\ KK.MONT. 



785 



road mileage, which shall be ascertained in a 

 niiiiiiirr |>ivs<-rilK>d by the act. Towns and cities 

 are antli<>ri/r<l t<> issue l>onds for the purpose 

 of purchasing road-making uppurntus and for 

 luiililing |>enii;tneiit hii;h\\a\s. 



The Australian ballot law of 1H90 was re-en- 

 aHed. with iiinemlinents and additions. It is 

 now provided that the names of all the candi- 

 of each ]M)iitical party shall be grouped 

 together in a column on the official ballot under 

 tin 1 party designation, and an elector may vote 

 the straight ticket by placing a cross at the 

 head of the column containing the party nom- 

 inees, 



The Governor was authorized to appoint three 

 commissioners whose duty it should be to revise, 

 consolidate, and compile the public statutes of 

 the State, and to report the result of their labors 

 at the next biennial session. The following ap- 

 propriations were made : $65,000 for expenses 

 of the General Assembly; $425.000 for the 

 year 1892-8 and $400.000 for 1893-4 for 

 general State expenses ; $30,000 for each of 

 the years 1892-3 and 1893-4 for paying in- 

 terest on State loans ; and $50,000 lor each of 

 these years for the expenses of penal institutions. 

 The State treasurer was authorized to borrow 

 not over $500,000 to meet State expenses. The 

 fish and game laws were thoroughly revised. 



Other acts of the session were as follows: 



Abolishing the Board of Cattle Commissioners. 

 Its duties shall hereafter be performed by the Board 

 of Agriculture. 



Encouraging the improvement of unoccupied 

 lands by authorizing towns to exempt from taxa- 

 tion for five years certain real estate, formerly unoc- 

 cupied, which has been built upon or improved. 



Exempting honorably discharged Union soldiers 

 and sailors, having no taxable property, from the 

 payment of a poll tax, if they request such exemp- 

 tion. 



Taxing telegraph companies at the rate of 60 cents 

 a mile of "poles and one line of wire, and 40 cents a 

 mile for each additional line of wire owned or oper- 

 ated in the State. In lieu thereof, such companies 

 may pay 3 per cent, of their entire gross earnings in 

 the State. 



Providing for 30 scholarships at each of the fol- 

 lowing institutions : Middlebury College, University 

 of Vermont and State Agricultural College, and 

 Norwich University, such scholarships entitling the 

 holders to free tuition. The sum of $2,400 annually 

 is appropriated to each of said institutions to pay 

 for such tuition. 



Revising the law so as to expedite legal proceed- 

 ings. 



Abolishing days of grace on notes, bills, checks, 

 and other evidences of indebtedness. 



Providing a new general law for the formation of 

 corporations. 



Enlarging the list of investments that savings 

 banks and trust companies may make. 



(Jiving the Insurance Commissioner power to 

 revoke licenses issued to foreign insurance com- 

 panies. 



To provide for the improvement of the militia. 



To establish a naval battalion to be attached to 

 the National Guard. 



To punish persons who carry concealed weapons. 



To prevent fraud in horse races at agricultural 

 fairs. 



To prevent fraud in the sale of lard. 



To prohibit obscene advertisements and shows. 



To prohibit smoking in barns, stables, and other 

 outbuildings belonging to another, 



VOL. xxxii. 50 A 



Education. The following is a summary of 

 public school statistics for the nine months end- 

 ing March 31, 1891, and for the year ending 

 March 31, 1892: 



The Legislature of 1890 passed an act provid- 

 ing that the school year should thereafter begin 

 on April 1, instead of July 1 as formerly. The 

 school year 1890-1 was thereby shortened to nine 

 months. According to the census of 1892 the 

 number of children in the State between the age 

 of five ami eighteen years is 77,477. 



The attendance at the Castleton Normal 

 School for the year 1890-91 was 204, and for 

 1891-'9S, 198. 



Charities. At the Brattleboro Insane Asylum 

 there were 485 patients on June 30, 1890 ; 185 

 were admitted during the two years following, 

 and 322 discharged, leaving 348 remaining on 

 June 30. 1892. The total expenses for the period 

 were $179,421.05. In August, 1891, the buildings 

 for the new Insane Asylum at Waterbury were 

 so far completed as to admit of the transfer of 

 patients from the Brattleboro Asylum. Before 

 the end of 1891 a total of 185 patients had been 

 received from the Brattleboro institution, and up 

 to June 30, 1892, the total admissions amounted 

 to 224. During the period 31 were discharged, 

 leaving 193 remaining on the last-mentioned 

 date. The total expenses for the period since 

 the opening of the asylum were $26,291.07. At 

 the Soldiers' Home at Bennington, the number 

 of persons admitted during the two years ending 

 June 30, 1892, was 54; discharged, 54 ; remaining 

 at the end of the period, 49. 



Prisons. At the State Prison at Windsor 

 there were 93 convicts on June 30, 1890 : 85 were 

 received during the two years ensuing, and 90 

 discharged, leaving 88 remaining on June 30, 

 1892. The cost of the institution to the State for 

 the period, after deducting the amounts received 

 from convict labor, was only $8,682.45. 



At the Reform School at Vergennes on June 

 30, 1892, there were 13 girls and 71 boys under 

 restraint, and 10 girls and 54 boys were absent 

 from the institution on furlough. The total 

 expenses for the two years preceding were 

 $32,168.65, and the total receipts from the oper- 

 ations of the school, $3,107.92. leaving a net 

 expense to the State of $29,060.78. 



At the House of Correction the number of 

 prisoners on June 30, 1890, was 50; during the 

 next two years 61 1 prisoners were received and 

 578 discharged, leaving 83 remaining on June 30, 

 1892. The expenses were $18,991.67, and the 

 nveipts $5,855.93. leaving $13,136.74 as the net 

 expenses of the State. 



