Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-10-09

Fish commissioners .................. ...... ISL 81
Library. l,i2O 40 l,I4g
Expenses of Session.
Debentures of general assembly,. 2s32s 40 4ss33 90
Secretaries clerks and reporters.... lU5 90 2IOl 50
Legislative printing. 65S 81 22os5 ~
The Auditors report for 1878 was received too
late for careful examination At my request
however, the Auditor has furnished me the items
which show an increase of court expenses in 1878,
above 1876 OF over $50, 600.
am assured that often the entire sum of the
verdcts of term of court fall far short of the ex
penses of the term to the state No further com
Dlent on court expenses is needed. have omitted
in the foregoing tables, some items of extraordn-
ary expenses, and Others having no bearing on
the general question; but the grand total gives
the states expenses for 1860 Sli2 9S2 As, and for
1879 with the expense of a session of the legsla-
ture added, S326 726 96, without the session ex-
penses, S244, ,95i 73
Dividing the expenses Of a session, as they are
now biennial, and adding one.half to the other
less than double the expenses of 1860, which in-
cluded the entire expenses of a session.
The state tax for five years preceding the war
averaged sixteen and one fifth per cent, and this
included large appropriations for building the
State House. think the state expenses ought to
be so reduced that n tax of twenty cents will be
ample, and still do all we are now doing, and
more If required, for our public charities schools,
and all objects worthy of our attention. | do not
mean to say that all of this increase OF expense is
unnecessary, by any means Some of it is called
for by additional duties and responsibilities thrown
upon the various departments; and in other cases
1t is manifestly just and reasonable. But quite a
part of it has come from the general tendency of
the time towards liberal expenditures which has
pervaded all public, as well rs private affairs 1t
would transcend the proper limits of this com
muncation, to attempt discussion of special
methods of retrenchment The whole matter is
in your hands, and the means of any further in
| formation you may desire, at your command.
The greatest single item, that of court expense
is in my opinion, OF sufficient Importance to war
rant the attention of a special committee to that
| point alone.
| am glad to refer with approval to the discus
sion of the subject of trials by jury and referees
in the first message of my predecessor If parties
were compelled to bear larger share of the
| expenses of jury trials, it might diminish the
amount of petty litigation, and lead to more ref
erences under the statute and do no violence tc
the cause of justice Possibly, II no satisfactory
remedy is found, it may be advisable to appoint a
| commissioner, who shall investigate the whole
subject of court expenses and report at the ses
sion, recommending such changes of the statute
or constitution as the case demands.
ASSESSMENT OF TAXES
| Every member of society hath a right to be
| protected in the enjoyment of life, liberty and
property, and therefore is bound 10 contribute hi
proportion tolcard ne expense q that protection,
| TO secure this result of equality of taxation tc
the utmost possible extent, is the plain demand o
this clause OF the Constitution which have quot
| ed
70 rehearse the evils OF our present system, OF
rather, what is worse, of our administration of it.
would be to repeat what my predecessors hav,
often said, and what every citizen has seen anC
felt Not the least among these evils is the cor
| rupting influence OF constant evaslons of law
| You understand the subject fully, and the re
sponsibility for failure to apply a remedy mus
rest with you. Several measures have been pro
posed to secure Just and equal assessment. A
the last session bill passed the House, (IIous
bill No 2Il y requiring each taxpayer TO swear t.
| his list The laws Of Massachusetts,
| Connecticut have similar provision. The re
duction of state expenses and the direct paymen
of any special taxes TO the state will so far, bu
| only to Il limited extent, remove the object 70
undervaluation as between different towns bu
would have no effect to relieve the inequaltie
among the taxpayers of the same town.
The law prescribed that the assessment Of tn
road-bed OF railroads shall not exceed 50 900 pc
mile | am informed that in at least one case III
| EQualizng Board raised the valuation of a town
where the Listers had set the road-bed at tn
limit of $1,000 and that the railway compan,
will contest the validity of the list on this ground
II there il a defect in the Statute, it should b
remedied
SAVINGS BANKS
These institutions are assuming important pro
portions in our state, holding now over eight mil
lions of deposits The amount in 1860 was Iii
tie over one million. They have been so well man
aged, that during the last few years of financia
trouble, while some of the neighboring states hav
suffered severely from the reckless and dishones
management Oi THESE lnstltutOns, our SaNlug
Banks have all stood firm, and none OF them hav
suffered serious loss, This result, however, is du
more to the honesty and skill of their direction
than to our legislation. They are all acting IN
der special charters, differing considerably /
their provisions They are not to any extent II
stricted as to lOhere they may make loans All 9
them loan part Of their funds on mortgage som
of them have made these loans on real estate q
the West. These. so far as can learn, have bee
carefully made and have yielded larger interes
than could have been realized from other source,
The fundamental idea Of II Savings Bank is al
soute safety, though at some sacrifice Of inieres
and dividends. II seems to me unwise and III
safe to lose sight OF this in our legislation, w
cannot always depend upon having honest an
capable men in charge; and even such men, IN
less restricted by law, will be more liable to mi,
takes We know what widespread disaster tn
failure or even suspension Of Savings Bank
would cause in its vicinity and among a class VIII
have earned their money by years OF hard labo
and close economy, and who would all the NOR
keenly feel its loss,
recommend a general law placing all Say
ings Banks under the same general provisions an
restrictions and repeating so much of their speoia
charters as conflicts Herewith but requiring u
change of investments already made Then /
anting future charters little would be necessar
except 10 name the bank, its eorporators and oca
ton,-referrng TO the general law for its right
and duties This policy of general organic la,
Is being adopted by other States, and would n
fer you among others To the new law OF Massa
chusetts, passed at the session of 1876 also TO tn