Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-10-09
Nafrhnan d gnnrmL
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER o, 1873.
The Messages.

Below we present to our readers the Valedictory
Message of Governor Fairbanks and the Message
Of Governor Proctor. We feel sure that careful
perusal Of both messages will well repay all who
are in any way interested in the welfare OF the
state. The former lays before the people what
has been done by the Executive during the past
two years; and the latter abounds in suggestions
tending to an honest administration Of the affairs
OF state for the next two years
By Governor Fairbanks:
Gentlemen Of The Senate and Of the House Of Rep
reSentdtiUes
Since the presentation of my message to the
Legislature Of 1876, information on several sub
jects has been brought to my official attention, a
knowledge Of which, In my judgment, will be not
only helpful, but important for the proper dis
charge OF your duties as legislators. lhave there
fore, concluded to depart from the usual custom
Of my predecessors, and submit a brief message
at the close of my administration of the executive
to make this departure from the fact that under
the biennial system, as hitherto administered, the
Governors obliged TO communicate the customary
message, before having had any official expert
ence of the practical operation Of the laws, as
bearing upon the institutions and welfare OF the
state.
PARDoNs.
The pardons granted by me may be divided
into two general classes The first class COM
nrises persons sentenced to the payment of fine
and costs of prosecution, and to stand committed
until such payment Is made To this class have
granted one hundred and ninety-five pardons, the
fines and costs remtted in the aggregate amount
ing to about 5000
in effect been the remission of the imposed fine,
In consideration of the length of confinement in
iail and of the second class, the remission Of
mart of the term of imprisonment imposed by the
~. ,.l.up tt..,. Nl.nt No. r
Justice had been fully accomplished by the i'm
prisonment already endured, or because OF new
developments tending to establish the innocence
of those convicted, or upon the recommendation
of the court who have felt there was doubt OF the
guilt of the party convicted.
As the law has been htherto-it is now some
what modified by the act establishing a State
workhouse-the imposition of fine upon man
unable to pay it practically amounted to imprs-
opment in the County Jail for life No power
was vested in the courts to determine what length
of such imprisonment should be equivalent for
the payment of the fine; therefore, there have
been found, in all our county jails, large num-
Der of persons confined in enforced ideness,
without hope of release except through executive
interference. without its exercise the jais
would soon cease to furnish room for new offend
ers.
The second class includes persons sentenced to
be confined at hard labor in the State Prison for
a term Of years. To this second class | have
granted fifteen pardons.
In the appendix will be found a list of the par
dons granted of the latter class during the two
years ending this day, and brief statement of
my reasons for granting each.
1t is u question which has suggested itself to
me- whether there should not he some advisory
tribunal, as is the practice in some other states,
whose duty it should be to examine applications
for pardons, and recommend to the Governor.
1t is apparent that so many applications urged
frequently with much persistency and feeling by
near and suffering friends, imposes a heavy bur
den of responsibility upon the Executive. If re-
fused the election Of a new Governor inctes to a
fresh application. No general principles govern
ing the granting or the refusal of such applica-
tions can be established and uniformly applied
Such frequent applications keep the convict in
state of constant expectation or disappointment
The uncertainty of mind thus induced renders
prison discipline more difficult and less effective
The law, too, loses much of its terror for evil
doers, from the uncertainty which rises in regard
to an even and impartial execution ofits penalties
These reflections are suggested to my mind by
examination of the number of pardons granted
annually during the last thirty-five years, a list
of which, together with the number of commit
ments for each fiscal year ending August LIST, is
as follows
II will be observed that the commitments for
the years 1877 and 1873 are largely in excess of
those of former years. Tabular statement of
and pardons.