The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-24
VOTERS IN VILLAGE MEETING

The question has been rained, who are
voters in village meetings ? THE charter
provides that "nonc but inhabitants"
qualified by law to vote in town meetings,
and who shall have resided within the
limitl Of the village for one year, sholl be
entitled to vote. The statuies-Laws Of
1869, No so, p. 59-defines who shall be
voters IN town meetings, and does it 20
clearly and concisely that we quote it en-
tire, as follows 'Eyery male citizen Of
1.-The age Of twenty-one years, whose
1" list she'll have been taken, In any town
90 or city at the annual assessment next
preceding my town or city meeting, and
" all ciiizens whose polls are exempt from
"taXation 10 consequence of their having
arrived ct the age of seventy years, or
"who may he exempt from taxation by
" the listers on account of poverty, or by
treason Of any special law exempting
"them, ,hall, during their residence in
such town,or city, be legal voters in
"town meeting"
The word ''citizen" being defined 10 be
person born in one Of the United States, or
| naturalized agreeably to the acts of con-
gress, or one who had become freeman of
| the state under the laws in force prior to
| June 28th, 1928, it would seem to be rea-
sonably certain who are voters IN our an
nual village meeting. The only possible
| question that can be raised, is relative to
that portion of the act of 1869 which, as
qualification for voting, requires that an
individuals list shall have been taken SAT
F." the ANIMAL assessment next preceding any
"town or city meeting" But as the sta
tutes require the listers to commence the
taking of the list on the first day of April |;
as the status of an individual for the pIr-
poses of taking bia grand list and for taxa
ton is determined by his. residence and pro-
perry on that day as the annual village
meeting occurs nearly four weeks subse-
quent 10 that day and as the taxes voted
at such meeting are assessed upon the list
taken at that time, it would seem reasona-
bly, clear that the list of the current year,
not of the previous year, determines the
right to vote.
To sum up, then, and apply the law to
the village meeting, this year, it would
seem that any citizen OF the state, who has
resided in this village one fall year--that
is, who came here on or before April 2G,
1875, with the intention OF residing, and
has so resided here since that time-and
whose grand list has been taken the
current year. or, who, by law, is exempt
from taxation-a fireman, whose poll is eX-
empted, for example-can vote.
The same individuals are, also, legal
voters for ward officers. We take it that,
under the statute, a legal voter 10 villsge
meetings is, also, a legal voter for trustee,
without regard to the length of his resi-
dence in given ward. If the voter has
been an inhabitant of the village for one
full year, is qualified by law to vote in
town meeting, and is an actual bona fde
resident OF the ward, he is u legal voter
l therein. Otherwise, with the arbitrary di-
vision of wards, and with the power of the
trustees TO change the boundaries once In
FIVE years, one, not a householder, and de-
pendent upon the wilkins OF landlord or
bis own caprices for place Of residence,
might, although citizen of the state, &
taxpayer and an innabitani Of the village
oince its organization, have been disfran-
chsed during the whole time, and, also, be
prevented from voting for years to come.
If there was statutory provision to this
effect, nothing would be lett but submits
sion. But in the absence of any statute
defining the qualifications of voter for
trustee, other than that he should be a legal
voter Of the village, such forced con-
struction OF law-or, rather, such max
ing of law would be absurd.