The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-12-01
The Legislature -.

The Legislature.
The third Biennial Legislature Of
Vermont has made its public record,
and the remaining days of their official
life will be spent in wearing their hon
ors. The honorable gentlemen who
composed that body will have a variety
Of feelings as they contemplate their
achievements and their failures. But
emitting further reference to these gen.
tlemen who will generally find enough
Of success in their public career, to save
them from very severe feelings. of self
abasement, it is safe TO affirm that the
estimate in which their services will be
held by the people of the state, will
hardly come up to the standard which
they themselves have set up. Very
many will recognize truth in the utter
ance Of the Rutland Herald, that 1.-THE
Legislature of 1874 will be more con-
spicuous in the history of the state, for
what ii has omitted TO do than for its
acts and resolutions" There is room
for congratulstion. however, that so
little mischief was done, fact which
We must credit largely to the virtue OF
the men who went to the capitol rather
for the purpose of serving their town
and state, than 10 get personal glory
out OF it.
or course II large portion of their SER
vice vas routine work, important to be
done but unimportant as to who was to
do it. With regard to their selections
of officers very little need be said
There were, at least, no disgraceful Sc
lections and most of them were judi.
cious and commendable The people
uf this section will continue to think
they should have selected some one fol
Judge of the Supreme Court who resid'
ed, or would reside at Rutland. The
pettish destruction of our tried anC
valuable system of education and tbt
erection of such an ill-considered anC
unpromising one in its place, is bio
upon the record of the Legislature o
1874, even If BY the wisdom and siren
uous effort of State Superintendent
Conant, they are saved from the dis
grace of an entire failure of their i'll
begotten offspring.
While this action should be censured
that other act defining the duties o
listers in the assessment of railroad
property is highly commendable. A
finally passed the listers of town
through which railroads pass were au
thorized and directed to put the rea
estate Of railroads. including roadbed
into the list at a rate not exceeding
$4,000 per mile.
The act amending the charter of tn
Village of Middlebury changes on
boundaries, and makes some other rad
ical changes in our internal regulations
but exactly what these changes are W
have not yet been able to learn. Tn
new charter is to be voted upon by tn
voters of the village and should be lai
before them for their inspection at a
early day. We shall give such Of tn
public acts as the Secretary of State do
signates for publication, probably ne1
week, and in this connection shall onl
refer to few of the more importar
bills upon which action was taken jus
ut the heel of the session.
On the subject of the Morrill's bac
pay elephant, whether the two house
agreed TO disagree" or not, they faile
to agree. The Senate refused to concu
in the House amendment returning tn
lucre to Morrill,, still opining that it
better to keep 1t now they had got j
and return 1t directly to the U.
Treasury and the House MS stiffly n
fused to recede,so a conference commi
tee was appointed and wrestled over I'll
subject, until quite late and then fai
ed to agree, The Fairbanks incorpor'