Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-11-30
The Vermont LeelsIature.

The Vermont Legislature.
The session closed Wednesday morn
ing at o'clock. The body of 1894 will
be remarkable for the large number of
bills introduced, the number killed, and
the revision of the laws-the latter work
exceedingly well done, if the accounts
from the Capitol are true.
There were 1S5 Senate and 515 House
bills introduced OF 700 in ALL OF this
number 354 became laws, l06 Senate and
24S House bills.
The wisdom of the General Assembly
of 1894 in retaining practically unaltered
the school, Australian and highway laws
will be generally commended. The
slight changes made in these measures
are in the line of their more efficient ad-
mintstration.
Among the most important bills of
incorporation are the acts incorporating
the Nicaragua Company, the Hardwick
& Woodbury. Railroad Company, the
Came's Hump Road and Improvement
Company, the Springfield Electric Rail-
road the Mt. Mansfield Electric Railroad,
the Manchester Railway and Improve
ment Company, the Bennington and
Woodford Electric Raiload, the Benning-
ton Electric Railroad, the Hartford
Street Railroad, and the Merchants and
Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Com
pany at White River Junction.
The act to provide free text books in
the public schools and creating boards
. for the selection of text books provides
that school directors or school boards
shall provide and furnish at the expense
of such town, city or graded school dis
trict, all text books and appliances used
in the studies required by law to be
taught in the public schools, to be paid
for by order of the School Directors ON
respective Treasurers. 1t is provided
that pupils already supplied with books
shall not be supplied with similar books
until needed. The school directors and
the Town Superintendent are to select
and cantract for the text books.
The Text Book Board will convene the
first Tuesday in June in each year, and
may adopt such books on each subject
as may by law be selected within the
year for use in the public schools, and
make contracts therefor.
The Highway law of 1892 is retained
and improved by amendments. Tho
Board of Highway Commissioners Gre
ated in 1892 is continued two years. The
local Road Commissioners are consti-
tuted County Boards of Road Commits
sioners. These county boards are re-
quired to meet on the first Tuesday in
June at the county scat for organizing
The boards are required to hold at least
one other meeting annually to consider
such matters as the State Commissioners
may present.
1t is provided that the five per cent.
State tax for the benefit of the highways
shall hereafter be used to permanently
rebuild or repair portions of the main
tEoroughfares in each town. Towns may
elect Road Commissioner for three
years.
The law prov ding for the payment of
salaries of States Attorneys, in lieu of all
other fees, makes the salaries payable
semi annually upon certificate of the pre-
siding Judge of the County Court that
the Office has been faithfully administer
ed.
The salaries for the several counties
are fixed as follows: Addison, Benning-
ton, Caledonia, Orange, Orleans and
Windham counties, $500 each; Chitten-
den, and Rutland counties, 81, 800 each;
Washington and Franklin, $1,000 each:
Windsor, $1,000; Lamoille, $500; Essex
$4OO; Grand Isle, 5000.
The length of the session in 1892 was
50 days, and in 1894 81 days. The direct
cost of a session OF the Legislature is
about $1,000 day. The appropriations
made by the Legislature for the coming
biennial term are as follows:
House of Correction, $4,000; Soldiers
Home, $4,000; fish hatchery, $1,000!
Gov. Chittenden monument, $4,000;
Hospital Soldiers Home, $1,000; State
Prison, $500; permanent camp ground,
S1,5O0; Vermont Maple Sugar Exchange,
$500; town of Belvidere, 81, 900; Board of
Health, $4,000; Winchester monument,
$500; tuberculosis, $1,000. In addition
the above the sum of $3.50, 900 was appro-
priated for the completion of the Yer
mont Asylum for the Insane at Water
bury.
The special appropriations aggregate