Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-10-31
Legislative Debates.
THE ELECTION OF LISTERS.

MI. MARVIN Oh hlOurgn, presented
bill, providing that listers should be
elected one for three years, one for two
years and one for one year, at the annual
March election in 1858, and that one
lister shall annually be elected after that
date for three years, thus making the
office of lister a permanent one for three
years. The committee on the Judiciary
reported against its passage. The merits
of the bill were discussed and its third
reading refused by very decided major
ity. We give an abstract of the discus
sion:
Upon the inquiry Of Mr.. Marvin of Al
burgh, Mr.. Rounds of Chester from the
judiciary committee, explained the rea.
sons that induced the committee to
report against the bill--that under the
law as it now stands, listers can be elect
ed as many years as the town choose if
the town, and hanse G no "ha aese9 81 Che
law was necessary 10 reach the object
designed by this bill.
Mr.. Marvin said he thought the pas.
sage of the bill would tend to equalize
taxation--a result that, thus far had
been difficult to reach. The multiplicity
Of the bills that from year to year come
before the legislature showed plainly
that there was an unequal working of
the present system Of listing and the
legislature ought to make the office less
unstable. Towns that have retained
listers in Office for long time had been
very judicious, and all towns ought to
be required by law to make the office
more stable. The changing of only one
lister each year, and retaining the other
two In office, gave the board of listers
the benefit of more experience than
where the listers are changed entire every
year. 1t would lead to more care in the
selection of suitable men for the office
and we should hear OF less complaint on
the ground of the urequal working of
our listing laws, and men could not
so easily keep their property out of the
grand list as under ,he law as it now
exists. He referred 10 the form of oath
required to be taken by the listers, and
the fact that the practice has been to set
real estate in the list at very much lower
than its actual value and that the oath
prescribed in the illrequired the listers
to certify that they have set the real
and personal properly of the towns at
the full cash value thereof This bill
would tend to establish uniformity and
stability between the various towns of
this State. .ff.rf
Mr.. Ross of ST. Johnsbury, alluded to
the second section as Objectionable, pro-
viding that the listers shall be sworn.
but does not require them to certify to
the correctness Of the list they have
made. The law now requires real estate
to be appraised at the value it would be
were it to be set off on execution. This
bill is rather letting down than rails.
ing OF the standard Of performing the
duties of the office of listers. Then again,
IT Is singing out the particular Office of
listers and making different rule for
them than for the other town officers.
Better leave it to towns to elect their
listers as at present provided, and thus
place their continuance in office solely
on the ground of competency.
Mr.. Marvin thought that other town
oTncers-selectmen for instance-ought
to be elected for a longer time than one
year, and that we ought not to object to
the passage of this bill because it was an
innovation upon the established usaees
OF the towns under the present law. So
Jar as the oath is concerned, the listers,
under the usages of the present law,
subscribed the oath with great reluct-
a0ce, and no conscientious man could do
1t at all. The present bill would obviate
the difficulty.
Mr.. Ferrin of Montpelier replied to the
assertion of Mr.. Marvin, that under this
bill we should have more stability in our
lists and also, that conscientious man
could not subscribe the oath under the
present usages of our listers. He thought
that the admission of parole evidence to
snow that the duties of the office had
oeen faithfully executed, would not be
any relief to tender conscience. He
believed We should have property listed
according TO some fixed standard in all
' the towns 10 the State, and that a failure