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34. VERMONT.

Capital, Montpelier. Area, 10,212 square miles. Population, (1860), 315,098. This State was settled at Brattleboro, in 1724, by emigrants from Massachusetts and Connecticut, under grants from New Hampshire. It was claimed by both New Hampshire and New York, and was for a time under the government of the latter, but at a convention held in Westminster, January 16, 1777, it was declared a free and independent State. It was admitted into the Union in 1791.

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The Goyernor, Lieutenant Governor, and Treasurer are elected annually; the Secretary of the Board of Education is appointed by the Board of Education; the State Librarian, by the Trustees of the State Library; all the other officers by the Joint Assembly of the two Houses.

The Senate, established in 1836, consists of 30 members, apportioned among the several counties according to their population.

The House of Representatives consists of 241 members, one from each town and city. The pay of the members of each House is $3.00 per day during the session of the Legislature. Every man 21 years of age, who is a nativeborn citizen of some one of the United States, or has been naturalized, and has resided in the State one whole year next before the time of election, and who will take the oath prescribed by the constitution, is entitled to the privileges of a freeman.

JUDICIARY.

The judicial powers of the State are vested in a Supreme Court, a Court of Chancery, a County Court in each county, Justices of the Peace in the several towns, and a Probate Court in each Probate District. The Judges of the Supreme Court are elected annually by the Legislature, and all other judicial officers by the people.

From 1778 to 1786, inclusive, the Supreme Court consisted of five Judges; from 1786 to 1825, it consisted of three Judges; in 1825, 1826 and 1827, of four Judges; from 1827 to 1846, it consisted of five Judges; from 1846 to 1849, of six Judges; in 1850, a change in the judiciary system was effected by reducing the number of Supreme Court Judges to three, and by establishing a Circuit Court, consisting of four Judges. In 1857 the Circuit Court was abolished, and the number of Supreme Court Judges increased to six, which number constitutes the Court of the present day.

The Supreme Court has no original jurisdiction, except for divorce; but is a court of errors for the trial of questions of law, and a court of appeal in chancery suits. Each Judge of the Supreme Court is a Chancellor, and

*$6.00 per day during session.

holds his court at the same time as the County Court, which is held in each county by one of the Supreme Judges and two Assistant Judges.

The County Courts have original jurisdiction in all civil actions for over $200, or in relation to real estate, except trespass, where the damages claimed exceed $20; also in actions for replevin for amounts over $20. All actions out of the original jurisdiction of the County and Chancery Courts, except for divorce, must be brought before a Justice of the Peace.

UNITED STATES COURTS.

Circuit Judge, Samuel Nelson. District Judge, David A Smalley. District Attorney, Dudley C. Denison. Marshal, H. H. Henry. Clerk of Circuit and District Courts, B. B. Smalley.

SUPREME COURT.

Chief Judge, John Pierpont, Vergennes. Assistant Judges, James Barrett, Woodstock; Asahel Peck, Montpelier; William C. Wilson, St. Albans; Benjamin H. Steele, St. Johnsbury; John Prout, Rutland. Salary of each, $2,500. Reporter, Wheelock G. Veazey, Rutland.

COUNTY COURTS.

Assistant Judges (1868)—Addison County, Jonas M. Smith, Addison; James M. Slade, Middlebury. Bennington County, Edward M. Aylesworth, Arlington; Hiram Cole, Shaftsbury. Caledonia County, Francis R. Carpenter, Waterford; Peter Buchanan, Barnett. Chittenden County, Safford Colby, Richmond; Russell J. Morse, Bolton. Essex County, Richard Small, Guildhall; Elias Lyman, Lemington. Franklin County, George Adams, Enosburg; Walter C. Stevens, Highgate. Grand Isle County, Ransom W. Darby, Alburg; Wyman C. Hoag, Grand Isle. Lamoille County, Russell S. Page, Hyde Park; Charles S. Parker, Elmore. Orange County, Nathaniel King, Tanbridge; William Childs, Fairlee. Orleans County, Benjamin Comings, Greenboro; E. O. Bennett, Charleston. Rutland County, Daniel Crofoot, Benson; John Crowley, Mt. Holley. Washington County, Fernando C. Putnam, Woodbury; Ira Richardson, Waitsfield. Windham County, Peter W. Dean, Grafton; William H. Jones, Dover. Windsor County, John S. Marcy, Windsor; Calvin French, Cavendish.*

TERMS OF SUPREME COURT.

