Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-12-06

added. in order TO a full history of the case
The bill. it will be remembered, paS~e'
the Senate hy q vote of over three TO one
Tweuty-tiro Senators, men Of ability an,
good Judgment. and who, being mainly
from other csuntie- than those asking relief
were certainly not preiudiced in favor otth'
bill. declared by their votes that they con
side-el the valuation of real estate in tho~,
counties excessive. and that the Legislature
should apply remedy by reducing that
valuation to the extent provided for in the
bill This fact alone, entitled the bill 10
full, fair and unpreiudiced consideration ID
the H3lse. What sort of treatment did it
receive there? Il was referred By the
Speaker to a select committee appointed by
him as follows
McDufee of Bradford
BJynton of Woodstock.
Marshall # Burke.
Caver.y of Pittstord
ConauJ ot lhetiord
Ofthe composition of this committee it j,
perhaps enough 10 say that from the moment
ofits announcements the friends Of this mea
sure gave up all expectation Of favorable
report from the committee as a whole. Yet
they went before the committee and made
their showing, in order that the committee
might have no excuse for their decision. and
in the faint hope that possibly one or two Of
the committee might be made 10 see and
acknowledge the wrong done. Even this
hope was disappointed The committee
showed from the start, most distinct bias
in opposition 10 the bill. and fixed de,rr-
miuation not to be reasoned into any change
Of their previously formed opinion. They
were quick 10 seize on any thing which
could be tortured into an admission that the
claim Of the injured counties was not found
ed on justice, or which bore against their
claim. To all else they turned a deaf ear
They might have made at least a St0lr IF
giving fair hearing. by writing down the
testimony, fling the papers and tables put
IN as eyidence,and preserving their minute-.
but we are informed that they took no such
trouble. They showed most clearly through
ont that they We're not and did not mean t.
be open 20 conviction. A. sample Of their
conduct Of the case, when evidence was pre-
seuted to them Of the thousands of acres of
mountain land n Chittenden County, which
could not be sold for dollar an acre. the
committee took it upon themselves to meet
the facts, with the answer that Mansfield
Mountain was " big thing" that hum
re of a.r.|fr ~
that it must be a source Of revenue to
the county The question being a. to the
actual value Of the lands, which is the only
basis Of taxation, and the evidence being |
clear and overwhelming that the average Of |
the lands ofthe county was reduced BIZ thou |
sands and thousands of acres whose actual 4
value wa- next to nothing, the committee. /
whose duty il was TO weigh carefully both I.
sides Of the case and give fair decision.
set aside the evidence. because for-o0th .
there l. a good view from Mansfield Noun
tain which good many people 60 to see
The conduct of the committee before the
House, was quite of piece with that in the
hearing Il sounds Incredible but it is
and the one pat forward TO represent ami
defend the committee in the debate. after the
committee had reported, andup 10 the time
when he rose to sustain their report. vas
ignorant Of the main, we might say the
only provision of the bin referred to them
The bill provided that for the valuations Of
the real estate for the counties Of Franklin,
Chittenden and Grand Isle, a established
by the House Of 1870, should be substituted
the valuations reported BY the Cg.Htg
equalizing committees Of those countie~
The county e4ualizing committee for Chit
tenden county We're willing that the yalua-
ton Of this coan:y should be raised > pee
cent. above the valuation Of 'G5. though the
rest Of the State was only raised 4 per
cent. They were willing that the lands of
Chittenden county should standard be taxed
on a valuation 40 per cent higher than the
average of the State. and higher than any
other county in the State The State
Committee without right OF
reason increased that valuation fin per
cent.This county now letting 60 the $50. 200
it had already paid in excessive taxes for
two years, simply asked Of the Legislature
Of y that the unprecedented and outrage
Gus increase Of valuation should be done
away for the future, and the county be per
mitted 10 stand in the list (a> most Of the t
other counties stand) at figures no higher r
than those reported by its County Commit a
tee in $50 Bat the champion of the Com Y
nlttee, DR.. Boyuton of Woodstock. stated p
n the discussion for the House. that q
his county, in the bill before them asked to Il
De put back on The Grand Last Of Is o.
This was no slip Of the tongue. 1t wa- re- q
1ested two or three times and accompanied ;
y statement of the figures, which showed C,
hat DR.. Boynton really supposed that the 6
Ill would put the counties named back TO a,
he valuation Of 1865. And the correction n
1 the blunder came not from any Of the IN
Committee. but from member of the TT
Iouse outside of it. There is but one ex- e.
lanation of this most disgraceful miScou-
epuon. The Committee did not care trhaf m
be bill was Ii was enough for them to ,
now that it was intended to reduce the bo
aluation Of 1870, for three counties. none "
+ them counties to which they belonged. Il,
nd that they had determined that there so
Mould be no disturbance Of the list Of 20. an
D IN the debate, they ignored in the coolest W,
anner the facts and figures showing the TT.
outrageous inequality Of that list, as affect Or
e the counties asking relief ad
1t had been shown before the committee III
, ample testimony, that taking into con , ID
deration all the elements of value, the Re
ties, villages, farms, quarries, &c., the ea
nds in Chittenden county, were not worth VI
~ more, acre for acre, than those in Add qu
n and Rutland counties. Ii was shown in
table, laid before every member. and by
yures, the accuracy Of which was not for Co
moment disputed, that Chittenden county
ands in the Grand List, at 1868 per cent.
CHER than the average Of the State. and
7hty per oeHt. higher than the highest aYe
unity (outside Of the three counties r s,s
king relief in the List. 1t was shown "P
at whereas the average increase Of the
ate at large in the List Of 20 above that As As.
70 was tleuon per cent, for ChitteDden he
unity 1t was ningy-tlro per cent. When e sr1
e attention Of the committee was called din
reshto these and other similar facts, BY Mr. fril
reen, in the debate, what was the reply Of eal
eir spokesman 1t WAS that the commit no
~, has
e " had nor inquired whether or no the me
.luauon of Chittenden, franklin and Grand Sal
lie counties was made too high by the State pre-
lualizing committee Of co. and as to the VII VII
,ures presented that he - had nothing 10 h hal
" except that each member Koul Id farm his
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