LEGISLATION.

VERMONT.

Acts passed by the legislature of Vermont, at the October session, 1833.

Ch. 4.-Attachments, Fraudulent. Any subsequent attaching creditor, may, 'on the suggestion of any fraudulent agreement or combination between the debtor and any previous attaching creditor, or that the claim of such previous attaching creditor is illegal or unjust,' appear and defend against the claim of such previous attaching creditor, or any part thereof; but before the subsequent attaching creditor shall be permitted so to appear and defend, he shall be required by the court before which such action is pending, to enter into a recognizance, with sufficient surety, to insure all additional cost, to such previous attaching creditor.'

Ch. 21.-Blind, education of the. An act was passed, appropriating any sum not exceeding $1200, annually for ten years, for the purpose of educating such inhabitants of the state as may be designated by the commissioners of the deaf and dumb, at the New England Institution for the instruction of the blind, in the city of Boston.

Ch. 34.-Bank. mers' Bank at Orwell.

An act was passed to incorporate the Far

Ch. 24.-Bank stock, foreign. The 'act, directing the taxing of foreign bank stock,' passed November, 1831, was repealed.

Ch. 40.-Canada. The executive of the state was requested 'to signify to his excellency the governor of Lower Canada, and his executive officers, the sense of gratitude felt by this legislature, for their cordial and efficient exertions, in apprehending and bringing to justice, the extensive combination of forgers and counterfeiters of American coin and bank bills, that were located within the limits of that province.'

Ch. 33.-Canal. An act was passed to incorporate the Otter Creek and Champlain Canal Company; capital, 150,000 dollars. Ch. 39.-Champlain Lake. A resolution was passed for the appointment of commissioners, to meet such commissioners as may be appointed by the government of Lower Canada, for the purpose of ascertaining the causes of the overflowing of the lands, in this state, on the margin of Lake Champlain; and the governor was requested to renew the correspondence with the governor general of the British Provinces, upon the subject of the obstructions of the outlet of the lake.

Ch. 7.-Censors. An act was passed regulating the choice of a Council of Censors.

Ch. 10.-Crimes. If any person shall wilfully and maliciously kill, cut, wound or maim any cattle, horses, sheep or swine, belonging to any other person, such offender, upon conviction before the county court, shall be fined in a sum not exceeding 300 dollars.

Ch. 3.-Bills of exchange, &c. All bills of exchange and promissory notes, shall be deemed to become due and payable at the times specified therein, without allowing days of grace thereon.'.

Turnpike road companies. Two turnpike road companies were incorporated.

Mill Dam Company. The Ascutney Mill Dam Company was incorporated with a capital of 500,000 dollars, for the purpose of improving the water power of Mill Brook, in Windsor, by the construction of dams, reservoirs, &c.

Manufacturing Companies. Six manufacturing companies were incorporated.

Ch. 12.-Hawkers and Pedlars. An act was passed in addition to the act laying duties on licenses to hawkers and pedlars.' If any person shall forge or counterfeit any such license, or travel with any forged or counterfeit license, for the purpose in said act mentioned,' he shall be deemed guilty of forgery and shall be punished accordingly.

Ch. 22.-Innkeepers, &c. An act was passed relating to retailers of spirituous liquors, directing the mode of obtaining licenses, and regulating houses of public entertainment.

Ch. 20.-Oaths, extra judicial. If any 'person in this state, authorized by law to administer oaths or affirmations, or any person not authorized, as aforesaid, shall administer' to any person in this state, any oath, affirmation, or obligation in the nature of an oath, not authorized by law; or if any person in this state shall knowingly permit any such oath, &c. to be administered to

him, he shall forfeit, for the use of the state, a sum not exceeding $100 nor less than $50. But nothing in this act shall be construed to extend to the administering or taking of any oath or affirmation, to the truth of any affidavit, to be used in support of, or in opposition to, any motion made or to be made, in any suit, pending in any court of law or equity, or before arbitrators, or referees; or to the administering of any oath or affirmation to any arbitrators, referees, or appraisers; or to any affidavit, oath or affirmation, administered or taken for the establishment of truth or the furtherance of justice; or to interfere with, or abridge the powers of any magistrate, in the discharge of his official duty.'

Ch. 23.-Pensioners, Military. No pensioner, under the authority of the Congress of the United States, for military services, making application for the benefit of the poor debtor's oath, shall be prevented from taking such oath, by reason of any money due, or on hand, or thereafter to become due to such pensioner, by virtue of any act of Congress.'

Ch. 17.-Animals, exhibition of. The selectmen, or a majority of them, of any town in this state, shall, in no case, grant permission to any person or persons, to exhibit any living animal, or animals, for a sum exceeding $300, nor less than $50.'