Addison County, 1st Monday after 3d Tuesday in January. Bennington County, 2d Tuesday after 4th Tuesday in January. Caledonia County, 1st Thursday after 4th Tuesday in August. Chittenden County, 1st Tuesday in January. Essex County, 4th Tuesday in August. Franklin County, 1st Monday after 2d Tuesday in January. Grand Isle County, 1st Friday after 3d Tuesday in January. Lamoille County, 3d Tuesday in August. Orange County, 6th Tuesday after 4th Tuesday in January. Orleans County, 1st Thursday after 3d Tuesday in August. Rutland County, 1st Monday after 4th Tuesday in January. Washington County, 2d Tuesday in August. Windham County, Monday following 2d Tuesday after 4th Tuesday of January. Windsor County, 1st Thursday after 4th Tuesday next after 4th Tuesday in January.

TERMS OF COUNTY COURTS.

Addison County, 1st Tuesday in June and 2d Tuesday in December. Bennington County, 1st Tuesday in June and December. Caledonia County, 1st Tuesday in June and December. Chittenden County, 1st Tuesday in April and 4th Tuesday in September. Essex County, 2d Tuesday in March, and 3d Tuesday in September. Franklin County, 2d Tuesday in April and September. Grand Isle County, Last Tuesday in February and August. Lamoille County, 4th Tuesday in May and 1st Tuesday in December. Orange County, 1st Tuesday in June and December. Orleans County, 4th Tuesday in June and December. Rutland County, 2d Tuesday in March and September. Washington County, 2d Tuesday in March and September. Windham County, 2d Tuesday in April and September. Windsor County, 4th Tuesday in May and 1st Tuesday in December.

*We go to press before receiving the appointments for 1869.

FINANCES.

RECEIPTS FOR YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER, 1868.

Balance in Treasury, September, 1867,

$44,813.48

Balance to credit of Sinking Fund, September, 1867,

82,000.00

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The classification of the expenditures for the current year shows, for

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The funded Debt of the State has been reduced during the year, $230,000. At the close of the fiscal year, after deducting balance to credit of Sinking Fund, it amounted to $1,168,000. The unadjusted, balance due the State from the war claim is now $207,222.23. The aggregate indebtedness of all the towns and cities in the State, as shown from the returns made to the State Treasurer, is $1,939,198. Nearly one-half of the debt is found in the counties of Bennington and Windsor.

EDUCATION.

An investigation which has been made with care, shows that during the last collegiate year, about one hundred and sixty or seventy young men of this State were members of a college or scientific school, either in Vermont or elsewhere.

The State Agricultural College has been incorporated with the University of Vermont at Burlington, and has received the avails of the 150,000 acres of scrip donated by the general government. The institution has now three co-ordinate departments and faculties of instruction in successful operation. There are two other colleges and several academies in the State.

The State Board of Education consists of six persons besides the Governor, who is ex-officio a member of the Board. The Board appoints its Secretary, who has the general superintendence of the schools of the State. Each town elects a town superintendent, who is required to visit each common school in the town at least once in each year, to examine teachers, and give certificates to such as are found qualified. Towns are divided into school districts, each of which has a prudential committee of one or three voters, whose duty it is to appoint teachers, provide suitable school-rooms, and make arrangements generally for the schools of the district.

Three Normal Schools have been established, one in each Congressional District, under the direction of the State Board of Education. Two courses of study are provided for these schools. Graduates from the first course are entitled to receive certificates, which are by law constituted licenses to teach in any part of the State, for the term of five years, and graduates from the second course are entitled to certificates, which are constituted Licenses to teach in any part of the State, for the term of fifteen years.

Public Schools. Whole number of children in 1867 between 4 and 18 years of age, 88,362; number attending school, 71,939; average attendance, 46,245; number of different district schools, 2,954; number of teachers, 4,722; number of weeks of school taught by males, 9,252, by females, 49,798; number of teachers that have taught before, 3,240; taught before in same districts, 860; average wages of teachers per month, exclusive of board-males, $25.68, females, $12.40; number of school-houses-in good condition, 1,654, unfit for that purpose, 901; with yards enclosed, 322; amount paid-wages of teachers, $213,958; board of teachers, $135,443; fuel, furniture and incidentals, $19,144; erecting school-houses, $61,042; repairing, $21,206; amounting in all to $480,793. Number of Select Schools, 348; number of pupils attending, 9,264; number of Academies, 58.

