Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1867-10-23
REFORM SCHOOL.

REFORM SCHOOL.
The establishment of school for the
reformation of juvenile offenders having
become our policy, provision for its neces-
sities the coming year should be made at
this session. I'M, -a,t ..
1t is my belief that great good is being
done in elevating our hayward youth, and
preparing them for useful and honorable
lives, and am convinced that a familiar
ity WITH the operations Of the Vermont
Reform School would commend it to your
sympathy and support. For information
on this subject, you are referred to the
interesting reports Of the Trustees and
Superintendent.
RESOURCES OF THE STATE.
Tho resources of the State, as develop
ed in its agriculture, its manufactures,
its quarries and its mines; merit, and
should receive your careful attention. The
legislation on these subjects should be
such as to secure to our people the great
est advantages from these sources, by in.
ducing the influx of capital for their de-
velopment, and inviting investments,
without hampering them by unnecessary
conditions and restrictions, for extending
our manufactures, opening and working
our quarries and mines, and increasing
our railroad facilities.
In most particulars, our laws compare
favorably with those of other States in
these respects. In some Of their provis-
ions, however, ! shall have occasion to
indicate reforms which seem to me to he
needed.
Vermont is prominently an agricultu-
raj State, having thirteen-twentieths of
its four millions acres under improvement,
and we have cause of gratitude to the
Giver of all good things, for the abun-
dant harvests that have rewarded the
labors Of our husbandmen during the
year.
The increased value of the real and
personal estate in Vermont, from 1850 to
1860. as given in the census, was little
over thirty millions of dollars. and this
upon a gold basis. Of this sum twenty
eight millions was in the increased value
Of the real estate. Had we statistics to
tho present time, they would show a still
larger rate of increase. This large ad.
vance can only be ascribed to the system
ofSrailroads, put in operation during thai
period, opening to producers easy commu
nications with markets before inaccessi
Bile. Take up our iron rails and you re
duce the value of our farms and quarriel
more than the entire cost Of the roads
Those within few miles Of the railroads
: derive the most benefit from them
Therefore, the opening Of new roads t.
accommodate more remote sections woult
. aid largely in developing the resources o
the State.
When we turn to our manufacturin,
and mechanical industries we find that
with superior facilities, in many respects
we are far behind our sister states of Ne,
England. AT the taking of the last cen
sus we had only fifteen hundred estab
lishments, using an aggregate capital o
nearly ten millions, and employing lii
tie over ten thousand persons, with six
teen millions Of dollars in annual product
while our neighbors on the other side o
the Connecticut river show results thre
times as great. 1t cannot. with truth, b
claimed that they hold more favorabl
position, or have superior natural advar
Q tages but when we look on their lcgisla
tion, we find that they encourage manu-
factures by the exemption of new estat
: tablishments from taxation, and by othe
wise laws, throw about them the fosteriD
care of the state. In this connection
D permit me to repeat the recommendation
: of former executives on the subject 0
| attachment Of property on mesne process
0 and particularly to call your attention t
) that part Of our system which gives prior
. ity to the first attaching creditor. If W
} would keep pace with our sister states i
the development Of our abundant resour
9 ces, we must see that we are not behin
, them in providing for a just and cquitabl
1 distribution among all creditors, of tn
: assets Of any debtor, who, by the risk
. attendant on new enterprises, or from an
other cause, finds himself unable to NEE
: lis obligations,
r Capital comes to ID less freely, an
I credit is less readily accorded in othe
: states to our citizens, than it would be
|. the capitalists or the creditor were sur
0 that in any case of any inability to pay i
|, full, he could rely on sharing alike wit
!. other creditors instead Of seeing his prol
erty applied to the full payment Of anotf
, er's debt and himself left with no pal
a of h;o ;,st dra roforynot;oy ~ ~,