VERMONT. 



833 



Guiana, and the United States was appealed to 

 not to allow Great Britain and her colony to 

 retain Barimas Point, together with the dis- 

 puted territory in the gold-mines. The Vene- 

 zuelans insisted that the -Monroe doctrine was 

 opposed to such encroachments. The matter 

 was rather coolly received in the United 

 States, both in and out of Congress, in view 

 of the long-pending claim against Venezuela 

 for the seizure of the Venezuelan Steam Trans- 

 portation Company's steamers in 1871, when 

 there chanced to be a revolution in that coun- 

 try. Meanwhile this dispute about the Guiana 

 border remains in abeyance, England declining 

 to submit to international arbitration. 



VERMONT. State Government. The following 

 were the State officers during the year : Gov- 

 ernor, Ebenezer J. Ormsbee (Republican), suc- 

 ceeded by William P. Dillingham (Republican) ; 

 Lieutenant-Governor, Levi K. Fuller, succeeded 

 by Urban A. "Woodbury ; Secretary of State, 

 Charles W. Porter ; Treasurer, William H. Du- 

 bois; Auditor, E. Henry Powell ; Superintend- 

 ent of Education, Justus Dartt ; Inspector of 

 Finance, Savings-Banks, and Trust Companies, 

 Carroll S. Page, succeeded by L. O. Greene ; 

 Chief Judge of the Supreme Court, Homer 

 E. Royce ; Assistant Judges, Jonathan Ross, 

 Wheelock G. Veazey, H. Henry Powers, John 

 W. Rowell, Russell S. Taft, and James M. 

 Tyler, appointed in September, 1887, to suc- 

 ceed William H. Walker, resigned. The Sec- 

 retary of State and Treasurer are, ex officio, In- 

 surance Commissioners. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature met at 

 Montpelier on October 3, and remained in ses- 

 sion till November 28. One of the most im- 

 portant acts of the session was the passage of 

 a new law for the government of the public 

 schools. It provides for a State Superintend- 

 ent of Education, to be chosen by the Legisla- 

 ture; for a County Board of Education, com- 

 posed of one member from each town, chosen 

 at its annual meeting; and for a County Super- 

 visor of Schools, to be chosen every two years, 

 in May, by the County Board of Education. 

 These county boards have cognizance of all 

 matters of education in their respective coun- 

 ties, including the selection of text-books. The 

 Supervisor is a salaried administrative officer, 

 who examines teachers, grants certificates, 

 visits the schools, advises school-district offi- 

 cers, gives instruction to teachers, and other- 

 wise stimulates the interests of education. The 

 school-district system is still maintained, and 

 the Prudential Committee of the district has 

 still the financial management of the schools in 

 his district, and the selection or dismissal of 

 teachers therefor. Women have the same right 

 to vote as men in school-district meetings. 

 Numerous changes in the details of school 

 management were made. 



The Legislature was more liberal than many 

 of its predecessors in the matter of appropria- 

 tions. The sum of $1,125,000 was appropriated 

 for 1889 and 1890, for State expenses, and the 

 VOL. xxviii. 53 A 



Treasurer was authorized to borrow $;> 

 in addition, if necessary. The construct, 

 a State ln-aiie Asylum was authorized, and 

 $100,000 was appropriated tor that pur 

 Liberal provision was also made for the Bur- 

 lington and Middlelmry Colleges, and for the 

 Soldiers' Home. In consequence of these ap- 

 propriations, it became necessary to levy a 

 State tax for 1889 of twenty cents on each 

 $100 of taxable property in the State. 



Amendments to the prohibitory acts were 

 made, in order to secure better enforcement of 

 prohibition, and an act making the payment of 

 a United States special tax as a liquor-seller 

 prima facie evidence of liquor-selling was 

 passed. The existing status of the Normal 

 Schools was continued till 1900. Other acts of 

 the session were as follow: 



Providing for the sale of leased property for taxes. 



Empowering the Kailroad Commissioners to author- 

 ize the running of through trains on Sunday. 



Giving the Railroad Commissioners the power to 

 prescribe the method of heating cars, provided that 

 they shall not prohibit the heating by steam from the 

 engine. 



Kequiring all railroads to issue uniform tnileare- 

 tickets in books containing coupons for not more than 

 one thousand miles. 



Providing that no personal property shall be exempt 

 from attachment on a suit brought to recover the pur- 

 chase-money for the same. 



Creating a Board of Supervisors of the Insane. 



Providing for the care of habitual drunkards at in- 

 stitutions in the State established for their treatment. 



To prevent the adulteration of milk and the false 

 branding of butter and cheese. 



Providing for the appointment of a commissioner to 

 investigate the agricultural and manufacturing inter- 

 ests of "the State^ and to devise means for developing 

 the same. 



To prohibit discrimination in life or endowment 

 insurance policies. 



Fixing tlie standard weight for a bushel of salt at 

 seventy pounds. 



Prohibiting the sale or gift of tobacco to persons 

 under sixteen years of age. 



Providing that every person who shall make, alter, 

 or repair any article or personal property, shall have 

 a lien thereon for his just and reasonable charges 

 therefor, and may retain possession of such property 

 till the charges are paid, and may sell the same at 

 public auction after three months, if the value of the 

 article is not over $100. 



To suppress "bucket-shops" and gambling in 

 stocks, bonds, petroleum, cotton, grain, and pro- 

 visions. 



Punishing, by a fine, persons who bet on the result 

 of any election. 



Changing the fiscal year so that it shall end on 

 June 30. 



Finances. For the year ending July 31, the 

 State Treasurer reports receipts amounting to 

 $710,052.20; cash on hand at the beginning of 

 the year, $21,476.77; total, $731,528.97. The 

 expenditures during the same period were 

 $643,466.67, leaving a balance of $88,062.30 

 on July 31. The assessment of a special prop- 

 erty-tax of twelve cents on each $100 increased 

 the revenue for the year by $210,017.84, and 

 enabled the Treasurer to pay off a floating debt 

 of $225,165. The tax on corporations yielded 

 a revenue of A239.003.61. From convict-labor 

 the sum of $13,037.50 was derived, and $61,- 



