Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-12-02
The Laws Of 1874.

In our s,!pplement this week Will be |
found such laws rs the Secretary OF State
has seen fit to designate for publication IN |
the newspapers of the State They are
not as voluminous as the results OF ben
NAL session generally are, and ON the
whole the people of the State may con-
ototulate themselves on the character OF
the work done by their representatives,
though in certain cases there are the
marks of more haste than is commendable.
There ought to be :: committee, consisting
perhaps of the third house, every session !
that might he called 4 " committee on
outs" whose duty it should be to insert IN
acts words omitted that should be in, and |
who should also have power to twist some
of the sentences 50 they would be little
clearer. But these are matters of detail |
and do not make any very great difference
except to those people who are ready "to
hang themselves on the hook OF an inter
ro.ation point
The first number of the acts of 1874
though rather dull reading, is Il most jul
dicious law, one that in time will save
much to many citizens of this State. Yer
mont has been peculiarly favored in the
-.'er of insurance. Her two main fire
anies, having an age of :; half and
5,rulrter century have conducted their
uu-iness honestly and cheaply; so cheaply
that most of Vermont insurance seeks
cd on the mutual PLAN and very generally.
the management getting into the hands of
nef1icient-, have come to grief thereby
and have betakcn themselves to stock
companies These companies need look
inc after, and this law provides for the
keeping Of a proper watch over their con
dition The immense increase of insur
ance business in the last twenty years has
brought such a horde of wildcat institu-
tons into existence that the safety of the
people required this law. Especially is
this true in the matter of life insurance,
which has rv;llcd Jonah's gourd in the
rapidity of lis growth. The insurance re-
port of this year and now this law show
that there is to be made IN earnest attempt
to protect the people from paying money
other than for real insurance.
The most important act of the session.
however, is that which was passed under
the persistent urging of DR.. Cook of Men
don. and puts railroad real estate into the
grand list. The principle of equal taxa
people are very willing to concede in theo-
". but always object to when it is their
own property that is to be affected. The
sentiment of the legislature was such that
the railroads did not make any serious OPP
position to this taxation, which they be-
came convinced must come sooner or later.
The immediate yearly result of the law i.
not its most important feature, though it
will bring in the various taxes some twen-
tv or twenty-five Thousand dollars out of
the real estate thus added to the list. The
main benefit is that it brings both people
and roads to i greater familiarity with the
notion thai taxes should rest on all alike.
The disciples of Isaac Walton were AT
work this fall, and succeeded in getting
some good fish laws passed. and there is
every prospect that fish and game will be.
in 4 few years. plentiful in Vermont, and
a source of profit as we'll rs pleasure to the
Inhabitants thereof. We do not however
believe that Mason Colburn or DR.. Ed
munds went so fur rs to lobby against the
:, -,
much that the terr nat'ur on. ht to thank
them for.
There was little change made in the
liquor law, the iron-clad nuisance bill of
Mr.. Stanley, having failed during the last
night on account of an amendment that
its friends injudicisusly appended. The
bill introduced by DR.. Fairman in regard
to liquor drummers," became law. and
NAV have some effect on both Gentle and
Jew-;t least on the tribe of Ben amin
The educational bills were very impor-
tant. The board of education was tum-
bled out and 4 state superintendent prov-
ded for and elected; the normal schools,
and the appropriations for them, were
"ontinued, and they are now by the law
- e they should be etfectuallv in the
IF the State to control them.
'mber twelve of the acts will please
.,'ople, as it provides that the school-dis-
trict and village taxes voted in March shall
be assessed on the list to be completed on
the next 18th of May. This does away
with adoarning school district meetings
over into April. The law of 1872 was OBJ
noxious, and its casting out 4 good rid
dance. There are "a few like tinkerings
with the school-law left upon our statute
books, though, but they will do no great
hurt. and may be regarded by some as sad
and holy relics of what they deem hap
pier time.
The authorized list of text books is such
no longer. Many fear that now the peo-
pie of this state will be overrun by book
agents and their money swindled out of
them. We do not believe the people of
the state are fools. They have grumbled
for years about the change of books and
now they have changed the law 1t would
be strange lnfatuatlon if they should SO
into the changing Of school books as vol
untary recreation. The most sensible
thing to do is for the people to have their
children 20 right on using the books that
are introduced. If there are two kinds of
books in the same class, get rid of one
kind and have the books uniform. But if
any book agent comes around trying to
get strange books into school, freeze him
out. The books on the list of 1872 have