Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-11-30
THE SESSION OF SIS.
Review of its Work-BiIIs That Passed
and BIDS ihat Failed he Work OF
the eColumittees--Cu,t Of the Session.

Review of Its ygork-BiIIs That Passed
and Bids ihat Failed ihe Work OF
the eCoIumitteos--Co,t ufthe Session.
MONTPELIER, Nov 2s--The work Of the
biennial session Of 1855 has been cOmplet
ed and its quality remains to be judged OF
when the acts ana resolves are made pub
lie. The number OF bills which have he
come law amount to about 800 There
were introduced IN the Senate aud House
Glc acts, many of those which we're killed
deserved a better fate, some were disposed
of on the score of economy, others because
their passage would be detrimental to
interests and persons whose combined Ell
forts were sufficient to prevent action
which would have resulted IN good 10 the
larger number. OF those that passed,
first in importance by all odds Is the
school bill. The measure Is Que that has
received the careful attenuOu, primarily,
of the authors of it, the comn'ssion ap-
pointed under the MARSH act' OF 1886,
Hon Loveland Munsou, Prot Brainerd of
Middlebury, and Prof. 5. w. Landon of
Burln Itou. Bat Tor the untrIng efforts
of one man, the ldbors OF th9t commission
would have persisted in the non-action OF
the General Assembly, whose duty 1t was
TO consider the merits OF II. Mr. Charles
A. Prouty, chairman of the education
commission of the House, was the man
who piloted 1t through successfully.
Upon its Introduction IL was me- adverse
/ ly, 1t antagonized other educational insti-
| tutions, and interests, as lll~t presented
and members We're arrayed against IL on
! that account. All the conflicting clemens
/ We're however harmoni2ed by concessions
! 1t was put on its passage lt received a good
| majority. Yet thai after all there was re-
ally n majority of members opposed to it,
is shown by the fact that the opponents OF
the bill elected State superintendent
who WAS from the first opposed TO the bill,
| and was the foremost advocate on the
nO0r of the House against is passage. 1t
! was the able and concerted action of the
I leading members of the General Assembly
that carried the bill throIgh. The elimin
alton OF the provision for changing the eX-
isting normal school system, brought 70
the cause the strong assistance of Mr
BOyden, a worker, and man of legis!a
tive experience and ability, who was at
first opposed to it for this reason only.
The concession III favor OF Mr. Wheelock' Is
amendment transferring the appointment
of the county supervisors from the gov
ernor 10 county board, operated also III
no small degree in favor or the measure
If the bill had been put upon its passage
without these amendments and without
the work that was put in, with individual
members and Without the ample discus
sion OF its merits, it would have been
overwhelmingly defeated.
If every bill introduced had been care
fully considered on its merits, as was this
one, and finally acted upon once for all
the House would have saved itself from
having applied to it, as its distinguishing
characteristic, vacillatiou-doinG today
IN f.N sis,g
to do over again the next day, All through
the session this see-saw process prevailed
and on the last day of the session no les,
than seven motions were introduced u
reconsider. 1t may be safely said tina
the one so'e cause OF this was hasty legis
lation upon matters not fully and salts
factOrily explained.
TEMPERANCE LEGISLATION.
The recommendations o. the outgoinG