Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-04

changes which are of more than ordinary
importance.
No. 9 imposes tax on Savings Bank
deposits that will afford considerable reve-
nue. to the state. We are not satisfied
however that its method is wise one or
that it will not to some extent be used to
screen capital from heavier taxation.
No. 5 completes arrangements for putting
our minor offenders where they will have
a laborious time of it and it is to be hoped
earn something toward paying the state
for furnishing them, No. is an act that
may be useful now that rates of interest
on good security are lower.
No. 8 is in the nature of an experiment
and the work done by the superintendent
of agricultural affairs will have to justify
itself If it is we'll done, and Col. Mead
is rs good II man as could be had fOg the
place, the change may prove to be wise
one. No. will, it is thought, reduce to
some extent the number OF divorces and
will tend to prevent those cases Of collision
where both parties want to make Il new
contract and get up a case that will release
them from the old one of which they have
become tired.
No. 10 is the result of the Phair case
and will commend itself as reasonable
law. No. II will meet some cases where
attempts to commit crime are interrupted
at such point that under former laws it
was difficult to bring charge that would
be sustained when there was plainly
enough guilt that should be punished.
No. so was passed really to cover II class
of cases that Essex county is prolific in
where contractors have cheated lumber
men out of their winters earnings. No.
81 gives II plaintiff costs up to five dollars
before Il justice when he RECEIVERS dam lges
however small. This is the law that came
of Mr.. Potters little bill which Mr.,
Sprague saw such evil in that he
" went for " the lawyers in way that
pu'SC oiaIli u'oPieCu bllu SOuuCullCui
bill by the way that nobody on the judi
ciary committee thought would become Il
law and which never would have become
law had not the gentleman from Brandon
punched the member from St. Johnsbury
once too many times-a performance thai
was never repeated.
No. 50 ought TO make fewer jury trial:
on small cases but would have been NOR,
effective had the provision in the bill re
aling to court expenses passed which in
creased the jury fee from six to twelve
ollars; even rs it is it will be productive
of good results. There are some acts toe
regulating the support of the insane that
will generally commend themselves. No.
% ought to do some good rs Il sort OF
scare-crow if nothing more and aims to
correct IN evil that causes the loss of many
lives each year.
No. 76 aims 10 prevent that wretchcd
confusion of text books which was likely
TO come upon US without any provision of
law and is perhaps Us sensible " method
to obtain uniformity us could be found.
Nos. 80 and 80 are specimens of legis
tive wisdom that illustrate how silly is the
clamor for immediate legislation when .
legislature meets AMI also show how
Senator Deane, like the king Of France
with 10000 men, marched up the hill All,
then marc he'd down again. NJ. 81 wisely
continues the existence Of our State Norma
Schools till August, 1890, and there i,
some other school legislation that is worll
examining.
No. 9G, which is we take it more largely
Senator Dilingham's work than any other
persons, gives the state needed protec-
ton against the tramps who swarming
through here with possibilities of arson
and more horrible crimes lurking by theil
side. No. 9S is a most important act and
one that has caused some criticism, one of
the leading jurists of the state condemn
ing it and saying you have abolished the
Court OF Chanccry." The act was drawn
by Judge Poland and we think meets with
the approval of most members Of the legal
profession. 1t gives the triers the benefit
of seeing and hearing witnesses and does
not conline them to the mere reading of
written testimony.
No. 1O3 establishes u chattcl mortgage
law which we think will be found much
better than the present hop, skip and jump
method of getting security on personal
property. Then there was Lake Cham
plain fish law that is intended to give fish
and hook-and-line fisherman u chance
and there was II lively fight over its pas
sage.
OF course there are many important
laws Of which we hlve not spoken, nor
have we said anything of the men who
made them but intend sometime to give
what we are aware will be very imperfect
sketches of men who were prominent in
the Senate and House and who had large
ly TO do with the shaping of the legislation
of the session.