Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-10-13

The purchases for the objects should cause.
In making any arrangement Tor giving more
room to the library, II would he well to con
slider carefully It's design ana the nature anu
extent OF its usefulness. The last report of
the trustees gives the number Of volumes rs
1904, but does not classify them rm1lte any
statement us to their use. A superficial cN.
amintion Of the subject leads me TO believe
that the State should purchase ouly such
books MS relate to law, legislation, political
economy aud statistics. II the volumes of
poetry, fiction, biography. aud other works OF
general literature, now ON hand, were pre-
scented To the town OF Montpelier, with suit
able restrictions, ana no moro purchased, II
might relieve the Immediate pressure for room
to accommodate the books which are most
useful TO the Legislature and State officers.
The number OF books drawn from the library
by members and officers Of the Legislature at
the last session was less than Co., and OF this
number over 200 were works ora miscellune.
Gus character and fiction. One hundred and
forty members drew no books, but probably
used the library Tor consultation and refer
enCc.
NEW COMMITTEE.
respectfully suggest the propriety and
benefit of forming Joint standing committee
ON phruscoogy, by whom the language OF all
bills presented to the Legislature should be
examined, aud 10 need be, corrected.
The suggestion here made has been adopt
ed by other States, ana substantially in this
state 10y the Legislature of 1850. As a Consc-
qucucc OF this action, one ct the judges ul the
supreme loutl says "lhc puOlc Hcls OF lho
session OF lssO, In cOucisCness, good grammar,
ana pcrspcuijy surpu-s the laws Of any scs-
sion IN a bundled years. The saving IN print
ing alone more thuu twice paid the expense
OF the clerk who revised the acts rs they were
introduced. There Is no measure at the OK
pensc incident to badly constructed law
ArrUWNEN.GENERNL.
Many of the most saguciuus and careful
men in the state are, ind have long been, OF
the opinion that the Office OF Atturuey-Gen-
eral should be created, in order TO secure "a
more systematic, uniform and universal exc
Cution OF the criminal law, ana also rs Il meas
uTp OF real economy.
It has been found necessary to establish
this office in almost every state I'm the Union.
In our own State, each county aud city, and
nearly every Incorporated village, mas Its law
officer, but the STATE has none, aud each year
1t pays large sums To special counsel en-
ployed TO assist the states Attorneys, and adj
ditiOual sums for other legal services. Some
of these expenses would he saved and In
most cases The services required would be
better performed by state officer.
As one remedy Tor the expense caused by
the frequent change Of The states Attorneys,
aud the incNpeTence ni many OF them, Judge
NeuzcN, in hts report, recommends the APP
pointment of an Attorney General, "wbO
should have charge Of and be responsible for
the administration of the criminal law" On
this subject also ask your attention TO tue
advice of Ex-Governor Horace Fairbanks,
found in his message 10 the General Assem-
bly, In 1876.
Question of law are constantly arising IN
the administration OF state affairs on which
the advice OF an able law officer Is required,
aud should the office be created, am couh-
dent that many duties ofimportancC and val
ne 10 the state would be imposed upon the in.
cumbent.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.
There viii he laid before you the proposals
of amendment to the Constitution, SIX In
number, that were adopted by the last Gen
cIal Assembly, These proposals were exam
iued by committees IN each House, were pub
lished III the time, and have been extensive
ly discussed by the press. They should, how
ever, receive your close scrutiny; Tor the or
gnnic law OF the state should not be lightly
fslN H-hf 40 n a
no doubt rs to construction, Should yOu con
cur IN any or all OF them, II viii be your duty
TO provide Tor II submission, OF each one so
coucured in TO IA dircct vote OF the people.
One OF these propos ais greatly restricts the
power of the Governor To pardon or commute
the sentence OF persons convicted of MURDER
and, IL adopted. viii doubtless lead to more
speedy and certain punishment of that crime'
amer conviction.
Another il IA supplement TO the last clause
of section 20 oft the Constitution, which reads
AS follows: "Nor shall any person, holding
amy Ctiice Of proht or trust under the uuihou-
~ OF Congress, be eligible TO any appoint.
tnent In the Legislature, or of holding any cN-
ccutive or judiciary Office under this state.'
