Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-10-13
The Legislature.


The younger generations who have at
tended the annual, or, during the last de
cade, the biennial meetings Of the general
assembly, will hardly be able to call to mind
more quiet and uneventful organization Of
that body than that which was made Wednes-
day. The representatives were present in
full force. There was but single instance
in which the courtesy of the house was
asked for member who had neglected to
bring his credentials, and after the roll call
the first important business of the assembly
was quickly reached. Hon. George Nichols,
presiding with that grace and easy dignity,
as well as facile parliamentary skill, which
have distinguished his tenure of the office
of secretary of state, directed the attention
of the body to the election of a speaker.
Hon. James L. Martin of Londonderry was
nominated for the office by Colonel George
w. Hooker of Brattleboro in terms of brief
and appropriate eulogy on his legislative
record, referring especially to his occupancy
of the speakers chair in the session of 1878.
cordially seconded by members representing
different sections of the state, and, no other
name being presented, Mr. Martin was
unanimously elected by reclamation. Henry
N. Newell, Esq, of Shelburne was the re-
cipient of similar compliment in his cleo
ton to the clerkship, Hon. r. s. Taft of
Burlington placing him in nomination in
speech model of brevity and good taste.
Whatever of interest the election of the
speaker and clerk may have lacked was, in
limited way, supplied by the scramble
among the clergy for the office of chaplain.
The principle that the office should seek the
one among political reformers. If the doc
trine is a good one for lay positions in the
gift of the state, il should be equally ap-
plicable to the clerical offices. The senate
indicated its sense of the proprieties in this
matter by passing by every contestant and
choosing man who had not sought the
office. In the house Mr.. Fifeld's pointed
and incisive presentation of the name of
gentleman send off that, though the last
name presented it was first in the ballot
box, significantly illustrating the Scriptural
saying, "The first shall be last, and the last
first" The Legislative Directory describes
the personnel of the legislature in form
sufficiently extended to crafty the require
ments of any individual interested to inves-
tigate in detail the composition of our gen
eral assembly. From the recapitulation it
appears that about four-fifths of the mem
bers are Vermonters to the manor born, and
that the farmer element prevails by fair
majority. In the senate twenty-five out of
thirty have been members of the lower
house, but only two, the senators from
Washington county, Messrs. Dwinell and
Dillingham;, have ever been in the senate
before, and these gentlemen were senators
in 1878. In the house forty have been
members of previous legislatures, and we
also find among the number those who have
been senators, state treasurer lieutenant
governor and governor. Although many
members have never served in either house
of the general assembly, there are many in
this class whose practical knowledge of af-
fairs and experience in the world has been
so extended that they can hardly fail at once
to rank with the experienced Legislators in
either branch OF the assembly. Altogether
the legislature has a prepossessing personal
appearance, and there is ability and expert
ence enough in it to consider intelligently
the important questions that will come be-
fore it, and dispose of them satisfactorily to
the great mass of voters. Being nearly
solid Republican body, we believe they will
not disappoint the expectations of their
constituents.