Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-12-19

1864. il Ind only lJ.OOl people and Cu!or.-
do was admitted, in lSiG with II popjla-
ton of 10000 The chict objection to The
admission Of Dakota lies in the fact tnlt
il is strongly Republican and would send
to Washington two Senators and a couple
of Representatives of that political faith
and it is therefore somewhat unlikely that
the present Democratic House will con
sent to its admission.
The Laws.
In our supplement to-day we print the
public acts adopted by the Legislature at
its recent session. In bulk they are some
thing portentous, making, as they do. four
mortal pages of fine type closely set. They
are not quite rs interesting as Il novel and
probably few of our patrons will read
them For the benefit of these we note in
brief the more important enactments.
in the election laws, Il change of general
interest and Importance has been made.
The laws nave been 50 amended that a
qualified voter can no longer east his bal
lot for the state and National tickets in
any town in the State in which he may
choose to offer it. He can vote at Free
mems meetings only IN the town in which
llt ItSltitS vi llt tluN vi tlttlIOll. HIS Is
a wholesome restriction. The old law in
vitcd fraud and if the division of parties
had been close would have been ntolerl-
bic. 50 far rs Burlington is concerned
the change was made by the provisions of
the City Charter as construed by the City
Attorney at the recent election. The right
to vote at Frctmeu's meetings is taken
away from persons who have been CON
victed of felony unless their rights of ctl-
zenship have been restored by the General
Assembly. 1t is our impression that this
law will take several names Off the voting
list in this city.
With regard to educational matters. an
act Of some Importance is one which I'M
der heavy penalties prohibits all school
teachers and school officials from recriv-
ing any compensation, direct or indirect.
for procuring the adoptiono of school books
or the purchase of school furniture or
supplies of any sort. There is some legS-
ton calculated to encourage the adoption
Of the town system Of schools. and ii is
provided that the towns in which the dis
trct system now prevails shall in the years
1855 ana 1856 vote by ballot upon the qurs-
ton of adopting the town system. The
/ legislation of this session recognizes the
roller skating rink as an enemy to the
schools.
There has been some legislation OH the
subject of taxation, but the law remains
as heretofore in its main features The
time for completing the grand list in the
larger towns is extended fora period vary
ing from five to fifteen days, accordin. to
population. The time for commencing ac-
10, > 1
test is limited toOne year.
The requirement that towns shall con
tribute to the support of children commit
ted to the Reform School is done away
This change, whether it prove to be for
better or for worse. is a very important
one. Girls under an act of the recent ses
sion may be committed to the Reform
school until they arrive at the age ot six
teen years. Fifteen has heretofore been
the maximum age at which girls could hr
committed, and the wisdom of the change
is doubtful. The commitment to the
school of bad young women of the aye of
sixteen or whereabouts is not likely to hclD
them any more than it will hurt the
younger inmates who VIII associate with
them
There has been more legislation for thc
protection of fish and game, and the extra
ordinary enactment has been IAadc that
between certain dates any fish warden may
search any mans effects found anywhere
except in his own house, without any pro
cess whatever, on mere suspicion that fish /
caught in Lake Champlain are contained .
therein, 1t becomes interesting to in
quire Just what the constitutional prOvS- .
ion regarding searches and seizures
amounts to.
We may perhaps classify as II game law
an act which gives elaborate directions for
the construction of bear traps-the pur-
pose being to require them to be So built
as to prevent cattle from getting into
them, The act appears to us fatally de
fcCtiVc for want of Il diagram.
In this connection we note that all pro
lection has been withdrawn from English
Sparrows and wood-pcckcrS The list of
sacred birds now includes among others.
robins, blue birds, yellow birds, cat birds .
king birds, common sparrows larks, bob
olinks, chckadees, pceWccs, swallows .
whippoorwills, ground birds, lnnets
phwbes and humming birds 1t may be
well to remind the boys that any person
who kills or wounds or captures one of
THESE, or breaks the eggs or destroys the
nest of one of them, is liable to forfeit ten
dollars.
The act for the advancement oi anatom-
ical science is Il piece of legislation which /
has been needed in this State and is wise .
and humane in its provisions Without
going into its unpleasant details it may be
said If pauper expresses in his last sick /
ness IA desire for burial or if he has kin
dred who desire his remains for burial, /
then his body is not subject to the provis-
ions of the act. The penalty for robbing |
graveyards is rendered additionally Sc
we're
Something has been added to the excel f.
lence of our divorce laws Every petition
for II divorce must be continued one term /
This provision is calculated to prevent di- .
vorces from being obtained under the spur
of amy short-liyed resentment No case
can be heard without the presence of thn