Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-02-13

sessions foreuer in the identical old wooden
shell which they occupied, for the last time,
in 1885
The Legislature Of 1905 understood what
they were about and what their powers and
duties were. For thirty years the Legis-
lature of the State had been migratory,
shifting Its place of meeting every year, and
sometimes twice a year. Fourteen sessions
were held at Windsor Eight at Benning
ton Scren at Rutland Four at Weste
mister Three at Manchester Tro at
Newbury Ttco at Middebury one at
each of the following places Charleston
NIL, Norwich, Castleton, Vergennes, Bur
lngton, Danvile. Woodstock The rea-
sons for these many changes do not need to
be dwelt upon. They are apparent enough
to any one acquainted with the early his
tory of the State and who knows what parts
of it became the earliest places for settle
ment. This perpetual shifting about had
become a great and growing Inconvenience.
1t led to losses of Legislative papers, and to
injurious effects in many ways. The people
Of the State had become satisfied that it
was time to have an end put to this annual
wandering of tie legislature from town
to town, and to having all the public Offices
of the state kept in packing boxes.
The common sense view of the act Of
1905 is this The members Of the General
Assembly believe that provision should be
made to end this Legislative moving, and for
sufficient reasons we fix upon Montpelier as
a proper place to provide suitable accommo-
dations. If the Montpelier people or any
other individuals will build satisfactory
resting place. the General Assembly will 20
there, stop its roaming about, and look to no
further change. Nevertheless we know not
in the long future what the wants of the
people may demand. Our State is chiefly
covered with wilderness yet; and the day
may come when some other place than
Montpelier will lie more suitable for the
public convenience. lnasmuch therefore rs
we expect buildings for the State to be fur
nished at the expense of a few individuas-
an unreasonable expectation unless they
have fair chance to get a pecuniary bcnc
fit, indirectly, for that which will have cost
them a direct pecuniary outlay and Il
future legislature may find it expedient for
the public good-we know not how soon,-
to move their sessions elsewhere, we enact
that il that removal is made, those individuals
m mn snI had +in
third section Of the act That was fair
and honorable provision. If the legislature
should see fit to remove the seat Of govern
ment from Montpelier, whatever is then
eQuitably due to individuals according to
the provisions Of that section ought to lie
paid, and we doubt not will he paid But
to assert that the act Of 1905 put it out of
the power of any future legislature to re
move the seat of government from Montrelier,
without breach of honor and good faith
is absurd. Contrariwise, tie act, IN erpresS
terms, fmpHes tie contingency Of a re0oral,
and prorides what shall be done ,chencrcr II
shGH take place.
&C." proceeds to argue that " tile meas
ures adopted hy tho losiei.t"re ~ le2o. -"
on the subject of erecting a ncc State House
at Montpelier, and executed during the
years following, made a contract land saws:
. The continued action of the State. in this
behalf, gave to Montpelier, to the whole ex-
tent of the public faith, perpetual guaran-
tv of possession of the capitol" The first
section of the Act of $50 is as follows:
ga, no, ,,,,,,,,,,,
House at Montpelier
oE,' II :. n" ny ,"'','d NJ n, H'""di As,
fifteen thousand dollars be, and the same is here
Dy appropriated Tor the purpose Of erecting
rcr Of the state is hereby directed to pay sii sum
to the committee to be appointed, as hereinafter
state house. out Of anv MONEYS in the treasury
not otherwise appropriated. P,ou1cd, the inhab-
bef,re the first dav of Jonnary in tbc roor ni
our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty
t,y' s.o I b anu security l." thG
the state the sum of Slj, 900; one half Of said
sum TO- &c Pa'a IN one year ana inc remninIeF in
last mentioned .um shall, also, be raii to said
committee and expended Tor the purpose aiore-
,''' 'y''io' Is Il" III inc "c1 VINO"
''",'''' '''0 l0'"' ~ 4"V'.''"' i"o "'t
',''hoS no ie'ole'oe 70 any FORMER action OF
'no 'Vais'"Vu'o Vi u any 'ouy e'Se' II '"P.''S
''."' '''o '''A'O nus d" ~" ''a'e iiP"'e III
-no"'iV'''!' al" .,'o "vner"i Assembly says
"it' 'i''''1' ''',''' 'o' ',.' H"i l''' u
D'',,'" " '''' V''1 ''''. 'i,'. Ni''o'S ''S eA-
p',''"'' r, '''"'" '.'V in''"2''a,'S u 'H'n'-
r0'l'' W 's'o, '' no '''''S '"''' '''"f' '''
roso ,ritnin a.r.,;n timo !, .r,n H.,
10, !, o. 80 ,naa.n a.,,l - .,''1
,,,,,lo ~.
hooano or No. an,a. ,.;.La,. r,n.snI..;.,,
tio, r. a.-..'o,,,..,,
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