Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-06-15

his price, and legislation made matter Of bar
gain and sale
MIR. Fletcher Of Cavcndish had been instructed
70 favor the amendment and did so also from CON
victon.
Mr.. Hubbard Of Rochester thought that though |
annual sessions were n timc-honorcd customi I
breach Of it is now demanded by the people. 49, /
cnnial sessions will greatly remedy this evil
There Is no argument but custom 90 sustain thc
present system We would save from S25,OOO % ]
$4,000 annually by this change
Mr. REYNOLDS Of Alburgh entertained q high |
respect for the Council Of Ccnsors. lie believed
that three out Of four Of The people oi Che state
would sustain this amendment II allowed to cX- ]
press their opinion upon it at the ballot box.
ON motion Of Mr.. Carpenter Of Roadsboro the
committee arose and reported progress and
asked leave to sit anin, which request was
granted.
On motion of Mr.. Shade Of Middlcbury, the con-
ventiuu adjourned to tomorrow.
fRinAy. june 10, $50
Prayer By Rev W. j. Harris, of Montpelier.
The journal Of yesterday was read and APP
proved
Mr. Topper, Of Montgomery, presented the
petition Of Mrs. Hattie NJ. Clapp and 81 other
ladies of Montgomery, asking for the adoption Of
the amendment providing for woman suffrage
also Of Mrs. Mary Gutc- and 40 others. OF the
same town, against the adoption ul said amend
mcnt laid on the table
Mr. Gorham, of W ilmingt0n, Che protest OF
Mrs. A. W. Goodwin and o. others protesting
against the adoption OF the amendment providing
for woman suffrage laid on the table
Mr.. Crane, OF Concord, presented the petition
of Mrs A. Il. Morgan and 10 others, Of Concord
and vicinity, asking for the adoption Of the amend
ment providing for woman suffrage laid on The
table.
Mr.. Dunton, Of Rutland, introduced the follow
ing resolution
R,solrcd, That article five twomon suaiage) Of
the amendment % the Constitution, proposed by
the Council Of Censors, together with all the pc
titons and remonstmnces in reference thereto, be
referred 10 n special committee OF i've, consisting
of Messrs Wright, of Bradford Bartholomew,
Of Washington Seymour, Of Ncrgennes Can
field, Of Arlington, and Kellogg, Of Benson, with
leave to sit during the session Of the Con
yonton.
THE above committee are all single gentcmcn)
Mr.. Field, Of Brnttleboro, moved 10 amend by
adding with leave to send for persons and pa
pers.
The chair ruled the resolution ont Of ORDER the
article having been referred to committee OF the
whole.
The Convention then resolved itself INTO com
mittee Of the whole TO consider the second pro
posed article OF amendment Mr.. Powers Of Nor
ristown, in the chair, which article was read by
the Secretary
The question being on recommending TO the
convention that it is cxpcdient TO adopt such
amendment
Mr.. Shade of Middlehury said he had been urg-
ed by leading and influential men Of his town to
favor tls adoption Of this amendment. lie said
this was an important matter, and one that ought
10 be considered with the utmost care and the
most thorough investigation Of It's bearings upon
the industrial interests of the State. We are
mostly an agricultural community and our re-
qurements in legislative enactment are but
few, and the less legislation we have the simpler
and better understood will become our laws We
should have more stability in our legislation if
al in
stead Of once in two years as proposed by this
amendment Mr.. Shade then produced sta
tistics from the auditors report, showing the leg
islntiye expenses of the State for the past few
years and the need there is OF the exercise OF the
greatest economy in our expences, 50 as not tOOp-
press industrial and agricultural people like
our own lie also referred to the debt Of the sew
eral towns in the State aud the funded debt OF the
State, amounting in the aggregate TO debt OF
nearly $4,000 900, which was to be paid by the
people Of the State or by pOsterty that are to
come after us. To meet this debt, we must ex-
ercise the greatest economy in our public expendi-
lures, and the adoption Of this amendment is one
step in the right direction
MIR. Walton OF Montpelier did not wish to
argue the question, there was prevalent idea
that the feeling of his town was selfish in regard
TO the matter. His opinion was that no economy
would resultto the State and no less money come
into the pockets of Montpelier. lie wished that
the members had been compelled to take the oath
eyes OF the people With this oath on their con
sciences they would not honestly vote for this
amendment, which is such an infringement. This
proposition ii adopted will abrdge the rights Of
the people by one-half The constitution provides
that the people shall have the right ~ elect and
be elected 10 Office and yet this proposition
abridges that right by one-hali, and he protested
against any change 10 the constitution which
would abrdge the rights OF the people as now Sc
cured to them The plea Of economy is delusiye.
