average. bill is now
pending to have the divorces reported,
as we'll as the marriages, and published