VERMONT. 



VISION, CAI.I>T.\ BOLMAN. 807 



The annual State election took place in Sep- 

 tember, and resulted in the choice of John Greg- 

 ory Smith, Union Republican, by a majority 

 of 19,415 over Timothy P. Redfield, Democrat, 

 in a popular vote of 44,689. The remainder 

 of the Republican State ticket -\vas elected by 

 similar majorities. In 1803 the majority lot- 

 Governor Smith was 17,751. The following 

 was the result of the election for members of 

 the Thirty-ninth Con;.: 



Union Republican. Democratic. 



Dist 1 F. E. Woodbridge, 9,449 S. M. Wells, 3.C07 



" 2 J. S. Merrill, V2A"'.> K. MeK. Onn.-V 



" 3 P. Baxter. 9,406 G. Harrington. . . . 



In the succeeding November the Union Re- 

 publican electors for President were chosen by 

 a majority of 29,097 in a vote of 55,741, and 

 cast the vote of the State for Abraham Lincoln 

 and Andrew Johnson. 



From a report of the Senate Committee on 

 Finance of the Vermont Legislature, it appears 

 that the debt of Vermont amounts to $1,040,- 

 845, or $5.21 for each person in the State. A 

 claim of 90,000 against the General Govern- 

 ment, if collected and paid, will reduce the 

 debt by that sum. The debt is principally 

 funded," and is payable in 1871, 1874, and 1876. 

 The total expenditures for 1864, including in- 

 terest on the debt and war expenses, were 

 $1,228,993, and the receipts were $931,853, 

 making the increase of the State debt for the 

 year $233,447. Upon an examination of the 

 financial resources of the State, it appears that, 

 in increase of population and in many of the 

 branches of industry, Vermont is behind the 

 other New England States. The last census 

 shows that the ratio of increase in population 

 is only 0.31 per cent., while the other New 

 England States range from 2.65 to 42.10 per 

 cent. In manufactures Vermont also compares 

 unfavorably with the other New England 

 States, but makes a better record in flour, 

 meal, and lumber. The valuation of the State 

 was increased but 32.83 per cent. In the 

 other States the increase has been from 42 to 

 185 per cent. The committee attribute this 

 \tnfavorable condition of affairs to the laws of 

 Vermont, which do not encourage business 

 enterprise. They allow the seizure of property 

 by attachment, and afford no relief to the un- 

 successful man of business by laws of insol- 

 vency. Hence many of the enterprising busi- 

 ness men of the State have sought homes else- 

 where. 



On November 1st the Legislature reflected 

 the following board of judges of the Supreme 

 Court : Chief Justice, Luke P. Polard ; Assist- 

 ant Justices, Asa O. Aldis, John Pierpont, 

 James Barrett, L. C. Kellogg, and Asahel 

 Peck ; TV. G. Veavey, of Rutland, was elected 

 reporter of the decisions of the Supreme 

 Court. 



On October 19th the town of St. Albans, on 

 the Vermont Central Railroad, about 15 miles 

 from the Canada frontier, was the scene of a 

 raid, accompanied by wanton bloodshed, by 



Southern refugees from Canada, 

 er-hip of one Young, a rebi-1 ntfir.-r, \\ hi'-h 

 time filled the northern ]< .vith 



alarm. At 3J- y. M. a body of ; < and 



40 rebels, well organized and annn!. 

 been quiet! luring th> 



week, made a combined 

 Albans, Franklin County, and icnal 



.Banks. Not more than one or two p< : 

 were in any one of -itutions :/ 



time; and the- -,ly overpo. 



raiders were enabled to abstract a sum ir. 

 bank notes amounting in the aggrega' 

 $211,150. They then seized upon all the 

 horses they could find, either in the streets or 

 in livery stables, and mounting, rode off tow- 

 ard Canada. The whole affair occupied less 

 than twenty minutes. Previously to their de- 

 parture they wantonly fired upon a number of 

 unoffending and unarmed citizens, of whom 

 several were wounded, one fatally. While rob- 

 bing the banks, they stated that they were act- 

 ing under orders from the rebel General Early, 

 and were retaliating for acts committed by 

 Federal troops in the valley of the Shenandoah. 

 The robbery was skilfully planned for the day 

 succeeding the market day, when the town 

 was unusually dull ; and to the unexpectedness 

 with which it came must be attributed its suc- 

 cess. Secret attempts had also been made to 

 fire the town, which fortunately failed. 



As soon as the inhabitants had recovered 

 from their surprise, a body of men was at once 

 organized to pursue the raiders, who, how- 

 ever, being well mounted, had a considerable 

 start. The authorities of the State were also 

 promptly notified, and men and arms arrived 

 in large numbers in St. Albans within a day or 

 two. The neighboring border towns imme- 

 diately took every precaution to guard against 

 similar attacks, and for several days an active 

 system of patrols was maintained. As a fur- 

 ther means of arousing the vigilance of the 

 country, the St. Albans' banks offered a reward 

 of $10,000 for the recovery of the plunder 

 and the capture of the raiders. These were 

 vigorously pursued by the armed citizens, 

 dropping by the way a considerable number of 

 the purloined bank notes, but succeeded in 

 escaping over the frontier into Canada, where 

 nearly the whole gang were eventually cap- 

 tured either by the armed citizens of Vermont, 

 who started in pursuit, or by the Canadian 

 authorities. The latter, in accordance with 

 instructions from the Governor General, Lord 

 Monck, showed considerable activity in pro- 

 curing the arrest of the raiders. Those of the 

 latter arrested by American citizens were at 

 once turned over to the local authorities. 

 The legal proceedings to which the raid gave 

 rise in Canada are described under the head of 

 FOEEIOX RELATI 



VINTON, ilrs. CALESTA HOI.MAX, an Amer- 

 ican missionary. She was born in Union, Conn., 

 in 1809, died* in Rangoon, Burmah, Dec. 20, 

 1864. She married Rev. Justus H. Vinton. 



