A message was received from the House of Representatives by Mr. Stickney, their Clerk, as follows: MR. PRESIDENT: I am directed to request the Senate to return to the possession of the House joint resolution providing for Joint Assembly this afteruoon at three o'clock. Mr. Gilmore moved that the Senate return to the possession of the House agreeably to their request joint resolution providing for a Joint Assembly at three o'clock this afternoon. And it was agreed to. A message was received from the House of Representatives by Mr. Stickney, their Clerk, as follows: MR. PRESIDENT : I am directed to inform the Senate that the House have on their part considered joint resolution from the Senate for Joint Assembly this afternoon at three o'clock, and have adopted the same in concurrence with proposal of amendment, in the adoption of which the concurrence of the Senate is requested. The hour having arrived for a meeting of the two Houses in Joint Assembly, the Senate repaired to the Hall of the House of Representatives. Having returned therefrom, a joint resolution providing for a Joint Assembly at three o'clock this afternoon : Was taken up, having been returned from the House with a proposal of amendment as follows: By striking out the words three o'clock," and inserting in lieu thereof the words two o'clock and fifteen minutes. Which was concurred in. On motion of Mr. Bingham, the Senate adjourned at eleven o'clock and forty-five minutes. AFTERNOON. A message was received from the House of Representatives by Mr. Merrill, their Assistant Clerk, as follows: MR. PRESIDENT: I am directed to inform the Senate that the House have on their part adopted joint resolutions as follows: Joint resolution providing for appointment of a Joint Committee to canvass votes for County Officers. Joint resolution providing for the appointment of a Joint Committee to canvass votes for members of Congress. In the adoption of which the concurrence of the Senate is requested. Joint resolutions from the House of Representatives as follows: Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, That a Joint Committee consisting of one Senator and three Representatives from each county, be appointed upon nomination of the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively, to canvass votes given in the several Congressional districts and declare those persons having a majority of all the votes cast in said districts, respectively, to be elected Representatives, to represent this State in the Congress of the United States. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, That a Joint Committee to consist of one Senator and three members of the House of Representatives from each county be appointed to receive and examine the certificates of the votes given in each county, for Assistant Judges of the County Court, Sheriff, High Bailiff, State's Attorney. and Judges of Probate for each Probate District for the two years next ensuing. Also, to receive and examine the certificates of the votes given in the several towns for Justices of the Peace for the two years next ensuing; to ascertain and declare the persons duly elected to said offices, and report the said election to the General Assembly agreeably to the provisions of the Constitution. Were read and adopted in concurrence. The hour having arrived for a meeting of the two Houses in Joint Assembly, the Senate repaired to the Hall of the House of Representatives. Having returned therefrom, Mr. Boyden offered the following resolution, which was read and adopted: Resolved, That a Committee of three Senators be appointed to inform the Hon. Samuel E. Pingree of his election of Lieutenant Governor, and conduct him to the bar of the Senate to receive the oath of office. The President appointed as the committee under the foregoing resolution, The committee appointed to wait upon the Lieutenant Governor appeared at the bar of the Senate, accompanied by His Honor Samuel E. Pingree, who received and subscribed the oath of office required by the Constitution, and upon taking the chair addressed the Senate as follows: Gentlemen of the Senate:-The freemen of the State having called' me to the duty of presiding over the deliberations of this honorable body of legislators, I take this, my first opportunity, to return to them, through you, my grateful acknowledgements for their approbation of my manner of citizenship thus far, and for this gratifying expression of their confidence in me. The duties of presiding over deliberative assemblies are wholly new to me, and my observance of their procedure is limited to the period of my presence here, since your organization, yesterday morning. can, therefore, only give to you at this time my assurance of a constant and earnest purpose and effort on my part to fulfil the duties of the high trust that has been cast upon me, with frankness, with fairness and with impartiality; that I will in accordance with the letter and spirit of the oath which I have just received, faithfully, according to my best judgment and ability, do equal right and justice to all ́men, according to the law. The law which is to