Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-06-16

would conduce to the best interests of the
people of the State.
The expenses referred to by Mr.. Slade
are as follows
In 1864 debentures of general
| assembly and other legis-
lative expenses, amounted
to an aggregate of $45,364 60
In 1865 the expenses for the
same purpose were $3S, 1890
| In 1866 they were 5S,154.13
In 1868 they were 61,244 40
In 1869 they were 63,T71.93
Making an average annual ex-
penditure for the legislat-
i've expenses, of the State,
for the four years named,
of about 100000
In addition to this we have statement
of the debt of the State as follows:
Amount of Indebtedness of
the towns in the State
as found in auditors
report of 1868, in pursu-
ance of a joint resolu-
tion of the legislature to
that effect $1,a39, 1881
Amount of funded debt of
the State as per report
of auditor in 1869 1,O47,5O0OO
Total amount of coupon
bonds outstanding Sept.
1, 1869 SAL 10000
There is due on funded debt
June, 1867 48O,OO0OO|
Total amount of debt of the
State and towns is, in
gross, the sum of 1885, 81
Mr. Walton of Montpelier did not wish
to argue the question, as there was prev
i u II Z Z
selfish in regard to the matter. His opin-
ion was that no economy would result to
the State, and no less money come into
the pockets of Montpelier He nishna
that the members had been compelled to-
take the oath to do nothi ing "to abridge
the legislative rights of the State" With
this oath on their consciences they would
not honestly vote for this amendment,
which is such an abridgement. We, yes
terday, had proposition before this con-
vention, which, if it had been adopted,
would have taken from the people all IN
troll over the corporations of the State and
thereby abridge their rights in that re-
spect We have now another proposition
which, if adopted will abridge the rights
of the people by one-half. The constitu-
ton provides that the people shall have
the right to elect and be elected to office
and yet this proposition abrid2es that
right by ono-half, and he protested against
any change to the constitution winch |
would abridgesthe rights of the people AS
now secured to them. Every year the
people should be represented in legislative
assembly and be allowed to present their
grievances or demands. These rights can
not be preserved by biennial sessions. The
plea of economy is false. The accumula-
ton of business will be as great as in two
sessions at present, and must be all dis
posed of in justice to the people. Look
ing at the experience of other States who
have adopted biennial sessions we find
that there is tendency to have extra
sessions, and some have returned to an
nual sessions. West Virginia on its for
nation abandoned the old States biennial
sessions and adopted annual Ohio in
- years had eleven sessions though |
limited to biennial sessions. Illinois
the same way. So Iowa, Maryland, NJ CHI
gan, Nevada, Nebraska. Extra sessions
will be ever slipping in or annual sessions
will be adopted The average session of
Vermont has been IL days. In California
with biennial sessions an average of 81 |
days-our average of expense about $43,- |
0OU-California over $500, 900 He lave |
very full statistics from other ST ties,
showing, as he claimed, that biennial ses-
sions We're more expensive than annual
What is the cause of so much legislation ?
Absolute necessity. There is a dem md |
and need for it. He denied that so much |
of it was folly There is need of constant
change from the constant change of cir
cumstances.
MIR. Sawyer of Hydepark favored the
amendment as beneficial. He took little |
stock in the argument that government
and legislation would become slick under
the change, or that annual sessions were
necessary to enable members to bring the
assessment of the Vermont Mutual Fire
Insurance Comany. Economy will be
promoted. He believed that frequent
elections tended to corrupt the ballot box
With all due respect to Gov. Dillingham;
he could not consider elections such de-
hghtful love feasts as he had pictured
These Glove feasts" were attelled with
drunkenness and bribery, and tie less we
have of them the better. Extr, sessions
will oceurr very seldom, and lie of but
slight expense. But he did not base his
argument on economy. There were other
and stronger grounds. A member elected
for two years will be as anxious to earn
reelection by good behavior as for one
year. We can we'll account for the
position taken by the gentleman from
Montpelier. The interests of Montpelier
are all subserved by frequent @athering
of good fellows here.
Mr.. Buell. of Middletown sail he came
here without any instructions from his
constituents, and was free to act on his
own convictions. He could see no valid
reasons why he should favor the amend
ment but many reasons why he should
oppose it. He said the experience of
other States had shown the biennial ses-
sions of the legislature were more expen-
sive than annual sessions, and there was
a desire to return to the system of bien-
NAL sessions. So far as Montpelier is
concerned, he believed that the change
to biennial sessions would put more money
in the pockets of the people of Montpelier
than the continuance of the present sys-
tenn of annual sessions. He should oppose ,