Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-03-13
Speech of Mr.. Spencer, of Castlet0n.
Reported for the Free Press

committee of the whole to consider the Gov
ernor Message and sundry petitions resolu
tions and bills on the subject of the stat
House, Mr.. Spencer Of Castleton, addressc
the committee as f6ll0ws:
For the last two days without execution
every gentleman who has addressed thi
committee on the part of the friends o
Montpclicr-and they are manv,-has ha,
more or less to say in relation to the posi-
tion which took and the reasons which
urged why the capitol should be remove,
from Montpelier. | them as now, wished (,
put this question upon the broad ground o
public policy. without any reference t. tl,
WISHES or the interest Of this or that town
believing that we are bound as Legislation,
to consult Onlythe best interest, Of the State
both Tor the present and prosprctivcly. | sal,
had been the subject Of attack from every
part OF the committee in the interest oI
Montpclier; not only have been attacked
and mlsreprescntcd in relation to what
said when | addressed the committee ON II
lormcr occasion, but more unkinl than all
the gentleman from Barnard, Mr.. Cheney,
has attacked me with Ilattery. That gentle
man, SIR, in a manner all his own, charac.
terlzed several gentlemen upon this floor
as representing and resembling some Of the
most distinguished men Of this or any other
age We have, he says, our Calhoun. our
Clay, our Patrick llenry-and though last
not least, our Daniel Webster. The humble
and unpretending individual now ADDRESSING
you he says represents the latter and
he has specified the particulars in which the
resemblance holds good, Now sir, without
admitting or denying the truthiulness of the
gentleman comparisons, must be allowed
on this occasion to saythat Notwithstanding
all the shots from batteries of great guns and
little guns which have iecn aimed at mo the
heavy artillery Of the gentlemen from Brat
tleboro, from Woodstock, from Montrclicr.
and from Waterbury. and the small shot
from the gentleman from Barnard, | can
even yet say in the language Of the great
man to whom by the gentleman from Bar
nard have improperly been compared, that
Il STILL LIVE
said that IN the settlement of this dues-
tion by the Legislature of this State in
lS32, the political element of anti-masonrv
had much to do on this point. The gentle
man from Waterbury has taken issue with
me, and he undertakes to sustain his no.
sition by the journal of that session.
which shows that several members who are
known to have been anti-maSOns. voted to
locate the capital at Burlington But sir.
tins proves nothing. The government Of
the State was in the hands Of anti-mnson
aud every gray h"ndcd man must rcmom' cr
thit tn" location of the capitol at that time
at Montpelier. wa ,'regirdod. and charged at
the time to he an antimaspnic measure -
Burlington was sli! - he the head quarters
of the Old Hand Maid. and the fact that
here and there antImnsons voted for tlo
location at burlington proves nothing +, thc
contrary. But the gentleman saws that
even an antimason from Castlcton voted for
Burlington It's true that the Rorres-nta
tive from Castcton voted for Blrlin,ton g.
but sir, he was not suspected of heinz an
antimason. No sir. SeMh II. Merrill never
sympathiscd with that panty. But sir it is
true that distinrui>hod gentleman r,om
Castlcton, a member of the Council, Hon,
Ximri Howe. a permanent and lcaI,ng mom.
bcr of that partv. rave his vote for Manrro-
lier So much for that. | do not contend
that all who were known as antimasons voted
for Montpelicr. Some undouhtedlv were
instructed by their constituents to vote for
Burlington, and with Others the hest inter.
csts of the State were considerations Of
gre. ..tcr consequence than mere Marty tios
Why. sir. how was it in lS53.-i in tie rr,at
strnrrlc 70 renc,I tLc probihi,,r, ;"n".
Iawi II il not doniod that ths, ,,.a,
measure Of tho po,nonra,;,, ,,r,,. t -. "
their honor be it said. there were mon Of
of that party who, looking at the hest and
dearest interests Of the Sat-" " y"toJ oa,;n.t ;''
repeal. conspicuous am,ru Whom was tho
from tbe t town ' nt F-irC,y C''" ""S the
Arain it is s1id Lv tLa rcmt'o,r fran,
W +orlnr,, tL,t a., H., S.,, ~. . n
Iinrton non had tbair rncLats inl.oi
WrlI sir dn moi Lnou, os tI';s J>,' I,
or, LaI, rrn,n unnt,..i;a .''a was ,' "'',, -!
hngton Rnt sir ,r,II ,o+ t,La ,h, ,;'',
Of tLe C,n,;t,ont 70 disos '.t ,i'n'
t,,n;n tho ,,nntla,,a,, '-'f "
rntrograd;rg tnn,. ,,,,,;,, ~ '''
truth n, tL;s chor,,o Lmt IL, e;
NAV rcrc,nhor ,I 'I 80 wv
shril wnistIe Of tLo Irar II,rso ns al,. '"t
viii Lghtnin, s,o,i :, d., l'''Gs' ~,
tr,;n rnnr nr,i,oat ,,D',. wo-i i" '.'
vonr iron rnur NI,riio o1 " 1on, 'ui lay
The mnrlet nav sir as Won " aro ",n 3tuve iu