Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-12-18
GBe Dtrmont i ganlt
BRAIILEBOhO:
FRIDAY EVENING, DEC. Is, 1874.
Tho work Of the Legislaturc.--An
EDitOme Of the Laws Passed.

Epitome Of the laws Passed.
For the benefit of readers who have ne-
Their the time nor patience TO read in detail
the laws published in our recent sup
plement, and which were passed by our
Legislature at its recent session, we give
the following brief eptome taken from the
Burlington Free Pres:
There is Il long statute establishing
Board OF Insurance Commissioners, re-
quiring insurance companies of other
States TO procure licenses before they can
do business in this State, requiring such
taxes, fees and penalties OF companies
chartered by the other States, as such States
require OF VermontIcompanies and max
lag divers rules and regulations designed
TO protect public and private interests in
matters relating to insurance.
There Is the act taxing the railroads. 1t
places all the real estate owned aud occu-
pied by the railroads in the list for taxes,
with stipulation that the road bed and
rack shall be considered real estate for
AHch purposes, and with only the limita-
lions that the road-bed and track shall not
be assessed at over s., 600 mile, and that
new roads shall be exempt for ten years.
There are several acts relating to the du-
ties of listers, and the collection OF town,
Rohool and nonresident taxes.
There are two important additions to the
game laws of the State. They extend the
protection of the laws heretofore confined
10 deer, trout and lunge, TO woodcock, par
tridges, wild geese and ducks, salmon,
salmon trout, black bass, white-fsh or
lake shad, pike, mink, beaver, and otter.
They also forbid hunting on Sunday.
There are several acts relating to private
corporations.
Inc general railroad law ofls72 is amend
cd so that the line of a road organized un
der the law may pass into town not nam
nf
while preserving the general route, direc-
tion and terminal points indicated in the
article. This addition was found necessa-
~ in the case of the Burlington and La
mobile road, whose line, as surveyed,
strikes corners of one or two towns not
named in the original articles.
An important act is also added TO the
Statute book, requiring towns that have
bonded themselves, for any purpose, to lay
the necessary taxes to pay the interest; and
requiring the town or city treasurers TO
pay the interest, without any vote of the
town or city.
There is the act prohibiting agents of liq-
uor houses out of the State from plying
their trade in this State.
The civil damages clause in the prohibit
tory law is amended in an important par
ticular. The law before read: "Whenev-
or any person in state of intoxication
shall ,DiVulty commit any injury upon the
person or property of any other individu-
al" etc. The difficulty approving that any
damage done by drunken person was
wilful, has heretofore practically prevent
ed recovery under the act. AS amended,
II now reads: "Whenever any person by
reason Of intoXicatian, shall commit or
cause any injury upon the person or prop
erty," etc. 1t Is further provided that no
person shall be disqualified as a witness,
by reason of the marriage relation, in any
proceeding under the act.
The liquor law is further amended so as
to require officers making arrests ofpersons
Intoxicated to Immediately give notice to
Grand Juror, City Attorney or States At
tUrney, who must prosecute the case, if one
Is made out upon disclosure and the Off
Ger, magistrate or prosecuting officer who
neglects or refuses to do his duty in such
case, is made liable to fine Of from 800 to
500.
The little word mot" carelesslv or will
fully omitted in the engrossing Of the act
OF 1872, relating to Witnesses in liquor
cases, is now supplied. The law allows no
person to be excused from testifying in
such cases, for the reason that his testimo-
ny may tend TO criminate himself, and pro-
vides that such testimony shall not be used
against the witness in any prosecution for
the offence in regard to which the testmo-
ny was given.
The otlen amended law for registration
of births, marriages and deaths, is tinker
ed little, as usual. 1t now requires a
Vermonter marrying out Of the State TO
deposit marriage certificate containing
the necessary statistics, with the town
clerk, in like manner as if married in the
State.
The important changes in regard TO the
supervision of the public schools, made by
the abolition Of the Board of Educatlon
will be noted.
The time of holding the courts in The
counties of Chiteuden, Franklin, GraDd
Isle and Rutland are changed.
The Legislature attended to the case of
the milkmen, as well as 10 the lquor-ped-
dlers; and any one who sells diluted or
Adulterated milk, is now liable to forfeit
TO the person to whom he sells ii, from S25
TO 500, with costs CT suit.
Persons sentenced to death have hereto
fore been subject to solitary confinement,
Till the sentence is executed but now will
be sentenced to hard labor instead, for
twenty months and solitary confinement
thereafter, till executed.
The various acts relating to highways
will be noted. Persons interested in camp
meetings, in patients in insane asylums,
In "poor Debtors" in manufacture of In n
Der and fax, in savings banks and trust
companies; trustees in suits; convicts in
the State Prison, (who are 10 be paid dol
lar q month for good behaviOr); guardians
OF insane married women; officers OF
towns and cities, and others, will find
statutes Of greater or less interest and inn
portance TO them.
The list Of acts closes with the custom
aly act for the support of the State govern
ment, laying State tax of 80 cents fol
next year, and 35 cents for the year afler
(the taxes for the two years previous were
10 and IS cents), and Is followed by the