Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-03-06
Correspondence Of the Free Press.
From Montpelier.
MONTPELIER. Feb. .

MONTPELIER, Feb. 20.
SPEECH OF MR. PrERPoINT OF ADDISON Co.
Mr.. Plerpoint in the Senate Tuesday
afternoon took up the asserted legal or
moral claim that Montpelier was said to
have to be continued as the capital. lie
discussed the acts of 1905 and 1882 and
showed that they left the legislature per-
iectly at liberty to remove the seat of gov
ernmcnt whenever it saw proper to do so.-
The $4,000 which Montpelier peop, paid
towards the erection of the new building
they expected to get back and they did get
it back in the profits dispensed among them
rom the large expenditure, in the construc-
ton, and since that time they had received
their money many times over from the
annual expenditure of legislative sessions.
There was no legal or moral obligation on the
legislature to continue their sittings here.
II was idle to pretend it.
lie proceeded to show how faulty the build
ing was for its intended purposes. 1t had all
! got to come down and be enlarged if rebuilt.
Moreover it was necessarily damp during
the session, and it was impossible to have it
otherwise on that foundation. The ground
behind it. and the rock on which it stood
were always damp from the springs of water
coming out from the hill behind it. More
over its confined position and its separation
from the line Of travel was very injurious
To talk of its being good location for
State House was contrary to the common
sense of mankind. The mountains of Yer
mont, so much spoken of, could not even be
seen from it; it was not a house on a noun
tain, but a house under hill
The State intends now to build n conye-
nient and beautiful structure at cost of
from 800 900 to $3.50 900, and the credit
and honor of the State demanded that it
should be placed where it would meet the
eye of the world. geographical centre,
so much spoken Of. was of no conceivable
consequence unless it was the most conve-
nient as a whole. Burlington was one side
of the State but that was no objection,
if it was most convenient. lie then pro-
ceeded to show that it manitestly is So
The lines of travel and the natural convent
ence made it so. AS the Senator of Lamoille,
Mr.. Hotchkiss, had shown, III members
usually go to Montpelier through Bur
lington, or within six miles of there, and
many Others can go that way just as conven-
iently as another Those who cross the
centre of the State to get to Montpelier will
be very little incommoded by gong on to
Burlington. Taking all things into account
no other place in the State :" 90 soil -i.""
ted in that respect. lie alluded to the re-
diculous and absurdly false statements of
Fitch, the travelling Consumption Doctor,
about the people and their modes Of life at
Burlington Burlington was as healthy a
place as any in the State, and the quality
of its soil made it favorable and pleasant to
the walker to an uncommon degree. and no
where we're the people more noted for their
intelligence and hospitality Its scenery
was Vermont Scenery the magniicence OF
the Vermont Mountains on Its grandest
scale was ever present to the eye, and the
beauty of her own Lake scenery no less so.
1t was well for those who said it was more
New York than Vermont in its influences
to remember that the men whose resolu-
tion and bravery rescued Vermont from the
power of New York and to whom the State
owed her very existence, were not dwellers
in the central part Of the State, but in that
region on the borders Of Lake Champain
In reference to the suggestion of the Senator
Al, a. 10, 4
to the capital from British invasion, he sale
men who had no fears to place their owl
residences near the Lake were not likely t
have any fears for the public buildings.
Mr. Benton Of Essex had said, in arguing
for a location at Montpelier, that the Stat
House ought not to 60 to Burlington be
cause it would be detrimental to Middle
, bury college alluding to that, Mr.. Pierpoin
said he regretted exceedingly to hear any al
: luson to the literary institutions of tn
State in connection with this question. |
was doing them great wrong They ha
r nothing to do with the location of the Stat
House any way nothing could be more in
> furious than to imply that they had.
/ was impossible to conceive of any thin
which would more lastingly make the insti
9 tution at Burlington or that at Middlebur.
odious in the eyes of large portion of tn
: State, than an attempt on the part of eithe
y. to influence the decision of the question. A
e to any benefit to an institution of learnin
y from having state house in its vicinit,
every one knows that there were influence
h about a legislative body which no discre
g father would wish to have his sons expost
= to. lie had sons and perhaps lie light ser
g them to college, but the last place whe
II he would send them, would be to COLLIE
g near to a legislature, unless there were cou
tervailing reasons of impor tance Il
-, - Committee arose and had leave by the Sena
el to sit again.
= Core spuudeucc of the Free Press.
Fran Mautuplipr.