VERMONT. 



One branch of our inquiry, and the one which 

 more than all others occasioned this investigation, 

 was in reference to the legislative corruption, to 

 which the public attention had been called by the 

 publication of the "Hatch voucher," so called, in 

 the Boston Traveller, and other newspapers. This 

 voucher purported to be a statement of a special 

 account rendered by J. D. Hatch, December 6, 1869, 

 against the trustees and managers of the Vermont 

 Central and Vermont & Canada Railroads, and a 

 receipt for the payment of the same. The sum 

 charged by Hatch was $1,000, and in his account 

 rendered he stated that it was for " expenses at 

 Montpelier, session of 1869, in resisting adverse 



VIRGINIA. 



765 



K 



line, etc. ; " ana in nis account accompanying 



general statement, it appeared that at or near the 

 close of the session he had paid several prominent 

 members of the Legislature each the sum of $50, 

 and had also paid money to attorneys not members 

 of the Legislature. 



As to the truth of the corruption charged, 

 " the committee find that the list of names 

 was made by Hatch as a memorandum in 1869, 

 and comprised the names of gentlemen who 

 had been employed professionally in the in- 

 terest of the Vermont Central Railroad, to- 

 gether with those who were thought to be 

 friendly to its interests;" that "all those who 

 received the money in 1869, as appears by 

 this voucher, were attorneys, except one who 

 was not a member ;" and concluding : 



In respect to those gentlemen, we do not find 

 that any of them received the money believing it 

 was paid for any services they had performed, or 

 were to perform for this railroad in their official 

 capacity, but on the contrary supposed that the 

 reason assigned for their employment was as stated 

 by Hatch, for the purpose of retaining them in a 

 legitimate and proper manner, and placing them 

 under obligation to render for the railroad such 

 professional services as they might be called upon 

 thereafter to perform. * * * We do not find that 

 any particular measures before the Legislature were 

 passed or defeated in consequence of these retain- 

 ers; or that legislation has been improperly in- 

 fluenced thereby ; but we believe it to be our duty 

 to condemn the practice of employing more attorneys 

 in different parts of the State than would be neces- 

 sary to transact their legal business, as one calcu- 

 lated to impair the confidence of the publio gener- 

 ally in the purity of our legislation. 



The various material interests of the State 

 appear to be increasing in real prosperity ; 

 prominent among them being the agricultural. 

 Besides theVermont State Agricultural Society, 

 with which is connected the Wool-Growers' 

 Association, there are also agricultural county 

 societies. Among the branches of farming, 

 the dairy receives particular attention in Ver- 

 mont ; those who are devoted to this industry 

 having organized themselves into a distinct 

 body the Dairymen's Association. These so- 

 cieties hold regular meetings which are nu- 

 merously attended and sometimes continued 

 several days. Granges of Patrons of Hus- 

 bandry are also being organized in different 

 sections of the State. 



A report was published in January, 1873, 

 exhibiting the result of observations made at 

 Montpelier on meteorological phenomena, and 



recorded as they occurred during the years 

 1871-'72; from which it appears that the 

 number of stormy days in 1871 was 97, dis- 

 tributed among the twelve months in unequal 

 proportions, the least belonging to September, 

 4 days ; the largest, to July 14 days. In 

 1872, their number was 130, of which 07 

 occurred within seven, and 33 within five of 

 the twelve months, not counted in succession as 

 they run in the year. December was the most 

 stormy, 18 days; April, the least 4 days. 



In 1872 there were eighty-two rain and 

 forty-eight snow storms. 



The warmest day in 1871 was June 8th, 

 106 above zero; the coldest days were Janua- 

 ry 8th and December 21st, 24 below zero. In 

 1872 the warmest day was June 29th, 105 

 above zero; the coldest, December 25th, mer- 

 cury congealed. 



On December 25, 1873, the mercury, at East 

 Calais, sank to 38 below zero. 



In the interest of the soldiers from Vermont 

 who were engaged in the late civil war, the 

 State Treasurer has compiled from official rec- 

 ords and published early in April, 1873, a 

 pamphlet of 140 pages, containing a complete 

 statement of the amount due from the State to 

 each of the said soldiers. The pamphlet is 

 got np in tabular form, giving the regiment, 

 company, and name, of each soldier having 

 balances remaining in the State Treasury. It 

 also designates whether that balance is on ac- 

 count of extra State pay, allotted United States 

 pay, or for interest on allotted pay. The 

 pamphlet contains the names of over three 

 thousand soldiers and the sums due them, 

 respectively; these sums varying from 46 cents 

 np to $262.93. 



VERPLANCK, ISAAC A., a New York ju- 

 rist, Chief Judge of the Superior Court of Buf- 

 falo, born in Coeyman's, Albany County, N. Y., 

 October 16, 1812; died April 16, 1873. He 

 graduated from Union College in 1831, studied 

 law and practised in Bataviafrom 1834 to 1847, 

 when he removed to Buffalo, where he resided 

 until his death. In 1854 he was elected one 

 of the Judges of the Superior Court of Buffalo, 

 and was made chief thereof by his associates. 

 He discharged his judicial duties with ability 

 and unimpeachable integrity, and was twice 

 reflected. Judge Verplanck was one of the 

 ablest members of the Constitutional Conven- 

 tion of 1867-'68, and was widely known and 

 esteemed by the people as well as by the 

 members of the legal profession in Western 

 New York. 



VIRGINIA. The Legislature which assem- 

 bled during the first week in January, ad- 

 journed after a session of about three months. 

 In this time there was passed a large number 

 of acts, which, however, were mostly of local 

 importance. 



An act was passed to provide for the pay- 

 ment of interest on the public debt, the most 

 important provisions of which are contained 

 in the following sections : 



