The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-02-23
THE SHIRE QUESTION AGAIN.

The Star Of last week has long editorial
upon the County Shire Question" which.
with other articles that have found their way
into tina; and other papers. will be noticed in
our columns hereafter We will now onlv
allude to one or two positions in the article
mentioned
The manner Of the passage of the act Of
removal j. objected to, and i, is assumed that
its passage vas summary, unprecedented and
unexpected by the people. Exactly what j.
meant BY the manner in which it was passed,
We do not quite understand. 1t was a bill
introduced into the Legislature - the body
and tribunal which always did and always
must have the sole control in making, organ
izing and altering Counties. and establishing
their Shire Towns. 1t passed through all the
stages and forms Of legislation that all other
bills ordinarily do, and in the same manner.
How, then, can it be said to be unprece-
denied? 1t is subject, as all admit, which
has been agitatcd for more than twenty years.
Notice was given in each of the papers print
ed in the County previous to the September
election, that such bill would be presented
to the Legislature. On the second ,!ay of
the session, the bill was a.corG;nsly intro
duced into both Houses and referred TO COIN
mittees. At the first sitting The hearing was
postponed nearly week, at The request of
the member from Dan,i,Ic. who subsequently,
appeared with counsel 10 RESTS. tie bill, when
tu! and lengthy hearing was bad before The
committee. In the meantime. both OF the
County papers published the Till at length.
as we'll as the various pr. ccedings of the
Legislature in reference to it; and the bill
did not finally pass TILL very near the close Of
the session. Pray. what was there summary
about the manner Of it. passage: Bat i; was
Unexpected. 1t may have been 10 The wri-
ter Of the article in the SIR, bat probably to
very few others. The raSsa.'c of such law
has been expected 10y "a majority Of the p"o-
pie OF the County for great number of
years. 1t has !o.s been wonder. not only
to the people Of this County. but to those in
I'll parts of the State. that the Shire was
not changed. The people of the Western
part Of the County, and OF Dsnville even, al
though opposed 10 it, have expected it for
the last ten years; and have generally ad-
United that. sooner or LATER. it would be et-
! fected-that il was in fact. mere question
Of time.
But the people are to be- taxed OF course
they are and why rot The Statute al
ways required that each County should build
and keep in repair. 1t TIE cvct,-sa Of m.
County, proper, suitable aad convenient
County Buildings 1t the County is in need
of suitable Cuua'y i'lii,Iing>, As almost cv-
cry body IN the County knows it is. and ha.
been for long 'irir. WHY should they not
build them and Wv should they rot pay
those who turniSi, for them the materials anu
10 the work fo- them: L. is not urced that
these bills must no' l'r paid. buy ii j. SAID that
the expense of the buildings ought 70 be
borne, not by !he C"un', Tor whom they are
built, and who owns ocru.,ie>. and controls
them, but hy few in,ii. i.!uas who harpen
to reside very near where they are erected
We ask, Why? Blu. t!,at is jus. The question
We cannot get answered. simply because
there is no answer for it tha, any one is not
ashamed to give VIA: fairness Justice. or
equity is there in this new born and m N
strous doctrine. which would require that a
very few individuals. on account OF tn" place
Of their present abode, should pay all the
County taxes? Every one ought to Weld 10
the same principle Oh this question that they
90 on ali others; namely. that thc County
Buildings should te located where they Will
best convene the largest nnimbrr interested.
and when that place !s found, there is 10 rea-
son why those living lust around ,h,m >ho"!l
tie at the expense of Their erection that would
not, IT carried ont, impose upon the man who
is to be erected for the use Of a town or a
school district. the burden OF erecting those
buildings. The people OF this County are
amply able to erect :hcir own buildings.
and when they reflect upon the subject thew
will not be so un u>t as to ask others to do it
for them, or even thank them for dong any
such thing.
An esteemed correspondent touches be-
low upon some points Of interest in this con-
troversy not before dwelt upon.
MEssks. EDITORS 1t is not easy to de-
eide whether the recent demonstration on
i" the shire question should be treated as a
mere farce, or as sober reality. Consider
ed as the most ridiculous attempt ever vet
is stolen" it is a farce Of the grossest kind
and provokes to most side shaking laughter
but when regarded, as it should be, as an ef
fort to nuIify a plain ard Ineligible law, the
subject becomes altogether too serious for
laughter. Whom the Gods wish to destroy
they first make mad,' says the old Greek
proverb, and if the converse of the PROPOSE.
ton holds true, it is safe to predict that those
who are so mad as to engage in this attempt
ed notification are in danger of something
worse than merely losing the county seat