The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-11-23
The Work Of the Session.

|
as follows:
The Legislature of Vermont closed its
labors on Wednesday morningat 8oclock.
1t has been q short session--ten days
shorter than last year, week shorter
than the average. 1t has done a few
good things in the way of legislation, and
left a good many undone An unusual
number Of bills were introduced and con-
sidered, often at much length, only to fail
finally in one House or the other. The
number ofprivate incorporation acts pass.
ed was very small, the Senate having
steadily thrown out all whose object could
be secured under the General Statutes.
The more important acts passed and
approved by the Governor were as fol.
lows
Act creating two degrees in the crime
of murder.
Act amending the prohibitory law,
giving quarter of the fines laid, to the
prosecuting officer or complaint and
making unlawful sellers of intoxicating
drinks liable for damage to persons OF
property committed by drunken men.
Act enabling school districts to send
scholars to academies, and draw public
money for them on the same terms as in
the public schools.
Providing for regimental parades and
drills in regiments of the militia consist
ing Of at least five companies.
Providing for the support of the State
Government, laying State tax of fifty
cents, appropriating $4,000 for expenses
Of the coming Constitutional Convention,
&c.
Permitting parties in civil suits to
challenge jurors, as jurors are challenged
in criminal cases.
Providing for the employment of a
(phonographic) reporter in the County
Courts.
Extending the time allowed for Teach
ers Institutes to five days, and allowing
to the Secretary of the Board of Educa-
tion S35 a day for the expenses of the
same.
Putting at the disposal ofthe fish Com
missioners $1,000 year to aid in restor-
ing sea-fish to Vermont rivers.
e. Act committing the sentence of Horace
r. Plumley of Shrewsbury, from death to
Imprisonment for life
A number Of Trust Companies" were
chartered in various towns.
A few charters of private corporations
were amended
A very few names Of persons were
changed by special acts, in cases not
coming under the General Statutes.
The following railroads were charter.
ed:
The Northern Vermont L. Lake Cham
plain, from Cambridge, VT, to Essex
Junction.
The Missisquoi and Clyde River
The Barre Railroad
The Manchester and Jamaica.
The Brattleboro and Pawlet River.
The Wantastiquet Valley.
The Runaway Pond Railroad.
The Rutland and Bethel.
The Brattleboro and Bennington.
Extension Of Lamoille Valley road to
McQuam Bay, in Swanton.
These are all short roads Enabling
acts were passed, permitting towns along
the routes to bond themselves to aid in
the construction of divers roads, as follows
viz, for the
Montpelier and Wells River road
Fairhaven and Lake Shore road.
Brattleboro and Bennington road
Northern Vermont and Lake Cham
plain road
Barre, Fairfax, and West Fairlee roads.
All these railroad bills were passed
substantially without opposition.
The more prominent measures which
failed were as follows:
The interest bill, lost in the House.
The bill permitting towns to abolish
school districts, and place their public
schools in charge of commissioners elected
by the towns, passed by the Senate, lost
in the House.
The bill simplifying criminal pleadings
passed by the Senate, lost in the House.
The bill incorporating the Walloomsae
Railroad. This is the proposed road
known in previous railroad fights as "the
Burden road"); passed by the House, lost
in the Senate.
The bill incorporating the Northern
Vermont r. r., from Burlington to
Swanton) lost in the House.
The bill requiring an oath of the
Listers before entering ON their duties,
and requiring Town Clerks to keep list
of all mortgages, and to transfer to the
listers in other towns information Of any
mortgages held in their towns; passed by
the Senate, lost in the House.
The Newbury Seminary bill, authoriz-
ing the Trustees to convey the property
of the Seminary to the Trustees of the
Montpelier Seminary; lost in the Senate.
A similar bill also lost in the House.
Bill for ejecting the present Trustees
Of Newbury Seminary, and in effect,
creating a new board lost in the Senate
Bill providing that in the election
Town Representatives, plurality vote
shall elect on the second ballot; lost in
he Senate.
OF those we regret most the failure of
he bill allowing towns to abolish school
districts. 1t passed the Senate unani-
nously, if We recollect Alright, and was
rejected in the House, upon little or no
discussion of its merits, simply because OF
The late hour at which it was brought
forward.
No heavy jobs, or important pieces of
questionable legislation, were put through
under whip and spur during the closing
hours; and on the whole, the members
may comfort themselves in their retire
ment to private life, with the reflection,
that if no very important public good
has been secured by their five weeks
work, neither has much harm been done
and this is more than can be said of
some previous Legislatures,
IL n.nnnu4.. kaa kno. ...au4al 4. Ill