guide me in the performance of my duties here, as well as you, in your deliberations is to be looked for, and found in the code of rules of procedure enacted or adopted by yourselves. To understand those rules better and to rightfully interpret and administer them in accordance with their true intent and meaning, and to progress in gathering up and eliminating a rightful comprehension and application of the same, as you deliberate here from day to day, will be my zealous care and endeavor. With this purpose uppermost in all that I may do here, and with a historical knowledge. of the proverbial courtesy and magnanimous bearing of the Senators of our State in the past toward those who have been called under the law to preside here, I assume the duties of this chair with far less of distrust than it were otherwise possible for me to do. I do, therefore, for the high character and dignity of this body as well as for the best interests of our State, invoke your assistance and your charitable forbearance in my efforts to keep in the direct line of right, of justice and of parliamentary law, in all that pertains to my duties with you. With these intentions on my part, supplemented by your cordial assistance, I confidently hope and trust that your deliberations here may tend to perpetuate that dignity and despatch of business which has, in years past, so signalized this, as well as the co-ordinate branch of the General Assembly of our honored State. Thanking you, Senators, for your courtesy through these remarks, I assume the duties of the chair and await your pleasure. The President then announced the appointment of C. B. F. PALMER of New Haven, as official reporter of the Senate. The President laid before the Senate the following communication from His Excellency the Governor : STATE OF VERMONT. EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, } To the President of the Senate: SIR-I have the honor to inform the Senate that I have appointed George W. Wales, Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs, and that I will transmit the Biennial Executive Message at a quarter before three o'clock this afternoon. JOHN L. BARSTOW. A message was received from His Excellency the Governor, by Mr. Wales, Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs, as follows: MR. PRESIDENT: I am directed by the Governor to deliver to the Senate the Biennial Executive Message to the General Assembly. The President laid before the Senate the Biennial Executive Message, which was read by the Secretary, as follows: Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Representatives: It is one hundred and five years since our fathers, while surrounded with dangers and enemies, established the " Constitution of this Commonwealth," under and by the provisions of which successive legislatures have met without let or hinderance, and in pursuance of whose provisions we have now assembled as the "trustees and servants" of the people to execute certain requirements of existing statutes, and to enact such laws as are necessary for the good government of the State." Having sworn to support this Constitution, let us give our attention to the important duties of our trust with the same scrupulous care and fidelity that we would exercise in the management of a private estate committed to our charge, and bring them to a close at such early time as the interests of the State will permit. We meet under most favorable circumstances. General health and peace, bountiful harvests, fair business prosperity, ample demand and reward for labor, absence of debt, faithful and zealous State officers, are among the blessings that crown the close of the past bi-ennial term. Our first thought should be thankfully to recognize these and all other favors of Divine Providence, and devoutly to supplicate their continuance. Yet our congratulations at this time are clouded by the remembrance that within the present year we have lost two of our most distinguished and highly honored citizens. The death of John Pierpoint, who for so many years adorned the highest judicial office in our State, and of the eminent scholar and diplomate, George P. Marsh, who has filled many positions of responsibility in this Commonwealth and Nation, is cause of deepest sorrow. Not since the death of Senators Foot and Collamer have we been called to mourn the loss of men who have rendered the State such distinguished service. The Governor is directed by the Constitution to prepare and lay before the General Assembly such business as may appear to him necessary, but under our bi-ennial, one term system, the newly-elected executive has but slight opportunity to become acquainted with the needs of the State either by an examination of the reports of its officers for the previous fiscal year, or by any official knowledge of the operation of the laws. This disadvantage is, however, greatly obviated by the custom on the part of retiring Governors of sending to the Legislature a farewell message. They have deemed it proper in each case to offer an excuse for so doing, but its benefits are so obvious that I suggest it be made a duty. |