The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-01-28
For Sick Kidneys
Legislative Vacancies

According to the constitution of
this state proposals OF amendment
may be made by twothirds vote of
the Senate 1t is by no means i'm
probable that amendments may be
offered in addition to the very excel
lent ones suggested by the commits
sion appointed by the governor to
formulate such proposals. The at
tention of the Journal has been call
ed by one of the state officials to the
need of some provision for filling va
cancies that may occur in the House
or Senate Under the present sys-
TEN if the representative elected by
Montpelier next fall should die on the
day of his election, or at any time
thereafter, this city would be unrep-
resented in the legislature. Mr.
Marsh of Hancock died before the
session of 1908 convened and it is by
no means an infrequent occurrence
for member TO die before the SEES
sion ends. 1t is not just to deprive
any town or city OF representation,
but a situation is easily conceivable
whereby proposed charter amend
ments or other legislation desired
directly affecting such municipality
as Burlington or Rutland, Barre or
Montpelier, st. Adams or Benning
ton, might be imperilled by lack of
representation.
Suppose for example that the leg
islature should be convened in extra
session for an emergency like the
] - ha fttt1
Spanish-American War and Burling-
ton should be without a member on
account of death, more than 10000
perhaps $4,000 people, from one fif-
teenth to one sixteenth of the entire
! population of the state, would be I'M
! represented in great crisis in the
| life of the Commonwealth. Such a
situation is by no means impossible.
The United States Constitut on
provides for the filling of vacancies
by special election and many of the
states have similar provisions. In
New York the governor may call a
special election for Senate vacan-
cy If such a vacancy occurs before
April | Of the last year of a Senator
term of Office or in case of the death
or resignation OF a member of the
Assembly, before April ! Of any year
If a special session is called between
April ! and October II of the same
year special elections may be called
after April l. In Massachusetts the
House may set the date of special
elections to fll vacancy The Mas
sachusetts system also provides that
In case Of failure TO elect on the reg
ular election day another election
shall be held on the fourth Monday
of the same month, November II nc
choice is made at that time the
House may call another election. II
might be proper for Vermont TO make
some provision for an adjourned
meeting a few weeks after the regu
lar election rather than to hold al
night sessions as is frequently the
case under our present system. 1t is
rare that a biennial election is helC
without the failure of some town tC
elect a representative. OF course
this trouble might be remedied large
ly by election by plurality vote.
1t does not seem probable that al
amendment providing for the films
of vacancies in the House and Senate
would meet with serious opposition
because such measure would ap
peal to the sense of fairness of al
members of the General Assembly
No town or city should be deprived
of its share in the councils of statC
by the accident of death or the les
ignaton or disqualification Of mem
ber. Montpelier Journal