The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-12-21
GJr Rrgistrr.
For the Register.
Visit to the Capital,

The morning Of the Doth
of November, SO, was exceedingly beau
tiful. The weather was mild and Il blue
haze rested upon the Sky. Sol was rob
ed in uncommon glories. for the season,
and the smile of death played swectly
upon the face of dying autumn.
From our boarding place, we walked
to the steps Of the Capitol and halted
in the vestibule, to inspect two pieces of
brass ordnance, taken from the Germans
by Generals Stark and Warren, at the
battle of Bennington, in l77G Then,
in company with Senator from our
county, we obtained the keys and per.
mission to visit the room containing the
state weights and measures, which are
of brass and highly polished. Thence
VIC asccnded the dome of the Capitol
and took glance at the village. 1t is
surrounded BY an amphithcatrc of hills.
and is nestled very quietly in their en-
brace The Onion River. and tribu.
tary which unitcs at this place, afford
good hydraulic privileges. which are
quite we'll improved The place num-
bers abou, 5000 inhabitants.
This was our first visit to The Capitol
of our own State, and We arc happy to
say that the State House will suffer
nothing, in comparison with six or eight
which we have visited in other States.
The building is a fine granite structure,
and cost S lj0 600
The rrcscn: session Of the Lcgsla-
turc is somewhat remarkable. 1t will
prove to be the longest ever held in the
Statc-thc most expensive (about $685.
000), and VIC opiuc the least valuable,
uulcss there is value in knowing the
character of the party in power. OF
the whole 2i3 members which comprise
both houses, about 100 are wings, 100
democrats, and the remainder frecsoilcrs.
who Of course held the balance of pow
er. Had they been true in every in
stance tc their trust, they would have
won golden honors and lasting famc.-
AS it is, two thirds bascly sold them
selves to other parties, and hence De-
mocracy and Rum are rife, aud the star
Of Justice and Liberty is wading under
bank of clouds for the present. y
gainst the immortal sixteen, who stood
to their post, VIC have no accusations to
bring. They uobly defended their priu-
ciplcs and party Let them be honora-
bly, remembered.
Two weeks were spent at the com
menccment of the session in base at.
tcmpts at log.rolliug An instance was
told us, Of the means used to effect par
ty ends. Three Democrats concluded
they could buy over certain liberal
whig, by treating him gcncrous y on gin
cocktails They even fclt sure that
they could carry their point and secure
his vote. So at it they went. and in the
course Of two bours, Mcy had become
drunk, instead of him, aud after taking
off his boots and toastng his feet, he left
them, and voted the whig ticket for gov
crnor.
The Democrats were prOfuso in their
offers. to divide the offices with those
who would desert their party aud come
over to them. Many were tempted with
the hattcring bait, and went over. They
now see their folly. BY their election of
a Governor, who, it is said, is strongly
welded 10 his cups, and by the repeal of
our excellent prohibitory liquor law in
the House, the present party in power
show themselves to be party fully bent
on carly weaving their winding sheet
right carly digging their otherwise pre-
mature grave.
We must not forget to mention one
Mathcwson, from Mendon, who repre-
sent a rum town. lie is decidedly a
literary curiosity ty-hIs equal cannot prob
ably be found in all North America lie
is great sticklcr for libcrtcc as he en-
phatically pronounces the shibboleth of
the party. lie declares that it is high
time, that the people were 1'rosmadcd
not to SUrcHdcr their liberiecs. and lie
down like cattle ON railroad tract and
be plowed into by every temperance
bull-gine that comes believing along -
His zeal is unbounded. Several wags
in the House have possessed him with
the idea that he is the orator of the day,
and that unless he throws himself into
the breach, many important bill will be
utterly lost. lie swallows the hattery
and rises in importance in his own osti-
nation daily. His gestures remind one of
4 huge windmill in storm. We under
stood that he had several times been ae-
cused of having common sense, but our
own opinion is, that if he were fairly
tried, be would be triumphantly aequit-
ted
The Senate Chamber is a beautiful
room, and ornamentcd with a splendid
painting of Judge WILLIAMS, at fnll
length bv Mason A Senator from Or