Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-11-29
The Centennial LegisIatnre.

The Centennial Legislature closed its Ia
bors at eight o'clock, a. NJ, to-day, and by
night the members will mostly be at their
homes, ready for the Thanksgiving devo-
tions and accompanying turkey andhxins "
Of the morrow.
The legislative mill has ground slowly,
and has achieved but little, we are grieyed
10 say, in the way Of excellent results. The
reason for this !. plainly that the House has
contained many men OF ability. yet far DIFF
ferent from previous sessions, it has lacked
able and discreet leaders. Too few of the
members have had legislative experience ;
it took weeks for the representatives to be
come acquainted so the forcible-ieeble fel-
lows, who would be leaders rose to the sur
face on the cheap measures but were found
wanting when positive legislation was de-
manded. One could scarcely predict the
action Of the House upon any subject save
where economy aud temperance were con-
cerned. They were pitiably penurious but
in rigorous sumptuary legislation were fully
up to the wishes Of the most ardent friends
of temperance. Through unwise retrench-
nent, the Reform School is likely to be
crippled, and the salaries Of some Of the
handwriting state officers uureasonably cut
down. The nuisance act is grand advance
in temperance legislation, and here we must
add our testimony TO the exceptional sobri-
ETY. and good manners of the Centennial
Legislators; they were in marked and favor
able contrast with the loose fellows who
made up a majority of the General Assem-
bly, of two years ago.
The Senate was a most respectable body,
containing some good lawyers and excellent
debaters. The most we have to complain
Of it is its defeat Of the Attorney General
bill by tie vote and its retention of the
present inconvenient manner of holding the
terms of the Supreme Court. As to the
other good deeds of the session there have
been the work house bill, which is notice
able advance in reform legislation, the va
grant act, the much-desired change in the
general government of the state prison, the
authorization of commission to inquire
into the abuses alleged to exist in the in
sane asylum, and the revision of the laws
concerning the insane, the admirable and
necessary insolvent act, the re-imbursing of
Hon. n. T. Sprague, Jr, for providing Yer
monters meetingplace at the Centen-
NAL, and the muniiicent appropriation for
the Bennington monument and Centennial
celebration. Ofthings that were left undone
were measures insuring honesty in the re-
turn Of lists, making savings banks pay into
the state treasury tax on their deposits,
amending the usury laws, and allowing fe-
male taxpayers the right to vote in school
district meetings.
Luckily for the state, there has been little
special legislation, the Senate having reso-
lutely set its face against bills, the object of
which could be secured under general laws.
For what this incongruous body of men who
have left the hall of the House of Represen-
tatives and Senate Chamber to-day has ac-
eomplshed of enduring and beneficial legis-
laton we are truly thankful for their omis-
sions of duty and wasting of time we can
only say that such mistakes will continue to
occur as long as Vermont adheres to this
baneful rule of biennial sessions.