Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-11-24
Progress OF Legislation.

If the results Of the session up to the hour
of the legislative recess should be measured
by the number and character of the acts
which have been passed and have been ap.
proved by the governor, it could hardly be
claimed that the legislature has made rapid
or even commendable progress in the work
which it was summoned to Montpelier to do.
Among the few bills which have received
the governors signature thus far, we fail to
find any of general interest. All are of mi.
nor Importance, such as relate to the legaliz-
ing of illegal grand lists, bills to pay various
people various sums of money for purposes
requiring the sanction of the general assem-
bly,, and others of a like insignificant char
acter. But this manner of summarizing the
industry of the legislature, during the six
weeks it has been in session, is not just. 1t
must be borne in mind that many questions
OF state polity have been, by common consent
as well as by constitutional requirement,
submitted to this legislature. These ques-
tions, though not formidable in point of
number, are of the gravest significance as
affecting the welfare of the state. Many of
them not affecting the organic law of the
state have come up for exhaustive consider.
alton. Public sentiment regarding them
having crystalized to a certain extent, con-
ceding in particular the necessity of certain
equitable changes, decisive if not conclusive
action is demanded at the hands of this leg
islature. Such measures are those relating
to the expense of conducting our courts; the
reformation of the VIGOROUSLY unequal work
ing of our tax and listing laws the policy
OF the state toward our reformatory, charita-
BILE and educational institutions and that
conclusive consideration and action which
are necessary to give legality to the very
radical and laborious revision of the laws of
the state. Besides these salient points for
patient and mature consideration, there has
been the usual inflow of bills asking legisla-
ton on matters OF secondary and trivial i'm
portance. Another and an unusual duty
devolves upon this legislature The work
formerly done by council OF censors affect.
ing the organic law of the state, is added TO
ment Of these questions, members as gen
eral rule, have manifested a desire to give
their work degree of care and deliberate
attention which its Importance demands.
Now while all this is very true, we regret TO
say that it is only too apparent that much
valuable time has been squandered. Debates
on unimportant matters have been uselessly
prolonged, and an apparent intention shown
TO obstruot rather than 10 facilitate the pro-
gress of legislation. This disposition to
treat matters with care and deliberation has
too often given rise to the motion that the
"bill be ordered to lie" In consequence of
this unreasonably slow and tentative method
of legislating, nearly every measure of sigma
Importance, relating either to the strictly
legislative or TO the constitutional functions
of this general assembly, is in a deplorably
backward condition. No decisive action ha
been reached, nor any appreciable approach
toward harmonizing the widely divergen
views and theories respecting listing law
and systems, has been made. Various an,
voluminous bills on this subject have beef
introduced, but the process of incubation b.
committees is still going on. The peopl
are more directly interested in this matte
than in any other except its twin, taxation
now before the legislature, and they have col
fdently looked for early and diligent trea
ment of it. Apainful apprehension prevail
that with dilatoriness and conflicting view
and theories any decisively reformatoI
measure will fail of enactment The polio
Of the legislature toward the reform scho