The accumulation Of business will be rs great as
in two sessions at present, and must be all dis
posed Of in justice to the people Looking at the
experience Of other States who have adopted BIZ
cnnial sessions we find that there is a tendency tC
have extra sessions. Virginia tried the experiment
and abandoned it, and West Virginia ON It's iorna
ton abandoned the old States biennial sessions
and adopted annual. Ohio in IL years had clever
sessions though limited to biennial sessions. Iii
nois the same way So Iowa, Maryland, Mich
gan, Nevada, Nebraska. The average session o.
Vermont has been Al days. In California viii
biennial sessions an annual average OF % days
Our average Of expense about Sl3,O00, California
over S20O,O00 lie gave very full statistics from
other States, showing, as he claimed, that ben
NAL sessions were more expensive than annual.
Mr. Sawyer, of llydepark, favored the amend
ment, as beneficial. lie took little stock in thu
argument that government and Legislation woul,
become slack under the change, or that annua
sessions were necessary 10 enable members Il
bring the assessments of the Vermont Mutua
Fire Insurance Company. Economy will be pro
NOTED. lie believed that frequent elections ten
ded to corrupt the ballot box.
Mr.. Buell., of AliddletOwn, said he came her
without any instructions from his constituents
and was free to act ON his own convictions. III
could see no valid reasons why he should iayo
the amendment but many reasons why h
should oppose it, lie said the experience OF othe
States had shown that biennial sessions of tn
Legislature were more expensive than ANNA
sessions, and there was II desire TO return to tn
system OF annual sessions. SO far as MOntpee
is concerned, he believed that the change to ben
NAL sessions would put more money in the peck
cts of the people of Montpelier than the continu
ance OF the present system OF annual sessions. Ill
should oppose the change as proposed in thi
amendment
Mr.. Woodward, Brandon, sustained the amend
ment on the ground Of economy.
Mr.. Powers Of hlorristown liked 10 hear thi
matter discussed. The great motive whic
should operate on this question is economy. he
us see for a few years ii this change is not bene
fetal, and il we fail, II we are mistaken, restor
annual sessions. Taking the expense Of annua
sessions, elections, and the time consumed b.
them, he thought il cost 500 900 year. Their
are also the political meetings and other ma
ehinery inseparable from them. We have To
much legislation, and this fact influences m
more than the saving Of money.
Mr. Olmsted Of Dorset said it had been assume
that change 10 biennial sessions would be pro
ductiye Of economy to the State, but no one ha
presented the proof that such change would pro
duce economy. lie said the Legislature eOul
not be put into working condition short of tire
weeks time, and about so much time must b
consumed in our legislative sessions. As to III
argument that the annual election day was eA
pensiye 70 the people, he thought we had some
thing else TO live for besides the saving OF a ie,
dollars in money, or a few days time. The mer
argument of saving of a lew dollars in none,
was nothing in his mind, in comparison with IN
higher consideration OF the public good.
Mr.. Bittonger, of Hartford, said he though
the gentleman from Middlobury had put Iii
question just where the people Of Vermont woul
have 1t put and all the specious pleading woul
not change the fact. His constituents all though
that we have too much legislation, and that If "
had session OF the Legislature but once in tvs
years there Would he Iut ,,,. hoiC ~, .l.r,