Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-01-20
The Reform School.

the Reform School Iroh N"t0i o''y W. .
Veroennes; to appropriate $4,000 tor the
n,Ircha>c Of the arsenal grounds ana an
= lioininr farm, and the repair OF the AZ
senal buildings CT cree ion OF new build
mos. They also voted to apply the pro-
cccd, Of the Waterbury property to the
use of the school in its new home. They
established a department for girls and APP
propritted 5000 for it. An enlargement
Of the state prison was provided Tor an"
Sl2, 300 appropriated.
The sums appropriated amount there
for, to Si7 ,500 cash, and in addition what
ever sum may be realized from the Water
barry property. The cost of the session IL
self is estimated to have been about ten
thousand dollars; as it costs some i've OF
six thousand dollars to get the law-maSers
here and home again, and about one
thousand dollars Il day besides for every
dav they mediate, debate, expostulate and
draw pay
The laws sent ont with this issue Of the
FREEMAN. will show in detail what WAS
accomplished. and the legislative proceed
inr- which we publish will show much
more that WAS not d,ne- OF this last di-
vision especially noticeable, is the failure
to repeal the vagr;tnt law, :, proceeding
that 4 large majority in both houses wis
in favor Of But the same remarkable sue
cess In the science of . how not to do 1t
that was displayed i'll the struggle with
the Morrill, money last fall, was again
reached in this matter. The Senate passed
Il bill repeating the obnoxious vagrant act;
the house amended by keeping the act but
declaring that boys should not be sent to
the Reform School under it; the Senate
refused to concur in the amendment be-
s;Iu>,. that would pack the poor boys of
for iail ut once-and SO the whole matter
stands IL it did. except that from the pref
ty thorough ventilItion of the subject there
NAV arise Il degree of caution i'll such JUS
tees of the peace as shall haply read the
news of the day, rs to how they send pau
Der children to Waterbury. The law
which provides for 4 review of sentences
bv 4 higher court. will also be :, whole
some check
The removal Of the School to Nergcn-
nes WIS uncalled for. Those who de-
n ,.nceI the WY in which the School had
been mlnlgcd ut Waterbury, were not men
best acquainted with it workings, and not
I III,
best thought and ripeSt experlnce in re
glrd to refornratorv Institutions. A Re
form School is expensive. and must be eX-
pensive if it is worth anything The peo-
pie of Vergennes will do well if they eX-
hibit the same interest in the welfare Of
the boys; in their p ysical and moral well
being, rs those of Waterbury have done.
We see no reason why good policy and
Justice required the removal. We do see
that if it WIS to be removed Nergenncs is
u good place for it. Moreover we doubt
not that The School will be henceforth sus-
tanned ungrudgingly by liberal grants, and
that the influences which moved the School
will make It crow larrer and stronger and
more expensive rs years 90 by. The
f-ienls 4f y;! .gqIuct"J R!}ae!for, h sG9}i
that must hlvn money to make i. success,
need have no fe.r that the men who
worked through the removal cannot get
what appropriations they need hereafter.
We have no objection to this. we want the
School to be IN honor to the state rs it has
be n. AMI it will take money to make it so,
and the men who appeared here, in the
h )us- and out, for Vergcnnes can put the
C Use, AMI will do it. so us to get it; SO that
these men who went to Nergennes after
economy, will have IN Interesting lot of
figures TO study in few years from now.
This we say not as against Eergenncs. but
in her favor. 1t is universally conceded
that she had the best lobby here ut work
on that bill that has appeared behind a
Vermont Legislature for years. And 50
far we learn they did their work square
". Those members who fell into the
economical trap, did it of their own accord
Mr. Sprayue, the Nergennes member,
male no secret of his own belief that new
buildings would be required We believe
there WIS NJ cool reason for moving the
School, but since it was to b. moved we
are glad that it goes TO NergenncS. Primal
rIv the cause of removal was the impre,-
sion that many members received last fall
that there was something out of the way
in a bill that WAS strongly urged in regard
to buying certain property in Waterbury
Then the legislature of 1874 had for its
distinguishing characteristic liking for
making precedents and not for following
them.
The provision for department for girls
is 4 sep in the right direction. and the
general assembly of 1874 will hereafter
receive more credit for that t an the lt.ris-
laturc which established tha School itself
HIS vet had for its work
The place to which the School is going.
consists of the arsenal @roun Is AMI build
ings Just north of the thicklv inhabited
part of Ncrgennes. \ little wav below
the falls. Otter Creek makes :. bend to the
west. The twcnty-ei@ht acres of land
known rs the arsenal grounds lie Just east
of this bend. Next the river the land is
low. and there is 4 wharf to which boats
from the lake may come. Farther back
from the river is high ground on which is
Il grove. and near the road or street and
facing the east, the arsenal buildings.
mpinly of stone. These buildings cost
$4,000 when erectedby the United States
but We're bought by John Dyer for $40 OO
Il short time since. Just east of these
grounds and across the road is 4 good f.rm
on high land of lo7 acres. The purchase
of the grounds. buildings and farm will
use up $4,000 of the $4,000 appropria
ton and leave Sl1 900 with which to re-
plir and build new. To this sum is to be
added of course the $1,000 for the Girl ;