Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-10-08

per week.
In regard To the other class the transient insane,
so called, meaning those who have legal settle
meni IN any town in this State 1t may be said that
if their support fell upon the towns they would not
send them 10 the asylum IN some cases where they
ought TO- and tina; they hight he properly cared
for. There should he method 10y which com
plant could be entered. and the town required 10
do lis duty. II Is stated on good authority, that the
insane inmates of the Massachusetts cities and
towns auls-hOuses are well treated, and those best
verscd Ia si.ch matters. Keep the harmless insane
away from the asylum[. IL Is admitted, too, that
we have gone too far In building great sanitary and
rcfOrmatory Institutions, and that truer method
Is 10 separate whether we consider tAr expense or
the results of cure or rsfor!d
Soliie will claim that humanity requires thai every
person of unsOund mind should BE- sent To the asy-
luin. This Is an easy way of putting disaGreeab!e
subject OHt OF sight. No man can draw exact
line whcr. reason loses sway and insanity com
meGce-. \ better humanity would send 10 an asy-
lum those who need lis special treatment or re-
strant-would require that ali such should go, and
allow none TO go who would be as well cared for
elsewhere, ami would receive harm rather than
benefit from the association. What should be done
with the convict criminal insane is fully discussed
In The reports Of the asylum and prison officers.
COURT EXPENSES
The rtPo.; Of Judge Veazey, and the suggestions
of the auditor, present this matter fully and so
ably that It requires no discussion from me. au-
thOrized an expenditure of about sixty dollars to
prepare tho tables submitted by him, believing that
they would lac of great use TO you.
Fees are in some cases large, but the greater evil
Is IN the o"ercharges and double charges for what
Ia really but single service. Judge Neazey refers
10 this. IL Is carried on TO such an extent that
radical cure IS required. Some of the defects of the
criminal Law and OF the causes OF the great expense
attending It's administration may he illustrated by
an actual case. In October last, man was conf
planned of and brought before justice ofthe peace
Tor violation Of chapter 81 of the General Statutes
He was fined on three complaints for selling, for
keeping with intent 10 sell and for keeping a NUS
ance The costs were the same in each case and
H.. ftp sta mr. fh4f he
used Ia al! Three cases, the fees the same
and To presume that they were not paid, but that
the fees remained in the hands of tue justice. The
respondent was found guilty, lined ami sentenced
on each complant-unleSs paid within twenty-four
hours-to the House of Correction To work II out.
The sent enreS all dated from the same day, were
all running At the same time, and of no more effect
than one would he. He took an appeal. \ fort
night later H. was again complained Of; found
guilty OF The same three Oilenses- and the whole
process repeated. Shortly after he was fined for
niOxicatIun and appealed. He entered none of the
cases IN the county court, and the justices affirmed
the Judgment and sentenced him on each OF the
seven cases the sentences all TO date from the day
OF the rllini, OF the court all running at the same
time Is before. The man was committed On the
seven different warrants AT once, but with ssrsn
bills Of cost. The sentences aggregated i've hun
dred and ffty-hve days. hut as they all commenced
at the same tine the longest one alone was Of any
force. 10 complete the harmony Of the whole
transaction, the nna sentences were probably lille
gal, for the original ones had expired before the
adjournment of court, and affirming them and fix
ing later date had no effect 10 give them new life
in the absence Of provision ofthe statute 10 thai
end.
Thi. ease points Oh, most of the abuses to be
remedicd:
LIST. That when two or more complaints are tried
In one, there shall be no double costs! unless possibly
for the justices fees.
I'd That witness fees not called for within a GER
tain time by the witness shall he returned 10 the
treasury. The auditor suggests method for this.
81. That where there Is more than one sentence.
the second shall date from the expiration of the
first.
4th. That appeals Tor delay merely may he check
ell II possible. aud that sentences may be legally
affirmed after appeal as of the later dale.
Our plan Of aowin. over sixteen hundred jus
tees OF the peace, who are really town officers, TO
run up bills of cost against the State with no super
vision or enforced accountability, seems devised 10
make expense.
Various methods have been suggested 10 remedy
the evil that the justices should he requir ed To
make full sworn returns 10 the county clerk. and
should he paid costs in any until these have
been made. The governor might be directed IN
commissioning Justices 10 specify one IN every
town, and two or three respectively, where the
town Is entitled 10 over i've or over ten Justices As
State trial justices, and that other should have
authority 10 certify bills of cost against the State
THIS would reduce the number Of justices who
could run us IN debt that they might he required TO
give bonds II deemed advisable, or at least lie Kept
under supervision and required 10 pay over moneys
in their hands. II Is in the administration of the
liquor law chapter 81 Of the General Statutes. that
the greatest needless cost occurs. This law with
the penalties now affixed, might be made source
of large income 10 the State If properly regulated
and administered.
The expenses attending commitments 10 the
House of Correction can be reduced The respond
eni is now allowed tweniy-four hours In which 10
pay fine and costs. and the officer is allowed ten
cents an hour for keeping HIM, and twenty-five
cents each for three meals If the officer Is sher-
III he may commit him 10 the jail, and possibly draw
the forty-two cents day from the Stale besides.
The respondent often wishes 10 waive this pro-
vision OF iwenty-four hours delay, and be commit
ted AT once 10 save the extra costs he Is obliged 10
serve out, and should be allowed to 10 so.
