Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-12-01
The legislature Of 1876.


The Legislature has adjourned, and its
members are on the way to their homes IL
has won distinction chiefly in the role oil an
awful warning" against the evils OF Inc
one term rule. 1t was composed OF better
raw material than the average OF Legisia-
tures. The trouble with it was that II was
too raw. Each branch was in the main COM
po>ed Of excellent men, ~holly without e1-
rerieuce in Legislative duties. Having every
thing IN learn in their new business, they
spent six weeks in geing to school to the
few exnerienesd members, and two weeks in
work. A legislature composed, as Legisla-
tare. used 10 be under the two term rule,
with over tfty Ter cent Of experienced mem
ter. could easily have completed the entire
wslk Of tie session in three weeks-at
saving Of my Housond dollars to the State
IN pei diem and expenses. As it was, hard
" ANYTHING was done in the first month OF
tie session. An old and experienced mem
her gave Us lis deliberate estimate, that for
The first four weeks the House did not SPEND
over ten hours q week-a little over two
uauI- day for four days Of the week-in
actual work Business certainly started
m0.e slowly than in any Legislature within
o4: recollection. and the sum total Of valuable
work accomplished Is certainly rot startling.
The hobby u the body, if it had one, Was
Tie e2ce.Ieu; one OF retrenchment. Schemes
involving unusual and special expenditures
were ieaiously scrutinize1, and, as a rule,
.arci bard The salaries Of most Of tie
State officers were cut down, at a cost to
size state. i,r lie time sTeit in debate over
..c reduction, d.. double the entire saving.
Bot .t never ,,cmod to occur to the members
Lat tie u,at-; economy they could effect
would lie to do up promptly the necessary
york before tLtm, and to adjourn s,He de.
lttboy had thus shortened the session but
Iy three weeks, the saving Of twenty-five to
thirty thousand dollars 10 the StRte Treasury
would Lave teen worth talking about. Slack
and d.iatory as the Legislature Of 1876 has
been, lie fault lies rather with the voters
than with she members. \ few towns had
the good sense 10 select experienced Repre- !
>eutatiyes. and these few have done the |
greater share u the work Bot tie great
ms of the people deliberately preferred to
a ,hore TO the wretchei one-term rule. They |
have DO night 20 complain Of the inevitable
Consequence Of their folly and they
Will got no more efficient Legisla-
tlre~ till they return to the old plan Of
tuuaal sessions, or (Which would probably be
b tte) adopt the two-term rule with the
lieunial system. OF thisIlast, however, there
De- go hope This Legislature adjourns Just
IS the greater portion of members have
.ainod lie proficiency in legislative duties
which c,n be secured, and secured only. by
t2rcr.eace added 10 capacity. They 60
t.-m5 g. s;ay. Possibly a dozen OF twenty
them may he returned to Montpelier, two
y ar- hence Bot the seats Of nine out Of
Ia Of them Will lie filed by new members,
wholly unwout-d TO tile place. unfamiliar
uith tie routine aud machinery of legisla-
.i11. Uuac.uaiutei with each other, igno-
.aut Of Iregeleut- AID Of the knowledge Of
tie subjects q legislative inquiry which
heir predecessors had gained. And they I
s. 10 give Us. as these have done, Legisla- !
1re perhaps careful Of dollars ana cents, but $
'a~teiui Of fne, which, when the State Is {
4lirc for 1t by the day, for three hundred
lsn, l. mouey-money out Of pocket for the
-f.te.