Ch. 28.-State House. An additional sum of $20,000 was appropriated to the erection of the State House at Montpelier.

Ch. 9.-Foreign Attachment. Whenever any executor or administrator in this state shall have in his possession, as executor or administrator, any money, goods, chattels, rights or credits of any person, who shall have absconded from this state, or who shall keep concealed within the same, or of any person residing without this state, any creditor may cause such executor or administrator, to be summoned as trustee, of such person, and the same proceedings shall be had, and the same judgment rendered, as are provided by the act directing the proceedings. against the trustees of concealed or absconding debtors.'

Ch. 25.-Taxation. All lands or buildings 'held, occupied or improved' for the purposes of education, are exempted from taxation.

RHODE ISLAND.

Public Laws of the state of Rhode Island, passed since the session of the legislature in January, 1831.

Agents and Factors. Every person in whose name any mer

chandize shall be shipped, shall be deemed the true owner thereof, so far as to entitle the consignee of such merchandize to a lien thereon, for any money advanced or negotiable note given by such consignee, for the use of the person in whose name such shipment shall be made, and for any money or negotiable security received by the latter for the use of the consignee; provided that such consignee shall not have notice at or before the advancing of any money or security by him, or at or before the receiving such money or security by the person in whose name the shipment shall have been made, that such person is not the actual owner thereof. Any person entrusted with, and in possession of any goods for the purpose of sale, or of any bill of lading, receipt or certificate of a ware-house-keeper or inspector, or any warrant or order for the delivery of goods, shall be deemed to be the true owner of the goods, so far as to give the same validity to his contracts for the sale or disposition of the same, or for the deposit or pledge thereof, as a security for any money or other property advanced, or any negotiable instrument or other obligation in writing, given upon the faith of such goods or documents, as if such contracts had been so made by the bona fide owner; provided that the person so contracted with shall not have notice that the person so entrusted is not the actual and bona fide owner. Any person who shall accept or take any such goods or documents, in deposit or pledge from any such agent, as security for any antecedent debt or demand, shall not acquire thereby any right to such goods, &c. other than was possessed by such agent at the time of the deposit or pledge. There are numerous other provisions in the act of a similar character.

The last section of the act provides that if any such agent or factor shall deposit or pledge any goods or any such document as is before mentioned, which shall have been entrusted or consigned to his care or management, with any person as a security for any money or other property borrowed by such agent or factor, and shall apply the proceeds thereof to his own use, with intent to defraud the owner thereof, he shall, on conviction on indictment before the supreme court, be fined not exceeding $1000, and be imprisoned for a period not exceeding one year, or shall suffer either of said punishments at the discretion of the court; but nothing in this act is to impair any remedy at law or in equity, which any party aggrieved by any offence against this act, might have had against any such offender if this act had not been made; but the conviction of any offender against this act shall not be received in evidence

against him in any action at law or in equity. No person shall be liable to be convicted by any evidence whatever, as an offender against this act in respect of any matter or thing done by him, if he shall at any time previously to his being indicted for such offence, have disclosed such matter or thing, on oath, under or in consequence of any compulsory process of any court of law or equity, in any action, suit or proceeding to which he shall have been a party, and which shall have been, bona fide, instituted by the party aggrieved by the act, matter or thing which shall have been committed by such offender.' p. 750.

Congress, Representatives in. If at any election of representatives in Congress, neither candidate or only one shall have a majority of the votes, and a new election or elections shall be ordered, if two representatives are to be elected, the two candidates having the highest number of the votes given at such election so ordered shall be declared duly elected; and if only one of the candidates shall have such plurality, then he shall be declared duly elected, and another election shall be ordered. p. 808.

Conveyances. So much of the act regulating conveyances of real estate as requires the judge, justice, mayor or notary public, without this state, when taking an acknowledgment of deeds of real estate, situate within this state, to certify the same under his seal, is repealed. p. 479.

Females, imprisonment of. All original writs issued against any female, founded on contract not under seal, shall be writs of summons and not writs of arrest; and no execution shall issue against the body of any female in this state on any judgment founded on contract not under seal, where the debt or damages recovered do not exceed $50. In all such cases, the execution shall issue only against the goods, chattels and real estate of the debtor. But this act is not to affect the remedy on any contract which now exists. p. 772.

Lotteries. No person shall transact business as a vender of domestic lottery tickets, without first obtaining license therefor from the town-council of the town in which he resides or transacts business; which license is to continue in force one year. For a license to sell in Providence the applicant is required to pay $100; but in the other towns of the state, a less sum is required. If any person shall sell any domestic lottery ticket or part of any such ticket without license, he shall forfeit $100 for each ticket or part of such ticket thus sold, for the use of the state. The act also empowers town-councils, upon