VERMONT. 



813 



Resolved, That looking back to the happy experi- 

 ence of our own State iu extending the largest lib- 

 erty to native or naturalized citizens, of quiet and 

 peaceable behavior, irrespective of color or race, and 

 forward to the inestimable blessings that will flow 

 to the late slave States from a free, industrious, in- 

 telligent, virtuous, peaceable, and patriotic popula- 

 tion, we do respectfully and earnestly counsel the 

 people of those States that they blot out forever from 

 their statutes all laws pertaining to the late condi- 

 tion of slavery^, and to concede to all their native and 

 naturalized citizens, by constitutional guaranty, 

 equality of civil and political rights, leaving to each 

 to reach his proper social position by the character 

 he bears and the merit he fairly wins. 



Resolved, That on the failure of any reorganized 

 Stata to give the guaranty named in the preceding 

 resolution, we insist that Congress shall use all its 

 constitutional powers so as to secure a republican 

 government, both in form and essence, to the people 

 of such State. 



The election took place in September, with 

 the following result for Governor : 



Governor. Number of Votes. 



Paul Dillingham, Republican 27,586 



Charles N. Davenport, Democrat 8,857 



Majority for Dillingham 18,729 



The Legislature stood as follows : 



Senate. House. Joint Ballot 



Republicans 30 213 243 



Democrats. 11 11 



Republican majority. ... 30 202 232 



A special session of the Legislature was held 

 in the early part of March, for the purpose of 

 ratifying the antislavery amendment to the 

 Constitution. The business was accomplished 

 in a single day, and the Legislature then ad- 

 journed. The amendment was ratified unani- 

 mously in the Senate, and with only two dis- 

 senting votes in the House. The regular 

 session of the newly elected Legislature was 

 held at Montpelier on October 12th, when J. 

 "W. Stewart was chosen Speaker of the House 

 of Representatives, and Governor Dillingham 

 and the other State officers elect were inaugu- 

 rated. On the same day Governor Smith de- 

 livered his valedictory message. On the 19th 

 a joint convention of both houses elected, the 

 following justices of the Supreme Court : 

 Chief Justice, L. P. Poland, of St Johnsbury ; 

 Associate Justices, John Pierpont, of Vergen- 

 nes; James Barrett, of "Woodstock; Loyal C. 

 Kellogg, of Rutland ; Asahel Peck, of Mont- 

 pelier ; and "William C. "Wilson, of Bakersfield. 

 Reporter of Supreme Court Decisions, W. G. 

 Veasey, of Rutland. On November 21st Gov. 

 Dillingham appointed Chief Justice Poland 

 United States Senator, in place of Jacob Col- 

 lamer, who died subsequent to the adjourn- 

 ment of the Legislature. His place on the su- 

 preme bench was filled by the appointment 

 of John Pierpont, and Benjamin Steele was 

 appointed fifth Associate Justice, Among the 

 acts passed by this Legislature was one ratify- 

 ing a decree of the Court of Chancery, which 

 authorized the managers and receivers of the 

 Vermont Central and Vermont and . Canada 

 Railroads to borrow $700,000 on ten years' 8 

 per cent, bonds. The property and income of 



the roads are to be pledged as security for the 

 bonds. A resolution was also adopted affirm- 

 ing that " in Jhe reconstruction of the govern- 

 ment of the States lately in rebellion against 

 the Government and authority of the United 

 States, the usual power and legal authority 

 vested in the Federal Government should be 

 exercised to secure equal rights, without re- 

 spect to color, to all citizens residing in those 

 States, including therein the right of elective 

 franchise." This was ordered to be sent to the 

 President of the United States, and the Gov- 

 ernors of the several States. 



The receipts into the treasury of the State 

 for the year ending September 1, 1865, were 

 $2,009,261, and the expenditures, $1,996,772 ; 

 excess of receipts over expenditures $12,489. 

 The funded liabilities amount to $1,661,179, 

 which sum is reduced by current resources to 

 the extent of $23,411. The extraordinary re- 

 ceipts and disbursements for the past four 

 years have been : 



fieceipts. 



Taxes f3.406.093 



State bonds outstanding 1,650.000 



Reimbursements from United States 607,303 



Total $5,663,396 



Disbvrsem ents. 

 Governor's warrants and Auditor's orders approved 



by the Governor $1,179.933 



Extra pay to soldiers 3,275,504 



Direct tax paid United States 179.407 



State bonds paid 150,000 



Ordinary expenses, including interest on bonds . . 878,245 



Total $5,663,366 



The expenses incurred by Vermont in sup- 

 port of the late war for the preservation of the 

 Union, are stated by the Adjutant-General at ^ 

 $3,600,752.52. Of this sum by far the greater 

 part, viz., $3,336,765.30, comes under the 

 head of State bounty of seven dollars per 

 month, paid to Vermont soldiers during their 

 time of service in the United States army. In 

 addition to this the several towns and munici- 

 pal corporations expended for bounties $5,210,- 

 897.45, making an aggregate expenditure by 

 the State and the towns, from 1861 to 1865, of 

 $8,811,649.97. 



The surplus number of men furnished by the 

 State over all calls amounted at the close of 

 the rebellion to 679. The total number of 

 troops furnished by her during the war was 

 30,705, besides 3,800 drafted men and substi- 

 tutes, making the whole number 34,655. For 

 militia purposes the State of Vermont has 

 been divided into military districts. The mili- 

 tia force includes three brigades, composed of 

 twelve regiments, embracing one hundred and 

 twenty companies, with a regiment of cavalry 

 added, one battalion attached to each brigade, 

 and also a battery of artillery to each. These 

 have been severally efficiently armed and 

 equipped by the Government, and proper armo- 

 ries provided. The amount expended in State 

 aid to soldiers' families for the year ending 

 September 1, 1865, was $17,584, the number 

 of persons aided was 1,832. The total amount 