Normal School, Randolph, EDWARD CONANT, A. M. Principal. Number of pupils, 1868ladies, 146, gentlemen, 106, total, 252; average attendance per term, 77.

CHARITABLE AND PENAL INSTITUTIONS.

The Vermont Asylum for the Insane at Brattleboro, was established in 1834. It has a large farm and extensive buildings and workshops. Most of the buildings were burned in 1862. There is a Commissioner of the Insane, annually elected by the Legislature, whose duty it is to make a thorough examination into the internal affairs of the Asylum and report thereon.

The Reform School was established in 1865. It is under a Board of Trustees, elected annually by the Legislature, who report the school prosperous. It has a farm of 133 acres. The buildings have been extended by the erection

of dormitories and workshops, and improvements have been made on the grounds during the last year.

The State Prison, established in 1807, is under the government of a Board of three Directors and a Superintendent elected annually by the Legislature. It has been self-sustaining until within a few years, but the balance of expenses over the income for the last year was $6,413, about the average for three or four years. The labor of the convicts is let by contract. The present contract is for five years, at 42 cents per day. Changes in discipline have been adopted which are beneficial; the commutation of sentence has proved more effective than the expectation of pardon.

Vermont Asylum for the Insane, Brattleboro, W. H. ROCKWELL, M. D. Superintendent and Physician. Number remaining Aug. 1, 1867-males, 265, females, 246; total, 511; number admitted during the year-males, 74, females, 61; total, 135; making in all, 646; number discharged-males, 75, females, 56; total, 131, of whom there were-recovered, 46; improved, 22; not improved, 21; died. 42; number remaining August 1, 1868, 515. Whole number of beneficiaries in Asylum during the year, 166, number remaining August 1, 1867, 128; number discharged -recovered, 10, not recovered. 14; number died, 14; number remaining August 1, 1868, 128. Income for year ending September, 1868, $79,554.28: expenditures $78,943.72; balance, '$610.56. Vermont Reform School, Waterbury, AARON G. PEASE. Superintendent. Number in school Sept. 17, 1867.37; number received during the year, 50; number discharged-reformed before expiration of sentence. 3; at expiration of sentence. 15; sent out to places on trial, 12; total, 30. Number remaining Sept. 4, 1868, 57. Term of commitment—during minority, 6; 8years, 1; 5 years, 8; 4 years, 4: 3 years, 17; under 3 and over 2 years, 1; 2 years, 16; 1 year, 27; less than 1 year, 16; total, 98. Cause of commitment-larceny, 77; breach of the peace, 10; vagrancy, 4; arson, 2; burglary, 3; assault, 1; intoxication, 1. Age, 8 years and under, 3; 10 years, 8; 11 years, 14; 12 years, 16; 13 years, 19; 14 years, 16; 15 years, 18; 16 years and upwards, 4. Parentage-number from the commencement-American, 51; Irish, 16; French, 25; Scotch, 2; colored, 4; total, 98.

State Prison, Windsor, JAMES A. POLLARD, Superintendent. Number of convicts, Sept. 1, 1867, 90; number admitted during the year, 29; number discharged-by expiration of sentence, 36; pardon: 3; insanity, 1; died, 3; total, 46; number remaining Sept. 1, 1868, 76. Of these there were from 15 to 21 years, 26; from 21 to 30 years, 32; from 30 to 40 years, 12; over 40 years, 6. Terms of sentences-2 years and under, 19; from 2 to 5 years, 25; from 5 to 8 years, 14; 8 years, 6; 10 years, 5; life, 6; death, 1. Crime committed -against person, 19; against property, 57. Total income, $6,806.06; expenditures, $12,219.48; balance of expenses over income, $6,413.41.

POPULATION, WEALTH AND INDUSTRY.

The population as given by the United States census was as follows:

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The increase per cent. for the last two decades before 1860 was less than in any other State, there being few immigrants from foreign countries.

Vermont is an agricultural State, having thirteen-twentieths of its four millions of acres under improvement. Grass, oats, potatoes, and wheat are the most reliable sources of profit to the farmer. In one or two towns in Orleans county, hops are extensively grown. Dairies are sources of much income. In some of the counties, lands with a rough and rocky surface are well timbered with hemlock and spruce. The increase of railroad facilities and the establishing of lumber companies have doubled the value of timber lands in many places.

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