Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-10-10

l.
court reporter, was the con-
testant for the place, but Mr.. Speaker
Fairbanks, after hearing all sides and
being considerably annoyed with the
matter, no doubt, decided to reappoint
Col. A. G. Brown, who, with Mr.. Dixon,
another old reporter, from the st. Al
bans Messenger Office, will be able to
give the public good reports of the House
proceedings.
Both branches of the General Assem-
bly, have taken early steps to investigate
affairs at the Insane Asylum at Brattle-
boro, and it is certainly demanded that
the public, especially that portion of it
which is so unfortunate as to be its I'M
willing patrons, should be enlightened as
to whether there is real cause for the |
present excitement and prejudice against |
the management of the institution or the
facilities for placing supposed insane |
persons under its charge. A well-knoWn
citizen of Montpelier was heard to re-
mark, on hearing Of the recent discharge |
of one of the Asylum's inmates by Judge
Smalley, that ''the institution was not
much worse than the State Prison now,
for if man could maintain his sanity
for eight or ten years in confinement,
there was chance for getting out.
Such left-handed compliments from a
highly intelligent and unprecedented gen
tleman are hardly the kind to tlatter the
foster-father of the Asylum-the State
of Vermont. AS Mr.. Henry, of Ches-
ter. remarked in the House, it is due
both the public and the institution that
the charges and complaints against it
should be either proved or disproved,
and if a committee is selected with no
faint of hereditary insanity" and not
predisposed to the weaknesses that some
times overcome committees that look
through spectacles provided for them
when they "investigate," substantial
benefit may be derived and no injustice
done.
The ''interest" question is one of the
earliest to come up. House bill No. )
and Senate bill No. 3, both purporting
to enact that six per cent. per annum
shall be the legal rate, unless different
rate is contracted for in writing, which
means of course that different rate"
can also be made legal. The people of
Vermont are as strictly Vmoral and up
right as any people on the face of the
earth, or else everybody who keeps say
inc so is mistaken. But we do not be-
heye it adds either to their virtue or mo-
ralitv, to re-affirm ''siX per cent at
every session of the Legislature, for the
common money lender and legallzer IN
! special cases ''seven and thrce-tCnths.
It is difficult to make law regulating
the rate of interest that will satisfy
| both the borrower and lender, and as
borrowers are far more numerous than
| lenders, hence the public sentiment is
! with the latter The borrower will OF
course demand the lowest possible rate
to satisfy his necessities, whilst on the
other hand the capitalist or lender will
hold his money the same as he would
any other commodity, and demand for it
it what is worth, or what it will bring
If the market is better somewhere else
than at home, then off he goes with his
butter and wool and leaves it where he
will realize the most from it, and the
vould-be borrower cannot be supplied
at the illegal rate" and must either go
without or pay the rates OF some other
market. or by the evasion of the law, a
bonus to his neighbOr, who has the mon
ev in his pocket and is very anxious to
accommodate him if they can be smart
enough together (and the lender has suf-
ficient confidence in the bOrrOWer) to
beat the law. AS our statute book is be-
cOming'sOmewhat pathetic, would it not
he we'll Mr.. Editor. to have bound in a
separate volume list of acts to be des-
ignated Claws to be evaded by those
| who are smart enough" which would
embrace the law regulating the rate of
interest. forty or fifty pages of enact
ments for the suppression OF the sale OF
spurious liquors, and some others that
mioht be mentioned. Whether it is
GOOD morals or good policy for the Leg
| lStaJUIe Oh tIIllOIlb " bttNC VIZ 'CCI VI q
normal school to educate or tempt the
people to become experts in evasion,
we leave an open question for that hon
orable body to decide. We shall hear
| both sides of the case before the session
closes, as we have heretofore at former
| sessions.
There appeared to be little furry, at
the commencement OF the session last
week. and for few days previous, over
an impression or report that the hotels
and boarding house keepers in MOntpe-
lier had advanced considerably upon the
| former rates of charges, but careful
| investigation of the matter does not
reveal much cause for complaint, the
prices generally being the same as two
years ago. Not as many members, 1t Is
said, stop at the hotels as heretofore,
and the private boarding houses OF
course have more. The average expense
for board and room, we are informed by
an old landlord who has taken the troub-
lie to ascertain the facts, will fall short
of 81. 25 per day for each member. vi
course some pay more and some great
deal less, one dollar per day being the
prevailing price. We do not ''rise tt
explain" for the sake of being an apollo
gist for Montpelier, but when strong
hands threaten to lay hold of the huge
pile of granite known as the capitol
and give the town "black eye" by
hurting said rocks in the face, we cannot
, Join in the little diversion without some
greater provocation than the one named
There is decidedly improved appear
ance in the Sergent-at-Arms department
especially in the help employ led, owe
some former years, and Mr.. t. G. Phin
ney is proving himself a most thorough
and efficient officer, and gentleman
under all circumstances.
. The cabinet has undoubtedly been
/ wonderfully fixed up and improved sine
: the last session. which shows that TIN
RIGHT man has got hold of it as curator
He wants more room and must have it
or thewonderful products and specimen
from yet undeYeloped Vermont vii
G stand a poor chance for being exhibited