In lssO, the distinguished member from
Montpelier resigned Il lucrative federal Office
TO serve MS townsmen in the Lsgislaturc, but
this is "A rare exception to the rule that the
constitution is habIually violated IN this re
spect.
Persons ineligible under the Constitutions
elected to the Legislature, have uniformly
been good men, ANA It has not been the duty
OF any particular person TO enforce TINS pro
vision. But its nUn.obsrrvuncc has not puss
ed uuuoticed, for tue press has always. with
energy aud perseverance,, called attention to
II, 50 that the whole people Lave for years
had the spectacle nersiStentlv brought TO
their ewes, of the lHwmHkiug power ct the
state acting in open disregard OF the COnsti-
tuition. The worst result wrought by this
practice is the disrespect which IL tends to
create for law generally. 1t teaches disre-
gard Tor authority, and Is IA dcplornOle lesson
To the people that constitutions and laws are
only to be obeved by virtue OF force. The
proposed amendment l. designed to remedy
this state Of affairs end make the existing
clause Ofthe Constitution scltoperntive.
Another proposal relates to the election OF
certain State officers. II is now the duly ct
the Legislature to elect about twenty five
state officers AT each session, and except In
cases OF reelection, they are usually chosen
from among its own members or officers.
Hardly any other state adopts this practice to
such an extent, and in many, ms wellas in Con
gress, II is unknown. Every Legislature con
lains men who are fitted by eNperien ce, abil-
ity, ana aboVehll by their honest, independent
character, to M any office In the state, ana
many times these qualities are 50 Conspicu
ously exhibited in the LEGISLATURE by such
members, as to properly lead to their election
to important offices. The trouble rests in the
fact that these men do not seek the offices,
and they are lett Is the prey of another sort
of men who spend their time In forming com
binUtions with others like character to adj
vance their own schemes, and these com
binHtions frequently extend to the passage
or defeat OF pending measures Al the same
time, II Is not to be denied that some of our
best and most faithful State officers have
been elected by Legislatures of which they
were not members, and that officers other
wise elected or appointed have not always
proved to he the best. The practice, AT its
best, disiracts attention from legislation, pre-
vents deltberation, and by lengthening the
sessions, is very expensive, the average cost
per day of actual session beiag estimated nj
one thousand dollars. This proposal Is in
tended ia bring The power to elect two i'm
porlant officials directly to the people.
Another proposal Is one which prohibits
10 Hsafa
uors, and i mainly i'm accordance with the
long existing law which has repeatedly re-
ceived the approval and sanction OF the peo-
pie through their Legislatures. IL Is to be
observed, however, that the law allows the
sale of Intoxicating liquor for medicinal me
chantcal and chemical purposes, while the
proposed amendment restricts II to medtcin-
al purposes only.
III tins connection may allude To the fact,
that owing to disagreements between county
commissioners and local authorities, many
towns have no agency for the sale OF liquor,
thus forcing entire communities into a viola.
tiOn OF law.
In considering the question of court, Jail,
pAuper Reform school, House of Correction,
ana state Prison expenses, IL Is well always
to bear in mind that n large share OF them
are directly traceable to the illegal traffic in
Intoxicating liquor, and that the enactment
OF laws of constitutional amendments tend
ing to restrain and destroy this evil, is in the
direction of moral and economical lepisla.
lion. Men may differ as TO what such laws
should be, but those that are enacted should
he uniformly enforced.
OFFICIAL BONDS.
would suggest, as an Improvement Ia the
form Of official bonds now used In the State,
that In all cases the sureties should make ar
tidaVit on such bonds rs TO their qualification
in property. The form of official bond used
by the United States Government requires the
sureties 10 make oath showing the amount OF
unincumbered property owned by them, over
and above all debts and liabilities, 10 be double
the penal sum named in the bond. II seems
TO me that the adoption of this feature In
our own official bonds would not only throw
about the execution Of these important instru.
ments an increased and proper solemnity
resulting in better security to the State, but
would also relieve I'm some measure those
whose duty II is to approve such bonds from
the necessity of making inquiries as to the
sufiieiency OF the sureties.