The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-04-18
THE SOLDIERs'HOME,
An Important Decision just Rendered Af-
fecting-Future Welfare of the Vermont
Soldiers Home,

An Important Decision just Rendered AZ
fecting-Future Welfare of the Vermont
Soldiers Home.
WASHINGTON, April 1G.-SecOnd Comp
troller Sigourney Butler has just render
ed Adhesion of great impol lance regar, :
ing the status of homes for disabled sol.
diers in the states of Massachusetts, and
Vermont, among others, to receive aid
from the national government in sup
port of those homes.
AT a recent meeting of the board OF
managers OF the National Home for Dis
abled Volunteers, the board passed a
resolution to the effect that the homts n
Massachusetts, and Vermont were not en-
titled to the benefits of the act of Aug.
81, 1888, because they had not been prop.
erly established within the contempla-
ton of that act, which requires that the
Home shall become state institution.
To this ruling of the board Senator
Edmunds took exception, and the mat
ter was referred by the managers to the
comptroller for an official opinion.
Regarding the Vermont home, Mr..
Butler says: In Vermont, by the act of
Nov. "a, 1884, Redfield Proctor and
others were Incorporated as the trustees
of the Soldiers Home in Vermont; the
trustees to hold property not exceeding
certain amount, as they may acquire
by gift, grant, purchase or otherwise,
for the purpose of maintaining home
for deserving soldiers and sailors, and
such members of their families as said
trustees may deem proper.
Said trustees were to be subject to the
duties and liabilities, and to have the
powers and privileges set forth in all
general laws applicable to such corpora
tions,
On Nov. %, 1884, the Legislature of
Vermont appropriated $4,000 for the
use of the trustees of the home. Again
on Nov. II, 1886. the Legislature made
another appropriation of $40, 900 for the
same object, The accounts of the home
show that less than $50, 900 was expend
ed during that time upon the support OF
the home. In other words, although il
was not public institution, the State o.
Vermont appropriated to its use mere
than enough to support the home. Nov.
l, 1888, the State appropriated $25, 900
for the support of the Soldiers Home
for the years 1889 and 1890, to be paid
whenever the president of the Soldiers
Home shall certify in writing that the
same is necessary to defray the expenses
of the home.
Has the State of Vermont established
the home in question? Certainly the home
was not established as public institu-
ton when the act Incorporating Messrs,
Proctor and others as trustees of the Sol
diers' Home in Vermont was passed, but
the intention of the state to give the
home ample support is shown by the
fact that at each of its biennial sessions
since that time appropriations have been
made the support of the home exceed
ing in amount the cost of its mantle
nance.
The state of Vermont manifested a
clear intention and desire to bring itself
within the purview of the act of Aug.
| 81, 1888. 1t would seem that had the
state not thought itself entitled it would
have passed an act, while its Legislature
was considering this subject, which
would have, without any question what
ever, entitled the state to recognition
But the course of legislation in regard
to this home was such that | am inclin.
ed to believe that the technical defect of
the home being private or least quasi
public, institution, as first incorporated
is remedled by the care which the state
has taken of the home, and by the ap-
preparations made for its benefit exceed
ing, as have shown above, the cost of
maintenance of the home for at least
the two last fiscal years.
The Legislature, when passing section
2 of the act of Nov. |, 1888, intending
to provide for receiving and reception
for all moneys underline state homes act
in full compliance with section of that
act, through which payments should flow
from the national board to the home,
and, to my mind, succeeded in the in
tention and attempt.
am of opinion, therefore, that your
board of managers is justified in recog-
nizing the state of Vermont as entitled
to receive pay for its home, which is
virtually a public institution. But
would suggest that at the earliest mo-
ment possiblelhe state Of Vermont be RI =
quested by your board TO have transfer
red to it the franchise and property of
the home, as was done in this case of
New York and Connecticut, and that
you advise the state to enact such laws
as will constitute the Soldiers Home in
its Jurisdiction State Home.
The legislation to which have refer
red, and which was not before your
board at the time of your meeting, is to
my mind sufficient jurisdiction for
your recognition of that state, and in
the future this Office will admit payment
by your board to the state of Vermont
in addition to the states already recog
nized by you.