The proposed modification of the grand Jury law
would many times save delay in bringing criminals
10 trial, AMI the expense of keeping them in jail Us
well rs the expense OF the inquiry.
Whether the right OF trial by jury of twelve
men il essential In a case where u man under this
right faxes his neighbors one hundred or possibly
fiye hundred dollars 10 carry on I'VE dollar law
suit, admits of doubt. Whether II man who dis
closes fully should be committed Tor mtOXicafion.
Is questionable in my mind.
What Judge NeaZey says about court auditors, de
serves consideration. state bills should he, as far
possible, supervised by the State auditor, or I'M
der regulations fixed by him, and so absolutely I'M
der his control that there can be no VARIATION our
financial record for the past two years shows that
there has been no careessness on the part OF the
present aaul1r-
STATE TAXATION.
one great cause OF the present unequal assessment
of taxes is that have town system for levyng the
state taN and each town Is afraid that its nelghbor
Will make lower appraisal than itself. and 50 gain
an advantage. ANY measure which increases me
taxes raised by the state would greatly aggra vaic
this evil of unequal assessment. AZ Il would increase
the temptation. The whole theory of our State gov
eminent il based upon a township system, and we
either ought 10 adhere 10 that where possible. or
cnange II entirely and make a State system. II Is
great mistake the part OF the legisItureto throw
any work or expense upon the State which can
properly be borne by the towns II Is the fund-l-
mental principal OF our State government that Inc
State should assume the least possible control or
burden of municipal affairs IL Is the great New
England iie, and ought never 10 be lost sight of in
legislation. oar town matters are, rs Il rule, well
managed everything Is under the eye OF t.iN-i'N-
Fsal-, hoy ~ Ia
be called 10 account. There Is no 50 good system
of MUNICIPAL government for rural population
known. Il hI, attracted the attention OF statesmen
of foreign rrunfrIes A great writer calls our town.
ships miniature republics i'll themselves Some
times town r. personalities seem To think that II
they can Nn,, l.iy expense from the towns 10 the
Stale II T. 81 much clear gam. The people mus
invariably suir by this course. for II increases the
expense ans tac total amount cf all the lakes
not the fulm III which they come, thai concerns
them. our system was framed VIVA no reference
To havin. these burdens borne by the state. The
foundation Is Tor town SYSTEM ami mat should he
changed II iht superstructure Is 10 be- We have
moi M. pr,,p.r machinery for doing The work nor
checks and balances 10 stop mistake and careless eN-
IravIganre II We undertake IT, Ihc result Is ina
the expense IS very largely increased. refer 10
some Items point Ivy which yea can See tins Tend
ency 10 increased expense when tac Si.;H iiS'!h IS
nuicr the i.rri- ot Insane ASy lgn Eginrm School,
criminal expense and others, AMI yea can lu'iir
whether the ru-i Is CcunicihIlilcSd ny greater
benefits
nrnSr ~ 'NN,nE u"'n ,,I,,,ir,, M. t,,yl.- =,
non - ~, ~, -, a., 1,,,,s ,yni,i,n,,
- -, -; an, Sfota t,v pItI SAVING MI mi.
i nI n H.. ,oil,.rtnn A. Inrs moi nj nrsf
,,. ,.,fv ~ lis PLANTED IN prnportlon 10 the
,,,'i ~, 20 a. m.Irfhis iuif method and
~ ., ,-,,,,rI T., recommend n Iut If Is moi 50
,,,,,i - tn,,ht .t trst npniar perhlu; less 50
~, ~, ~ ~, ,,,l..,t n.th,I
'" t ~ rix s,.ttie lawns WHORE. there ar few
"a "a, i,y ,hsr' ,r,. I'M f,.,v nn,- Thrrr Is
,.l,y itf, an amount OF land ownr, hy non-rest-
isn,s VIM. m The villages with some large tax
,,,r fh,.r. ~ ,Isn a tr", number who nav moth
,n LAM , nall rnx 81 that M. average per capita IN
NJ i tu1f urprl, even Than might
a., ar, ,un..,r
If The St,r. ,\p,ns,, me krrf AT ta. lowest pos
nj i,,,,f mn, npthu, assumed l,y The S;at, which
~ H., p,rn,. hy m. fnvns me STAT. tnX can be
-, -, smell mn I'M, t4mnf,tion fo. uupnull IA
WI, 49,, In na n,,,,.h ~ th,n h..,rf,,,irs In
Hn,'',,'' ~ ~, .,,...,,i ~ IN ~. n,tI
I ,, " ~ -, .,,It,,t -, t,,it, IN. fn,,ns
ul',''.' ~ W. - ~, - -. ~ ,',,.tr,, th.
ihu u : H''lhu" ''n ~ S ~ -, -
uiuutl sts'HiI =" 81 -. ii,,,, a., b.f,'rr
towns would be entirely ohNhieI ihch lhe i'se-s
.. ,i'5,ns of Inc town IN which II would he for
.v.r, man. interest Ia o1A ont that his nelghbor
n,iln iusi poriion ni the ta.. While nav. with u
inr,,, Stale ian all are willing 10 JOIN together IN
cnn-ruttuE IL an unfair valuation, cNtttstnE II On
th,. pl,l that other towns do the same AMI they
mu.i moi he surpassed IN tmis race ior precedence
III fraeI. ..-.-...., ,,u.,,.