Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-02-06
For the Standard.
The State House.

or repairing the State House, necessarily
brings the subject of location again before
the people and to my mind this Is
matter of much importance to the State ;
and one worthy of the grave consideration
of the people of Orleans County, especial
ly to the Representatives who are called
upon to soon take part in the settlement
of questions, calculated to have an i'm
important bearing upon the interests OF
the State for long years TO come.
Upon the question of location L
have my own opinions founded on what
appears to be conclusive reasons why the
location should be changed from Mont
pelier to Burlington.
entertain no feelings of hostility to
the interests af Montpelier, and have no
interest in the question other than such
as are common to the people of this Coun-
ty, and without attempting to argue it,
simply design to call attention to the sub
Iject by stating few fthe reasons which
present themselves to my mind in favor
Burlington.
When Montpelier was fixed upon for
the location of the State House which
has been recently destroyed, it was not
without a strong feeling in various parts
of the State that the location should have
been at Burlington, and if I rightly re-
member the fact, the majority in favor of
Montpelier was very small, and even
some Of those who favored a location at
that time, admitted that there were in
their own minds strong objections to
overcome, among which was the cir
cumscribed position of the place, ever
difficult Of access from the surrounding
country, contracted in its limits, shut in
by the surrounding hills-the atmosphere
cold and humid in winter, hot and OPP
pressive for the want of a free circulation
Of air in summer-ehangeable with an
atmosphere loaded with fever miasma in
the fall, making the place unhealthy,
causing much sickness among the unae-
climated members of the Legislature.
But notwithstanding the numerous
natural and physical objections, sympathy
for the interests Of the people of Mont
pelier and the plea of its central locality
prevailed and an expenditure Of $685.
900, or more made to erect the building,
which when completed evidently disap-
pointed the expectations of the warmest
advocates Of the Montpelier location, not
that the building was not well designed
and well executed, but its symetry was
destroyed and the whole superstructure
dwarfed in appearance by Its close prox-
unity to the surrounding hills which over
Swallowed it.
Since the location Of the capitol at
Montpelier, important changes have been
going on and now the center of business
and the leading points of travel seem to
designate Burlington as the point at
which majority Of the population ofthe
State would be best accommodated.
It would appear that Chittendon, Frank
lin, Addison, Rutland, Bennington, Grand
Isle, and portions of Windham, Lamoille
and Orleans Counties, would be better ac-
commOdated by a location at Burlington
than at Montpelier; and it is now sup
posed by many that the aggregate mile
age of members of the Legislature
would be reduced rather than increased
by the proposed change.
Then, again, nature has fixed a mark
ed cOntast between the two places. At
Montpelier, State House must ever be
shut out from view from the surrounding
country or looked down upon from the
top of the surrounding hills while Bur-
ington seems to have been fitted by ma
ture to be the seat Of the capitol, its broad
area and gentle slope towards the wa
tiers of Lake Champlain, its lake nayi-
cation and its railroad facilities must ever
make 1t conspicuous point-presenting
natural facilities over any other place in
Vermont for the erection ofa State House
and would, when taken in connection with
the surrounding scenery, be a credit and
an ornament to the State.
The location of State House is not
the question of day, or year, but for |
long time TO come.
1 have said changes had been going on
untavorable to location at MONTPELIER
andithese changes must continue TO 90 on,
making the contrast still more marked.
So, too. with the people of Montpelier
while we deplore the loss of the State |
House, and sympatise with her people in
their disappointment, by the shadow that
the event has cast over their pecuniarv |
interests, we can but feel that thai 60.