784 



VENEZUELA. 



VERMONT. 



prisoner, with his whoJe army, as soon as Crespo's 

 troops arrived to take possession. A difficulty 

 arose between the United States and the new 

 Government in reference to the refugee Gen. 

 Mijares, Governor of Caracas under the Palacio 

 Government, who was charged of common crimes 

 because, like many other Continuist officers, he 

 seized cattle and other property belonging to 

 Crespo's sympathizers, without paying or ac- 

 counting for them. The master of the United 

 States steamer " Philadelphia," who had Mijares 

 on board when his ship touched at La Guayra, 

 refused to allow the police to come on board and 

 make an arrest, and the vessel put to sea, under 

 directions from United States Minister Scruggs, 

 without clearance papers, which the port authori- 

 ties refused to issue. On Oct. 23 the United 

 States Government gave official recognition to 

 the new Government, and recognition by other 

 powers followed. Provisional President Crespo 

 issued a decree declaring confiscate the property 

 of the men who had held official position under 

 Palacio, in accordance with which the estates of 

 M. A. Mattos and others were seized. The plan- 

 tations of Andueza, Palacio, Sarria,, Casafias, and 

 Urdaneta were also confiscated, and Andueza's 



freat mansion in Caracas was converted into a 

 arracks. The obligations undertaken by the 

 successive Executives that came into power dur- 

 ing the revolution were repudiated. Elections 

 were ordered for a National Assembly to meet in 

 February, 1893. By the beginning of December 

 the Legalista army was paid off and disbanded. 



VERMONT, a New England State, admitted 

 to the Union March 4, 1791 ; area, 9,565 square 

 miles. The population, according to each decen- 

 nial census since admission, was 154,465 in 1800 ; 

 217,895 in 1810 ; 235,966 in 1820 ; 280,652 in 

 1830 ; 291,948 in 1840 ; 314,120 in 1850 ; 315,- 

 098 in 1890 : 330,551 in 1870 ; 332,286 in 1880 ; 

 and 332,422 in 1890. Capital, Montpelier. 



Government. The following were the State 

 officers during the year : Governor, Carroll S. 

 Page, Republican, succeeded on Oct. 6 by Levi 

 K. Fuller, Republican ; Lieutenant-Governor. 

 Henry A. Fletcher, succeeded on Oct. 6 by F. S. 

 Stranahan : Secretary of State and Insurance 

 Commissioner, Chauncey W. Brownell, Jr. ; 

 Treasurer, Henry F. Field ; Auditor, E. Henry 

 Powell, succeeded on Oct. 6 by Frank D. Hale ; 

 Superintendent of Education, Edwin F. Palmer, 

 succeeded by M. S. Stone ; Inspector of Finance, 

 Savings Banks, and Trust Companies, F. G. 

 Field, succeeded by W. H. Du Bois ; Railroad 

 Commissioners, Samuel E. Pingree, Amory Da- 

 vison, Leon G. Bagley ; Chief Judge of the Su- 

 preme Court, Jonathan Ross ; Assistant Judges. 

 John W. Rowell, Russell S. Taft, James M. Ty- 

 ler, Loveland Munson, Henry R. Start, and L. 

 H. Thompson. 



Finances. The State treasury statement for 

 the biennial period ending June 30, 1892, is as 

 follows: Cash on July 1, 1890, $117,708.74; 

 total receipts for two years ensuing, $2,138.585.- 

 30 ; total disbursements, $2,058.956.89 ; balance 

 on July 1, 1892, $197,337.15. The receipts may 

 be classified as follows : From United States 

 for Soldiers' Home, $12,018.43 ; for Bennington 

 Monument, $14,000 ; for Agricultural College, 

 $48.000 ; for direct tax refunded, $179,407.80 

 total from United States, $253,426.23 ; from 



State school tax, $174,322.93 ; from State gen- 

 eral tax, $272,858.85 ; from corporation taxes, 

 $579,393.20 ; from Probate and County courts, 

 $114,663.14; from licenses, |8,470 ; from State 

 institutions, $33,540.77 ; from temporary loans, 

 $620,000 ; from interest on deposits, $2,842.40 ; 

 from miscellaneous sources, $78,967.78. The dis- 

 bursements were as follows : On Auditor's war- 

 rants, $1,108,122 ; temporary loans paid, $620,- 

 000 ; interest on same, $9,447.95 ; State school 

 tax paid to towns, $89.103.22; General Assem- 

 bly, regular session, $55.615.40 ; extra session, 

 $7,672.50 ; interest on State debt. $16,260; 

 United States funds distributed to Soldiers' 

 Home, Agricultural College, and Bennington 

 Monument fund, $74,018.43 ; sundry payments, 

 $78,717.39. During the two years the total 

 taxes assessed on corporations were $572.672.96 

 and the license taxes were $8,537. In addition 

 a direct tax of 18 cents on the dollar (aggregat- 

 ing $312,054.97 on an assessed valuation of 

 $1,733,638.69) was levied during the period, one- 

 half payable on or before Nov. 10, 1891, and 

 one-half on or before June 10, 1892. 



The Governor says : "The enactment. of the 

 corporation tax law in 1882 was well calculated 

 to raise the hope that a direct State tax would 

 not much longer be needed, but the increasing 

 demands of the times have gone far beyond its 

 ability to supply the money necessary for State 

 expenses, although it has been revised until its 

 revenues to the State have nearly doubled." 



The State debt amounts to $135,500, funded 

 into 6 per cent, bonds due in 1910. all of which 

 are held by the Agricultural College fund. 



Legislative Session. The regular biennial 

 session of the State Legislature began on Oct. 5, 

 and ended on Nov. 22. On Oct. 18 Hon. Red- 

 field Proctor was elected United States Senator 

 for the unexpired term of Hon. George F. 

 Edmunds, resigned, and also for the full term 

 of six years beginning March 4, 1893. The vote 

 in each house was as follows : Senate Proctor, 

 28 ; House Proctor, 195 ; Edward J. Phelps, 

 Democrat, 35. An important result of the session 

 was the passage of an act abolishing school 

 districts and establishing the town system of 

 school government throughout the State. The 

 act provides that all property of school districts 

 shall become the property of the respective towns 

 within which the districts are situated, and re- 

 quires each town to maintain schools for at least 

 26 weeks each year. A board of school directors, 

 elected by the town, shall have the control of all 

 matters pertaining to public schools. The act 

 is to take effect on April 1, 1893. 



By another act, the town offices of surveyor of 

 highways and street commissioner were abolished, 

 and in place thereof the office of road commis- 

 sioner was established. It was further provided 

 that the selectmen of each town shall annually 

 assess a tax of 20 cents on each $100 of valua- 

 tion, the proceeds of which shall be paid to the 

 town treasurer and used for the repair of high- 

 ways. A State tax of 5 cents on each $100 shall be 

 assessed annually throughout the State for the 

 support of highways and paid to the State treas- 

 urer by the several towns and cities, according 

 to their assessed valuation. The tax so raised 

 shall then be reapportioned and repaid to the 

 several towns and cities upon the basis of their 



