Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-10-04
From The Boston Courier.
VERMONT & MASSACHUSETTS
RAIL ROAD.
Hon. AnBorr LAwRENoE.


side on Friday last; and learning that the
claims of the Keene route were presented with
great earnestness and force, | take the liberty
Of stating in this note, the points which |
should have urged in opposition TO that route,
II had been present. In the first place, they
have no charter for railroad to keene from
our Legislature, and the claim Of that route is
virtually claim for delay for one year, and
that without any assurance that charter can
be obtained; so that postponement for year
may prove an indefinite postponenlent. But
there are four other distinct reasons, which, il
! had been present, should have felt COM
peeled to urge against the Keene route.
l. The Brattleboro route is designed 10 ac-
commodate our own citizens, and TO build up
interests in our own State. Though have
no desire to iniurc, but wish to benefit, the
good people of New Hampshire, when their
claims come in competition with the claims of
our own citizens, and all other things are equal,
IL is no want of patriotism, but the dictate OF
that virtue, TO provide first Tor the wants oil
our own people. The route from Fitchburg
TO Bratteboro will accommodate at least $4,000
of the population OF our own state; whereas
the route to Keene will not accommodate
single town in Massachusetts, which cannot
be as well accommodated on the other route
The only town that could be thought OF, as an
exception to this remark, is Winchendon; but
If the Brattleboro road should be constructed
oSOD.as
modaie that town Just as well as though the
road were continued through Keene. The
route TO Brattleboro is to be preferred, because
il will accommodate large amount of our own
people, which the Keene route will not.
g. The Brattleboro route is preferable, be-
cause il will furnish the greatest amount of
business. Bv striking the Connecticut as low
down ss Greenfield or Mortified, you will Sc
cure the trade above; whereas, you intersect
the river at Bellows Falls you lose the business
of Brattleboro and the towns below. There
is also mofepopulation on the Br aitieboro route
than on the Keene; more business at present,
and vastly more water power unmproved,
which would be brought into use by the road.
8. The laws of New Hampshire are great
objection to the Keene route. have nothing
to say about the policy of New Hampshire; it
may be wise. But so far as it relates to en-
terprises of this character, it certainly throws
very great obstacles in their way. In the first
place, the charter of the Kcene road in New
Hampshire, forbids the corporation to occupy
or use any lands for the road, without the con-
sent of the owner. This would put il into the
power of any individual, whose land should lay
across the route, to stop the enterprise alto
gether, unless the corporation would pay him
any exhorbitant sum which he might choose 10
exact Besides, New Hampshire laws, as
UNDERSTOOD hold the private property of the
stockholders liable for all the debts of the cor
poration. And add to all this, the Keene char
A Ter contains provision, that the Legislature
of New Hampshire may alter or repeal the
AZ charter, whenever they please. With laws
creating this unlimited personal liability laws
which put the corporation, in the hrst place,
completely into the hands of the landholders on
the route, and ever after, at the mercy oil tne
legislature, / think prudent capitalists would be
unwilling to take the stock. Suppose that the
legislature of New Hampshire should take il
into their heads TO impose a tax OF hity cents
or one dollar per head upon every passenger
passing over the road, as the state OF Maryland
has done on the road between Baltimore ant
Washington-whch, by the very terms of thu
Keene charter, they would have right to dc
this would destroy the income of the road
by subecting the corporation to heavy tax
"A for which they could have no other remunera
ton than by an increase of their fare, which
would drive travel from the road. | cast ne
reflection upon New Hampshire legislation
They are sovereign, and can do as they please
But when they invite us to become subject t
their laws, we have an undoubted right 10 de
cline the invitation.
4. There is serious objection to the rout,
ITSELF The friends of that route have publish
ed report of survey OF the route, which
confess deals more in generatities than any re
port of the kind | have ever seen. But brie
as the report is, we learn that the route con
tains many bad features. Speaking of tn
Fitzwilliam summit, the report says, "som
rock excavation will be encountered in passing
round the points Of the hills on this part OF tn
route; the largest amount, however, will b
found in cutting through the ridge near III
house of Abel Algier. The cut through thi
ridge, is about 100 feet long, varying from tou
10 sirteen feet deep; nearly all thts D,H b
rock" Speaking Of the route below Sibey'
Factory, in Troy to the Keene valley; the re
port says, ga large portion Of this part Of IN
route passes oper very rough, broken ground
requiring heavy amount of ercaUatton an
embanknient; rock cuttings ,ciH be encounter
ed al several points along this line" or tn
81 Surry summit, il says, "the cut at the SUNNI
varies from o5 to 40 feet deep, for diSta'c
of 5000 feet, and from 10 TO % feet for Gbot
1000 feel, some portions of Which sciu ur
dotbIediu be rock. This cut is rendered diJ
fcuh and e1pensipe in consequence of N
large amount of pater sohich collects from n
# hills on each side, ind passes off through IN
valIey Further on, the report says, "lroI
Granger's mills, the line passes by suceessio
of curues, along the high grounds, &c. TIL
part OF the route is rendered enpensiUe in COZ
81 sequence Oft rough, broken character Of u
ground oper Which ii passes. The line in /
course from the summit, crosses several dee
rGpines, requiring high embankments, and
greater amount Of expensive maSonry TIA
amy other part of The route"
1.-THE foregoing description be correct, as v
have no reason to doubt, the route is lar fro
being a desirable one. The report tells us,
conclusion, that, Son about three.fourths
the whole distance, curUed lines tUtH De r
0etred; the rad of curveture varies from on
iheusand 10 three thousand feet, and general
exceeds fourteen hundred. There are fo,
s.. y:H<.n~f s.,s,.asfs uacsad over on fhia rOut