Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-11-24
OLE 9ree press.
THE LEGISI.ATURE.
AlmOn Meakcr,s Case in the Senate
Republication of the Early Vermont
Reports Debate In the House on
TONVn system of schools
MONTPELIER. Nov. 10.


MONTPELIER, Nov. 10.
A COOL share OF the time of the House, this
afternoon, was taken up with discussion Of
Senator Towards bill Is. 800 aboshing the
district system of schools, and making the
adoption of the town system compulsory after
March LIST, 1885 Mr.. Perkins of Windsor,
opened the debate in behalf Of the bill. lie
gave reasons why the committee, by a large
majority recommended the passage Of the bill.
1t was shown in three public hearings before
the committee, fully attended, by several of
of the leading educators OF the State and
others most prominently identified with the
public schools that the highest interests OF
our schools demanded n radical change. Gave
a general summary of arguments which had
weight with the committee by published re-
ports, viz Gave schools as they were re-
quircd by community ind no more. cstab-
lished uniform taxation for support Of schools,
dispensed with useless number of petty
school officers, actually decreased expense of
schools, yet afforded measure for better
schools, with more uniform methods of in
struction, and as a whole CONSTRUCTED to u
higher public interest in the welfare of the
public schools.
Mr.. Priest of Barre, also spoke on the
same side. He rected the history of the
town system in Massachusetts where it has
existed for about twenty-five yeais), and
showed by reading extracts from the reports
of the secretaries of education in that State,
that the schools had steadily improved since
its adoption lie compared the present con
dltion OF Vermont with what it was twenty,
thirty, forty years ago and showed that
however the district system may have been
adapted to the wants of the State then, its
usefulness had now expiied. We now had
in our back towns and school districts poor
schools, poor teachers, and, of necessity,
poor scholars. He described the working of
the town system, how it was at once more
uniform, more thorough, and really more
economical, since it would abolish useless
schools
Mr.. Priests argument was full of striking
illustrations and convincing statistics, and
was listened to ncnty. Mr. Kimball OF
South Burlington, followed on the same
side. Mr.. Gray of Middcown Ohat town
having tried the town system has relapled
into the district spoke against the bill.
NIcssrs. Brown of Spiingt IT, Noble of St
Albans Woodward OF Halifax and Cole of
Lunenburph favored the bill. Mr.. Chilus of
Bennington and sowles of Alburgh opposed
it. 1t was killed by yea and nay vote of &c
to 1875.
Exemption Of Manufactures.
H. 1877, sin amendment Of chapter 22 CT
the revised laws, relating to exemption from
taxation which provides that if a majority
of the legal voters in any town or city so
elect at any meeting legally warned, they
may exempt from taxation for ten years, all
munuiac uriug establishments hereafter
start d, aud all qualrits and mines hereafter
opened, together with their machinery and
the r ca al (whcu the amount invested eX-
octds one Thousand dollars), was discussed
IN the House, this forenoon. Mr.. Plumley
OF n rlhiied, opposed the bill. He
reco1niz ii the injury which might
be done to towns, Wien gen
cral law, such as we LOW Lave exempted
manufactures of trausitOry character ms
well a tin sc Of ptrmaucn; value. But he
believed that relief should come BY proper
enactm MI and not by a bll like this, which
while aiming ut such a result, was Of very
Doubtful Constltuionality. He did not be-
leve that the Legislature could delegate to
towns the power OF making exemptions that
the writ rs upon constitutional law and upon
taxation, (noiably Chief Justice Cooley. as
well a. the Supreme Court of Maine in recent
decisions had held that the power of cxemp-
ton WAS purely one for the Legislature aud
Mcssis. Smith of Newbury, Battcl of
Mddlcbury, Chllds of Bennington and Wells
of Cranky favored the bill. and it was passed
by a vote of 100 to
Fishing In Lake Champaign.
The joint committee on game and fisheries
of which Senator Braineid Of ST. Adams, is
chairman, gave public hearing, last even
ing upon $. l04, Gin amendment Of chapter
40, revised laws, and in addition thereto
relating to game and fisheries 1t provides
for the appointment and removal at pleasure
of fish warden by the selectmen of each
town who may arrest any person found vo-
lating the provisions of chapter 10 of the re-
vised laws, prosecute him. 1t also forbid
net fishing in Lake Champlaiu or in any OF
the rivers emptyng therein within ten miles
of their mouths, under pen ly Of one hun
bred dollars for each offence -one-half of the
fine to 90 to the State treasurer aud one half
to the informer and prosecutOr-und the con-
flscaion Of the nets, which may be seized on
discovery in use by any one, 1t allows seine
fishing during October and the first fifteen
days in November 1t provides that any
person who catches any black bass, pike or
wall-eyed pike, or has such fish in his posses
forfeit five dollars for each fish caught. The
Hon. jed =. Lldd OF Alburgh appeared
against the bill, and argued in favor Of free
fishing. Mr.. Hiram Atkins conducted the
case for the friends of the bill Mr. Bissell
of Shoreham described the inefficient opera
tirn OF the law hitherto and said that one
much more effective was necessary. de-
fective law, such as was now upon the sta
iute-book, was worse than none Mr.. Hugh
Donaldson Of Hog Island, Swanton, and Mr..
Romeo II. Scott of Swanton were the prn.
cipal witnesses against the bill but under
the vigorous cross-eXamination of Mr., At
kins they made so many admissions that
their testimony told in favor of the law. Mr.
Mark F. Allen Of North Ferrisburgh. the
member of the House from that town, de-
scribed the increase of fish in the lake border
ing upon his town since the passage of the
law, and he believed that with more string.
ent provisions the good effects would be still
more important. Mr.. James II. Brown OF
Grand Isle Mr.. SCOTS counsel, and MIR.
Sowles OF Alburgh spoke against the bill
Deputy Sheriff Frank Anterior of Duxbury,
and Sheriff Little of Montpelier described
how they went to Alburgh and the upper
part of the lake, last April, and The
fragrant use of nets in violation of the
law, which they saw 1t may be
said that the visit OF Messrs.
A,herton ant Little threw the 'poachers'
into conservation for the time being and was
productive OF great deal of good. They
were unsns ected until the very last, and the
friends of Mcssrs Scott and Donaldson tool
them into their confd nee in the most child
like way. Some Of Them have not 90
through swearing vet at the nice way il
which they we've "taken in" Whoever
knows nylhng ABOUT fishing in Lake Cham.
plain is av are that the catching OF fish by
nets, especially in spawning time, has dimin