Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-08-05

10 he emmett If CenaorS.
Your committee. appointed to consider
the resolution in relation 20 Biennial Ses.
sions of the Legislature and Elections
respectfully report that, upon eonaiderl-
ton Of the subject, they recommend that
the Council propose the following amend
ment to the Constitution, viz
ARTICLE |. The General Assembly shall meet
on the second Thursday Of October, bicnntally.
ART 2. The Governor, Lieutenant Governor
State Treasurer, Senators, and Town keprese nta-
tives, shall be chosen on the first Tuesday in Sep
tember biennay
ART 3. The term Of office Of the Governor
Northumberland and Treasurer, shall con-
tnne two years, until their successors are
chosen and qualified, from the time when they
shall be chosen and qualified.
ART. 4. All officers required by Law to be ap-
pointed by the Governor, or elected by the Legis-
lature, shall hold their Offices for the term Of two
years
ART. 5. County and Probate officers and JUS
tces of the Peace shall hold their Offices for the
term of two years.
Your committee submit the following
among the reasons which induce them to
make this recommendation
They are of opinion that it is not al
ways necessary that there should be an
annual session of the General Assembly.
The business transacted by the General
Assembly is properly considered under
the two classes of public and private en-
actments. so far as our public laws are
concerned it il To be noticed that ours Is
an inland State, with homogeneous pop
ulation, that our territorial limits are
small, our people law-abiding and intelli-
gent, and with such State and such a
people we do not require the amount OF
legislation that is required in some other
States. Your committee are of opinion
that careful scrutiny of the history OF
our State Legislature for the past twenty
years will show that in most cases our
public legislation has been confined tc
trivial matters, and that no importan,
changes have been made Ill our laws as Of
ten as once in two years, nor indeed fol
much longer periods. Such scrutiny will
also show that in many instances such
changes as have been made have been
made unadvisedly, so that no incon
siderable part of the business has been te
undo and repeal what had been so hastily
done the year before. In this view youl
committee are OF the opinion that WE
have had too much legislation; that the
continual tinkering of the laws by max
ing amendments one year and repeating
them the next, and the numerous minor
modification of our statutes which our
legislation has produced, have not been
profitable to the State Such Legislation
has increased litigation instead of dim
inishing it. Our Reports show that &
very large proportion of the disputes set
tied in the Supreme Court, grow out O.
the construction of newly enacted stat
utes. No legislation can form a statue Sc
perfectly but the interest of parties, and
the ingenuity of counsel can raise ques
tions as to its construction. When, there
fore, a statute has been enacted, and it,
construction settled, nothing but a clear
and strong reason should cause its change
Now, therefore, if we change the ses.
sions of our General Assembly from ann
ual to biennial, the result will be not on
ly that there will be less opportunity fol
unimportant and unnecessary changes
but, from having longer public consid
GRAFTON before coming before the Genera
Assembly, such propositions of amend
ment as are made will be examined NOR,
carefully and determined more judicious
ly.
So far as private legislation is concern
ed, most of 1T is quite unimportant, being
simply the creation OF minor CORPORATIONS
and whether we have annual or biennia
sessions, will soon be disposed of as il
other States, by general enactments fol-
creating private associations, by which
the rights of the public will be secured
and at the same time corporate power b.
granted whenever needed. We have now
upon our books hundreds of acts creating
privats corporations, which have no
been of benefit to any psrty sufficient tt
pay for the white paper upon which they
are printed.
Occasionally, it is true, there comes W
grave questions as to granting corporate
rights and public franchises which deserve
the attention of the Assembly, but these
do not arise every year, and when they
do come up, it most usually happens tina,
many years elapse from the first start t.
the final perfection of the enterprise, SC
that the delay of year in the Legislation
would not retard fhe public benifit. In
most OF the questions OF importance that
arise in practice, the General Assembly il
made to serve not the part of leeisla.
ture, celebrating for the public good. bu,
the aroma in which rival and hostile mi.
vate interests seeks to gain advantage
over each other. With ali such matter,
the less we have to do the better for the
public.
From these considers tions, your com.
mittee are of opinion that the interest oI
the State would be advanced by HAVING
{ the sessions of the General Aesamhlv 1,sos