798 



VERMONT. 



VIRGINIA. 



cratic elector, who had received the next high- 

 est number, should be counted and he declared 

 elected. His argument was replied to by coun- 

 sel for the Republicans, who averred that in 

 the State of Vermont this Board of Canvassers 

 was not vested with judicial but with minis- 

 terial powers only, although similar boards in 

 some of the other States had judicial powers 

 also. To this the Democratic counsel made a 

 rejoinder, after which he submitted to the 

 board a written protest, dated Springfield, No- 

 vember 21st, and signed by Amos Aldrich and 

 George M. Fisk, " requesting the board to re- 

 port to the Secretary of State, and to the 

 Governor, that H. N. Sollace, one of the candi- 

 dates for electors, was on the 7th of November 

 holding the office of Postmaster of Bridport." 

 They " protested against the board declaring 

 the said Sollace elected or appointed an elector, 

 and further requested the board to declare the 

 person having the next highest number of votes 

 duly elected as an elector .... and certify the 

 same to the Governor, with the number of 

 votes he received." 



Having heard the arguments of counsel on 

 both sides, the board deliberated on the sub- 

 ject among themselves, at the end of which the 

 following resolution was offered by one of the 

 members, and unanimously adopted by all : 



Resolved, That this Board of Canvassers are of the 

 opinion that their powers are simply ministerial, 

 and that their duties are clearly defined by the stat- 

 ute of the State. Tliey therefore decline to receive 

 evidence outside of the certificates of votes by the 

 proper town authorities. 



The board then canvassed the votes as offi- 

 cially returned, and formally informed the 

 Governor that " Jacob Estey, Charles E. Hough- 

 ton, Henry N. Sollace, Roswell Farnham, and 

 Alvin C. Welsh, had been duly elected presi- 

 dential electors from Vermont." The board 

 then adjourned sine die. 



The Legislature continued in session eight 

 weeks, and closed it by final adjournment on 

 the 28th of November, 1876. 



A large number of useful laws on various 

 subjects of general and local importance were 

 enacted. Among them were many acts relat- 

 ing to public schools common, normal, and 

 graded school-districts, school-directors, and 

 other matters pertaining to education. From 

 among the number, we here subjoin the sub- 

 stantial part of the one which defines what in- 

 struction is to be imparted in the common 

 schools of Vermont : 



An Act relating to Studies in Common Schools. 

 SECTION 1. Section 19, chapter 22, of the General 

 Statutes, is hereby amended to read as follows : 

 " Each organized town in the State shall keep and 

 support one or more schools, provided with compe- 

 tent teachers of good morals, for the instruction of 

 the young in orthography, reading, writing, English 

 grammar, geography, arithmetic, free-hand drawing, 

 history and Constitution of the United States, and 

 good behavior ; and special instruction shall be given 

 in the geography, history, constitution, and prin- 

 ciples of government of the State of Vermont." 



the government assesses a tax of twenty-five 

 cents on the hundred dollars for the year 1876, 

 to be paid into the Treasury by the 1st of June, 

 1877. The tax for 1877 is assessed by the same 

 act at the rate of thirty-five cents on the hun- 

 dred dollars. 



The material condition of Vermont in regard 

 to her manufactures, trade, and other interests, 

 especially her agricultural and dairy operations, 

 appears to be eminently prosperous. 



The aggregate value of taxable property in 

 the State assessed for 1875 was $99,493,526, 

 made up of $81,106,760 in real estate, and $18,- 

 386,766 in personal property. For 1876 it was 

 $99,717,533, composed of $81,198,221 in real 

 estate, and $18,519,312 in personal property. 



The total list of State taxes for 1875 amounted 

 to $1,150,968.29; for 1876 it was $1,154,901.- 

 03: showing an excess of $3,932.74 in favor of 

 the latter year. 



Of all the New England States, Vermont 

 has the largest number of acres of improved 

 land. Her whole area consists at present of 

 3,073,257 acres of improved land, 1,386,934 

 of woodland, and 68,613 of waste land. Maine, 

 the largest of those States in extent of terri- 

 tory, has 155,464 acres less in improved land 

 than Vermont. 



VIRGINIA. The public debt of the State 

 of Virginia consisted on the 30th of Septem- 

 ber, the close of the fiscal year, of $18,239,600 

 in consols with coupons receivable for taxes, 

 $1,997,415.80 registered bonds convertible into 

 consols, and $9,252,310.58 registered bonds not 

 convertible, making $29,489,326.38 as the total 

 of the State bonds. There was also $3,510,- 

 834.35 of accrued interest unpaid. The annual 

 interest charge is $1,751,175.83. The principal 

 of this debt was all incurred prior to the civil 

 war, and funded anew in 1871. The state- 

 ment does not include $15,239,370.74 known 

 as " West Virginia's Third," which was set 

 apart by the funding act for settlement by the 

 State of West Virginia. There is a library- 

 fund consisting of $1,430,645.25 of available 

 stocks and $703,072.63 West Virginia certifi- 

 cates, which forms no part of the debt proper, 

 and the sinking-fund contains $4,986,771.90. 

 The arrears of unpaid interest from the library- 

 fund on the 1st of August were $108,816.22, 

 and on the 30th of September there was $521,- 

 267.09 due the sinking-fund. 



The following is a statement of the receipts 

 and disbursements of the Treasurer for the 

 year: 



Balance on hand October 1, 1875 $25,417 9? 



Amount received on all accounts during the 

 year, including $1,111,430.18 in renewals of 

 notes in bank, and which constitute no part 

 of the revenue proper. 3,790,819 79 



Total $3,816,237 78 



Total disbursements during the same period, 

 including $1,111,480.13 in renewals of notes, 

 as stated above 3,773,501 69 



Balance on hand October 1, 1876, as per books 

 of this office $42,736 09 



An act making provision for the support of The principal expenses were as follows: 



