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VERMONT VERNET 319 eluding the year of their service), and wheth- er the legislative and executive branches of government had performed their duty as guar- dians of the people, or assumed to themselves or exercised other or greater powers than they were entitled to by the constitution. They were also to inquire whether the pub- lic taxes had been justly laid and collected in all parts of the commonwealth, in what manner the public moneys had been disposed of, and whether the laws had been duly exe- cuted. For these purposes they had power to send for persons, papers, and records ; they had authority to pass public censures, to order impeachments, and to recommend to the legis- lature the repeal of such laws as should ap- pear to them to have been passed contrary to the principles of the constitution. These pow- ers they had for one year from the day of their election. Thirteen councils of censors were held, the first in 1785 and the last in 1869. The constitutional convention of 1870 passed amendments making the terms of the principal state officers and the sessions of the legislature biennial and abolishing the council of censors. Until 1836 Vermont had no senate. Prior to that time the legislative power was vested in a house of representatives and an executive council, consisting of the governor, lieutenant governor, and 12 councillors chosen for one year by the people. This council, which had been created by the constitution of 1777, prac- tically exercised legislative powers coordinate with the house of representatives. The con- stitution as amended in 1786 provided that all bills originating in the assembly should be laid before the governor and council for their re- vision and concurrence, or proposals of amend- ment ; and in case such proposals of amend- ment were not agreed to by the assembly, the governor and council were empowered to sus- pend the passing of such bills until the next session of the legislature. VERMONT, University of. See BURLINGTON. VERNE, Jnles, a French author, born in Nantes, Feb. 8, 1828. After studying law he wrote plays and operatic pieces, and was for some time secretary of the Theatre Lyrique. In 1863 he became known by his Cinq semaines dans un ballon, a romance based upon the dis- coveries of modern science, and giving with a remarkable appearance of reality fanciful solu- tions of scientific problems. It has been trans- lated into English, as have also his subsequent works of the same character, including "A Journey to the Centre of the Earth," " Twen- ty Thousand Leagues under the Sea," "From the Earth to the Moon," " Dropped from the Clouds," and "The Mysterious Island." One of his most popular works is the Tour du mondeen 80 jours (^ Around the World in Eighty Days"), which was dramatized in 1874, and had a great success at the Porte Saint-Martin theatre, Paris, and in the United States. He has also published with Theophile Lavallee an illustrated geography of France (1867-'8). VERNET, the name of a family of French painters. The records of Avignon for 1669 mention Andre Vernet, a painter. ANTOINE, a decorative painter, two panels by whom are now in the museum of Avignon, was born there in July, 1689, and died Dec. 10, 1753. By his wife, Marie TheYese Gamier, he had 22 children.. An account of the eldest son is given below. Of the others, ANTOINE IGNACE, born June 7, 1726, went to Naples in 1746, and died there before 1775. He was an excel- lent painter of marine subjects, and especially of eruptions of Vesuvius. FRANQOIB GABRIEL, born March 15, 1728, painted religious subjects. One of his pictures is in the church of St. Agricol, Avignon. ANTOINE FRANCOIS, born March 12, 1730, a marine and landscape painter, was appointed painter of the royal buildings, and decorated the chateaux of Versailles, Fon- tainebleau, and Choisy. He died in Paris, Feb. 15, 1779. A daughter, AGATHE FAUBTINE, born June 25, 1723, married Honor6 Guibert, an eminent sculptor, and her children and the children of her brothers mentioned above be- came more or less eminent as painters, sculp- tors, and jewellers. I. Claude Joseph, known as Joseph Vernet, .eldest son of Antoine, born in Avignon, Aug. 14, 1714, died in Paris in De- cember, 1789. He was first instructed by his father, then by able masters at Aix, and his rapid progress interested some wealthy patrons in Avignon, with whose assistance he was sent to Italy in 1734 to study historical painting. The vessel being overtaken by a terrible storm, he was lashed to the mast, and the scene pre- sented to his view decided his career. After a few years he was considered the first marine painter in Europe, and from about 1739 the most distinguished men in Rome were his pa- trons and friends. Painting rapidly, he was yet unable to fill all his orders. In 1745 he married Virginia Parker, the daughter of an Irish emigrant, commander of the pope's gal- leys. He was made a member of the academy of St. Luke, and, with the exception of two visits to Marseilles in 1751 and 1752, remained for 20 years in Italy. In 1753 he returned to France, became a member of the academy of painting, and was commissioned by the king to paint the seaports of France. Travelling from port to port, he finished 15 of the 20 pictures ordered, when the breaking out of war and his disgust with a nomadic life in- duced him to resign the office and settle in Paris. Every crowned head in Europe became his patron, and he labored incessantly until his death. His pictures are scattered all over Eu- rope, and most of them have been engraved. II. Antoine Charles Horace, known as Carle Ver- net, son of the preceding, born in Bordeaux, Aug. 14, 1758, died in Paris, Nov. 28, 1836. On account of his delicate health his father kept him with himself, instructed him in paint- ing, and allowed him great freedom. He be- came passionately fond of horses, and his pic- tures of them were considered masterpieces. 817 VOL. XVI. 21