Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-12-08
The Vermont LegisIature..Its Sins
of Omission and Commission.

The Vermont LegisIaturc--Its Sins
of Omission and Commission.
MONTPELIER, VT, Nov. "a, 1870.
The general assembly rose yesterday
morning, after a seven weeks sitting. A
large number of important bills went by
the board for simple lack of opportunity
to consider them. Indeed, the Senate
twice made overtures to the House for an
adjourned session, but that body was in
exorable. The savors of the Thanksgiv-
ing feast were more potent and persuasive
than any interests of the Commonwealth,
and return they would not. The wise
and virtuous presentatives had been too
long away from the endearments of home,
and yearned to see the faces of wives and
babies. When one considers that they
had been boarding in this village for seven
whole weeks, and that most of them had
not seen their families more than half
dozen times in that entire period, he is
prepared to appreciate the pathetic allu-
sion of the Speaker, in his farewell re-
marks, to "the loved ones who so anxious
ly wait to welcome us back" Ii I remem-
Der rightly, your General Court has of
late years shown tendency to sit on and
on indefinitely. Pardon the suggestion
that Massachusetts might profit by the
experience of Vermont. Let your legis-
lature convene in the fall, and the anti
cipated turkey and pumpkin pie OF the
feast of harvest may reasonably be expect
ed to accelerate the wheels of legislation,
SO hat taAy may be brought to a stand
still on the day before Thanksgiving. 1t
never fails in this latitude. Our le9isla.
tive mill always ceases to grind on the
day the turkeys are picked, no matter
what bills are in the hopper; and it never
starts again till the next fall.
This time they have certainly wound
up too soon, To say nothing of the high
pressure under which the General Assem-
bly, has worked these last few days, and
the inconsiderate haste with which bills
have been passed or rejected, several mea-
sures of the h host momer' ve failed
for sheer want ol 1, ne. Perha gs the most
notable among these was TIE bill provid-
ing for Just and equitable appraisal of
property, Our present listing system is
probably the worst in the United States.
Certainly it copld not be made more un-
equal without the exercise of deal of
talent and Ingenuity. Some towns obey
the statute, and have their property set in
the lists at its cash value; others have it
appraised at 40 per cent. or less. Most of
the assessors have to much regard for the
laws relating to perjury to allow them to
make. oath to their returns. The way
out of the difficulty seems clear to honest
men but the two houses were at a dead
lock, and 30 the palpable, acknowledged
injustice, aud confessed violations of the
statute are likely to go on for an indefinite
period
The conserv tie wing u our Legisla-
ture is the House rather than the Senate.
The latter body is more open to new ideas
and sound argument. 1t is nearly certain
that good measure, with solid reasons
behiad it, will pass this branch. If it can
only get thorough ventilation. But in the
House discussion and argument seems to
have very slight effect. Perhaps ought
to except speeches OF the demagogioal
kind, which sometimes seem to carry the
body by storm; but think not, since
these serve only to give a show of logical
respectability to the seated preiudiees of
the average legislator. Those who have
watched the course of the debates this
year more closely thar have, affirm that
this session has been signalised by an un-
usual amount of demagogu ry and bum
combe.
The House is conservative in two d.
it means to keep the old land
marks, and it means to save the money of
-he State. AS an example of the first, the
debates on various interest bills
are in point. The State itself borrows at
Z $40 per oent.-beoause it cannot Dor.
row for less, one may suppose-and it au-
thorizes towns to borrow for per cent,
but it visits individuals who dare to take
more than 6 with condign penalties. It
Is to be presumed that the honest legisla-
-ors could not see the inconsistency and
downright injustice eh the statutes, as
low in force. The laws of Massachusetts, |
md other States We're cited, but to no eff |
ect. Vermont is such peculiar" State
hat system which workn prosperity in |
he Bay State might bring the Green |
Mountains to wreck. At the same time,
hey did not unde- lake to say that potatoes
hould never be sold for more than sixty |
,ents bushel. But just why they un-
iertake to regulate the sale of one COM
modify, aud not of all others, we think il
probable they would find it hard con.
lusively to show. The fight is TO be re-
lewed every year, however, and light will
ome in, little by little, and common
ense and sound political economy will at
ast get the victory-till which day, of
course, the surplus money of Vermonters
will mostly go out of the State for invest
nent, to say nothing of the funds which
therwise might find employment here.
said the House was very conservative
+ money. No matter how salutary bill
night be, if it involved an appropriation
4 $lOO,Iit was as good as doomed. So
ealous was the watch of the House over
he pockets of the dear people, that not
nfrequently $500 were spent in contend
ng and arguing to save $50,-and that
0 when the $50 should have been paid.
Witness the State Normal School bill,
rawn up and urged by the board of edu
alton, which never stood the ghost of a
hance of becoming a law; Why Be.
ause it involved an outlay of $1,000 q
ear This was reason enough for
4uelching it, even without go much dis
ussion as would serve to show respect to
he able men who stood sponsors for the !
leasure. The debate on capital punish
lent was singularly conducted in the
iouse, and resulted in an unexpected de-
ision. A bill was introduced to COM
,ute the sentence of a convicted murderer
rom hanging to imprisonment for life, '
nd tie murderer's counsel was invited ,
} the floor of the House to plead his
ause. This he did with whatever arts :
nd arguments he would use to influence
welve men in box. Naturally enough
be sympathies of the representatives 6
'ere deeply moved, and they voted in
to change the sentence of the :
burt. And this without word ..
'om the States Attorney or the
ldge who tried the culprit. Had i
ny judge in the State dared to tam ,
er with the balance of Justice, by openly !
nd purposely weighing one of the scales, {
9 would have deserved impeachment,
nd would no doubt have got it, even at =
,e hands of the House which enacted
lis judicial travesty. In this instance
,e Senate fortunately stood by the law
nd its sentence. but their action could
OF avail to neutralizo the damaging in
uence OF the strong vote in the House in IN