representative of the town of Georgia, without producing his credentials; Which members, so admitted, were thereupon duly sworn. The Secretary of State directed the House to the election of Speaker for the year ensuing; and the ballots having been taken and examined by the tellers, it appeared that JOHN W. STEWART, the representative of the town of Middlebury, had received a majority of the votes cast, and he was declared duly elected. The Secretary of State designated Mr. Hebard and Mr. Clark to wait on the Speaker elect, inform him of his election, and conduct him to the chair, who performed the duty assigned to them. The Speaker was thereupon duly sworn, when he addressed the House as follows: GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES : I am deeply sensible of the honor conferred in selecting me to preside over your deliberations. For this expression of your confidence and good will towards myself I thank you. My only regret is, that I do not bring to the discharge of the grave and delicate duties thus imposed upon me, a riper experience. I accept the position with a confident reliance upon that spirit of courteous and generous forbearance which this House has uniformly extended to its presiding officer. I assure you that I shall constantly and earnestly aim to conduct your deliberations, and perform the various duties incumbent upon me, with strict impartiality, and with due regard to the honor and interest of the State. If I shall fail to meet your entire approval, I hope at least to escape deserved censure. I can hardly forbear an allusion to the auspicious change in our national affairs which has transpired since your last annual session. Armed rebellion has been quelled. War, with its attendant miseries and devastations, has ceased. The grand armies, whose mighty tread thundered across the states, are dissolving and rapidly but quietly resolving themselves into the elements of peaceful industry. The authority and supremacy of our National Government, and the integrity of the Union, are triumphantly vindicated, and we may venture to trust, re-established upon the eternal basis of truth and justice. With profound gratitude to our heroic defenders in the field, and with devout thankfulness to the benificent Providence which has safely guarded and guided us through our manifold perils, and with humble reliance upon Divine aid, let us address ourselves to the business of the session, with that diligent deliberation which will ensure a speedy and profitable performance of our labors. Mr. Daniel B. Fay presented his credentials as the representative of the town of Williston, took the oaths of office, and was thereupon admitted to his seat in the House. The Speaker directed the House to the election of Clerk for the year ensuing, and the vote being taken, by rising, it appeared that JOHN H. FLAGG, of Wilmington, was unanimously elected to that office; and he was thereupon duly sworn. The Speaker laid before the House a communication from the President of the Senate, as follows: STATE OF VERMONT, Senate Chamber, Montpelier, Oct. 12, 1865. To the Speaker of the House of Representatives: } I have the honor to inform you that the Senate have elected Henry Clark, of Poultney, as Secretary, and Joseph P. Lamson, of Cabot, as Assistant Secretary, for the year ensuing. PAUL DILLINGHAM, President of the Senate. A message was received from the Senate, by Mr. Clark, their Secretary, as follows: MR. SPEAKER: I am directed to inform the House that the Senate have organized, and are ready, on their part, to proceed with the business of the session. The Senate have appointed as the committee, on their part, to canvass the votes for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Treasurer: The Speaker administered to the members of the House the oath to support the Constitution of the United States. The Speaker directed the House to the provisions of the Constitution, requiring the members to subscribe the oaths of office, and the members proceeded to subscribe thereto; pending which, On motion of Mr. Wilson, the further subscription of said oaths was postponed till an adjournment of the House. Mr. Brown, of Vernon, offered the following resolution : Resolved, That the House dispense with the usual method of electing a Chaplain, and that the Rev. Messrs. Aaron G. Pease of Norwich, H. P. Cushing of Barton, Lewis A. Dunn of Fairfax, H. R. Stevens of Guildhall, and Jonathan Woodman of Wheelock, members of this House, be constituted a Chaplaincy, and that they alternate in its duties during this session, and that they jointly receive the same pay as Chaplain ; Which was read and adopted. Mr. Robinson, of Highgate, offered the following resolution : Resolved, That the rules of the House for the last session be adopted as the rules of this House at its present session, until otherwise ordered; Which was read and adopted. Mr. Hebard offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the Clerk inform the Senate that the House has completed its organization, and is prepared to proceed to the business of the session; Which was read and adopted. Mr. Waite offered the following joint resolution : Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, That the Clerk of the House be directed to procure for the use of members and officers of both Houses, seven hundred copies of a Legislative Directory; four hundred copies to contain the Constitutions of this State and of the United States, and the Manual of Parliamentary Practice, published in the Directory of 1864, to be bound in cloth, and three hundred copies to be bound in paper; Which was read, and adopted on the part of the House. Mr. Pratt, of Woodstock, offered the following resolution: Resolved, That each member of the House forward immediately to the Clerk, on a slip of paper prepared by him for that purpose, his name, in full, town and county, number of seat, boarding-place, with number of room, the name of newspaper he elects to take during the session, with the designation where to be delivered, to enable the Clerk to make up the Legislative Directory and to distribute the papers ordered; Which was read and adopted. Mr. Waite offered the following resolution : Resolved, That the Clerk be directed to furnish each member and officer of the House with one daily newspaper, printed in the State, to be selected by the members and officers; Which was read and adopted. Mr. Pease moved that a committee of three be appointed by the Chair, to inform his Excellency, the Governor, of the organization of the House, and that the House is ready to receive any communication he may be pleased to make; Which motion was agreed to; and thereupon the Speaker appointed as such committee Mr. Pease of Norwich, On motion of Mr. Lane, of Cornwall, the House adjourned. AFTERNOON. Mr. Pease of Norwich, from the committee appointed by the Chair to inform his Excellency, the Governor, of the organization of the House, Reported that they had performed the duty assigned them, and that the Governor purposed to transmit his Annual Message to the General Assembly, at two and one-half o'clock this afternoon. Mr. Keith offered the following joint resolution: Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, That both Houses meet in Joint Assembly, at eleven o'clock to-morrow morning, to hear the report of the committee ap pointed to canvass the votes for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Treasurer; Which was read, and adopted on the part of the House. The Speaker nominated, and the House appointed, the following named members to constitute the committee, on the part of the House, to canvass votes of the freemen of the State for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Treasurer, for the year ensuing; and they were thereupon duly sworn, namely: Addison County Mr. Holland of Panton, Bennington County. Mason of Readsboro, Wheeler of Winhall, ee ୧୧ Parmalee of Bristol, Humphrey of Burke, Caledonia County |