762 



VERMONT. 



modelling and future preservation, and that loyalty 

 should not be made odious by placing it upon a level 

 with treason in the rewards and trusts of the Gov- 

 ernment; that all honor and thanks are due to the 

 soldiers of the country who rushed to its defence 

 when assailed by conspiracy and armed treason, and 

 by their heroism saved the life of the nation, and to 

 maintain a republic purified and regenerated a ser- 

 vice which should not be forgotten. 



The following resolution was also adopted : 

 Resolved, That, while we hope and believe the 

 amendment to the Constitution just proposed by 

 Congress will advance the nation in its progress 

 toward impartial suffrage and equal rights for all, we 

 do not yet count the victory won ; but, cooperating 

 with the great party of liberty and progress through- 

 out the country, we mean to fight the battle through 

 with every refuge of caste and oppression, until every 

 form of aristocracy and oligarchy, and every citadel 

 of the undemocratic and barbarous slave civilization, 

 is overthrown, and the nation becomes one great, 

 homogeneous, free people, loving liberty, and build- 

 ing its future upon the rock of exact justice to 

 all men in the distribution of official honors and 

 emoluments. 



The convention was well attended and har- 

 monious in all its proceedings. 



The Democratic State Convention met June 

 29th, and made the following nominations : for 

 Governor, Charles N. Davenport; for Lieuten- 

 ant-Governor, Charles D. Lindsley; for Treas- 

 urer, L. II. Noyes. The following resolutions 

 were adopted : 



Resolved, That we express renewed confidence in 

 the Democratic party and its principles, and pledge 

 to them the honest devotion of men who feel 

 the inestimable blessings which they have con- 

 ferred upon the country, and the woes from which 

 they would have saved it if its principles had not been 

 departed from. 



Resolved, That the paramount issue now is, whether 

 a hypocritical faction, accidentally in power, shall 

 be successful in depriving eleven States of their 

 places in the Union, contrary to their constitutional 

 rights, and against the efforts of the President, for 

 the purpose of perpetuating their party power. 



Resolved, That as Democrats now, as in the past, 

 we are in favor of the whole Union, and that we will 

 never relax our efforts to perpetuate it as its founders 

 made it ; and for the efforts in this behalf of Andrew 

 Johnson, rising above and beyond party, we tender 

 to him our appreciation and approval and our fervent 

 gratitude. 



Resolved, That it is the duty of the President to ex- 

 ecute the laws, and that it is dishonest and hypocrit- 

 ical to censure the President for executing the neu- 

 trality laws, when the party which censures him has 

 the power to repeal them, and does not exercise it. 



Resolved, That all property should bear its propor- 

 tion of the burdens of taxation, and we are opposed 

 to exempting the bonds and other evidences of in- 

 debtedness ofthe United States from taxation. 



Resolved, That we appreciate the valuable ser- 

 rices ofthe soldiers of our armies in suppressing the 

 late rebellion, and tender to them our gratitude for 

 the faithfulness and bravery with which they have 

 fought the battles of our country, and that we are 

 in favor of their receiving offices of trust, emolu- 

 ment, and profit, at the hands of the people and Qov- 

 ernment. 



The Legislature met October llth, and con- 

 tinued in session till November 19th. The le- 

 gislation was chiefly of a local character, and 

 possesses no general interest. An act was 

 passed establishing a State normal scliool, to 



be controlled by the Board of Education An- 

 other act increases the pay of the members of 

 the Legislature from two dollars to three dol- 

 lars per day. Deserters from the military or 

 naval service of the United States were dis- 

 franchised. An act was also passed providing 

 for the registration of voters-in all election dis- 

 tricts, and another for the preservation of fish 

 in the waters ofthe State. 



The Legislature changed the distribution of 

 the school-funds, by which one-third, instead 

 of one-fourth, as heretofore, will be divided 

 equally between the common-school districts, 

 and the remainder in proportion to the average 

 daily attendance of scholars. A law was passed 

 allowing parties in court to testify in their own 

 behalf. An act was passed limiting the liability 

 ofthe State banks (now closing under the opera- 

 tion ofthe national law) for the redemption of 

 their currency to the period of one year, com- 

 mencing from the publication of due notice, 

 which publication must continue through the 

 year. The salaries of the judges of the Supremo 

 Court were increased by $500, making them 

 $2,500. 



The following resolutions relating to impar- 

 tial suffrage were adopted : 



Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, 

 That laws ought to be in force in all of the Uuitect 

 States, guaranteeing equal and impartial suffrage, 

 without respect to color. 



Resolved, That it is the duty of Congress to pass 

 laws giving this right in all places where it cau be 

 done constitutionally. 



Resolved, That we hereby request our Senators and 

 Representatives in Congress to use their influence 

 lor the passage of a law, giving equal and impartial 

 suffrage in the District of Columbia as early as pos- 

 sible at the next session of Congress. 



The finances of the State are in an easy con- 

 dition. The total receipts into the treasury 

 during the fiscal year ending September 10th, 

 including the balance of the previous year, 

 were $996,558.49. The disbursements for the 

 same period were $967,981.82. The liabilities 

 of the State are as follows : 



State bonds outstanding, due June 1, 1871 f 875,500 



" " due December 1, 1874.. 250,1100 



" " " due December 1, 1876.. 2")0,(>00 



" " " due December 1,1878.. 250,000 



The current liabilities amount to $63,340.19, 

 and the current resources to $35,554.23. The 

 estimated current expenses are : 



Interest on bonds and loans $06,000 00 



Other State expenses 170,000 00 



For sinking fund instalment on 



bonds 150,000 00 



$416,000 00 



Total current liabilities for the year $443,785 00 



Each year $150,000 are applied as a sinking 

 fund to lesson the funded debt in advance of 

 its maturity. 



The State agent for the distribution of aid to 

 soldiers' families, from September 1, 1865, to 

 April 15, disbursed $582.18. having satisfied all ' 

 outstanding claims. The original numbers that 

 composed the different Vermont organizations 

 for the war, were : 



