Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1857-10-23
WHOLE NO. 1862.

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al personal injuries and losses and he stated that on
his road there had never been loss injury that
could have been prevented by human foresight
Mr. Colby Of Hartand had examined the report Of the
commissioner submitted yesterday and could no, find
anything worth the thousand dollars per salary
and nothing It, An the facts could as well have
from the roads the Auditor. and be published By
him, thus saving tho commissioners salary As to all
the difficulties assigned for having a commits
sioner-as 70 baggage checks, connections, &o.,-he
would only say that all these difficulties have existed dur
ing The last years under the commissioner lie has
not cured them.
Mr. olmstead Of Bridport said the Legislature should
meet the difficulties Of Railroad management BY law,
without the Intervention Of commissioner leaving ev-
cry individual interested to legal remedy.
Mr. Deane of Cavendsh said that we have been grave
" told that the lives and property Of the State hang on
th, little Office Of Railroad Commissioner, but he was
unable how. As to the stocks and bonds, kicked
for the Of stock gamblers to the injury
Of holders, the Commissioner do nothing. As to
CONNECTIONS ii.a intsrs-. roads snd win
troll them % the best advantage under all the eireumstn-
cos Of each case certainly the Commissioner for two
years done nothing He has given statsties-as the
roads DO without him. As TO checks we have stat
already II Is not stringent enough strengthen it.
Mr. d. complimentcd the Commissioner for the manner
Of the performance Of his duty while he denied the ne
ocssy the office, and that there is any public benefit n
chieved to warrant the expense The office is burden
on the roads, which already overburdened with debts
and burden without compensatiug benefits. ltisthe
Of the roads manage their affairs well, and he
concurred in the remark Of Mr. Merrill that the Superin
cnden Of these roads must be le to their personal
responsibility. No roads have been better run than
those Of Vermont for the last two years.
Mr Wobbcr Of Rochester that corporations
are not fond Of being watched Banks jealous yet
they sometimes need wa,ehng they sometimes make
bad investments, and improper loans Railroads may be
Jealous and in the infancy Of power which is al
ready great and will be irresistible perhaps, he would
provide faithful watchmau The people should have
hcir agent to look after themu little things well
great What good objection there be Who will be
harmed II tho Commissioner shall look after the
ducor the baggagemasters, the trains, the tracks, and
the switches and report whenever he finds anything out
Of the way Why not look after these things well
after the Banks Il is that corporations do not and
will not like il they polite, only when they want
favor But they are the creatures Of our mabng-our
chfdrcu-and should look after every member Of the
family liz would retain the statute and try it longer.
Mr. Prindle Of Watsfcd not prepared to vote for
posponemen mainly because he satisfied that the
existing law authorizes the Commissioner to remedy ex-
stng cys-spccifng wherein. II that power shall be
given the office may be very important one and proper
to be maintained
Mr. Picrpont Of Rutland would not repeal the law for
the qualification Of the Railroads The law provides for
inspection Of the roads, and thus to procure information
and make report, but II gives other power. Now IL
this necessary let the State pay for not the rail-
roads but he thought it unnecessary to have commits
this purpose Let the roads report direct the
State, instead Of through that officer As the sup
posed valuable services Of this officer in the management
Of the roads, he observed that all the little and great
cdent railroads occurred from which the
railroad commissioner aud usually any human power
have no possible coutro while the safety of life
and properly, the Legislature should provide all
y regulations by law. The railroad interest is entirely
different from that Of the banks, in the latter every
man has direct interest; and different also from that
Of the insane asylum in which the State has direct
interest because it furnishes fund
Mr. Merrill Of Montpelier replied to the suggestion Of
Mr. Prnde that greater power should be given to the
Commissioner. This attempted originally but in
vain. The law provides only yisitorial power--just
such provided by every government in all like mat
ters. The State has conferred franchise upon these
corporations and they collect annually than two
millions Of dollars from the people Of the State and
spend their money hy Of thousands Of dollars.
supervision great matter. and the thousand dol
lars expense is small matter, The gentleman from st.
Iohnsbury had made remark that may be construed
into threat.
Mr.. Merrill Of St. Johnsbury disavowed any such in
teuton What he said that he could permit any
officer to stand between him and his legal responsibility
for the lives and property committed to his charge.
Mr.. Merrill Of Montpelier that the gentleman
from ST. Johnsbury had intention threaten and he
would add that il all railroad officials
plishcd, efficient and faithful that gentleman there
would be little for supervision and to all others he
would say that the Legislature possesses supreme power
and can enforce its laws 1t has said that the
Of the railroads will proper management.
Mr NJ. said he surprised by such suggestion in
the face Of the fact that the roads continually either
in transition from board of control 10 another
controlled in Boston, They do not consult the interest
Of the State their interest but eonfessedy saeri
fec the interest Of the people to their own interest To
the suggestion Of the gentleman from Brdpor that the
roads be controlled by to every diff
Guilty, he would only sayle that gentleman try it, The
power Of the commissioner may be inadequate remedy
evils, but il his business tell us what the evils
that need remedy by legislation, and thus prepare us
for the duty suggested by the gentleman from Brdport.
lit is wrong make the roads pay for this service let
ihe law be amended lie did not with gentlemen
who thought it Is not necessary TO look after the roads,
their tracks, bridges, management sc. Why, he would
remind the gentleman from S. Johnsbury that the Pres
idont Of his own road (Gov. Farbanks,) recommended
the Legislature require all railroad bridges to be
sluctod at fixed height. In conclusion Mr. NJ. said
that the railroad power great, the interest Of the peo-
pie great, the evils many and for these evils want
prerehoR, by supervision in other States Gente-
men have been talking about
Mt Deano Of Caycndish said tha, New York had re-
pealcd is law for Commissioner
Nj, Merrill Of ST. Johnsbury said that branch Of
business in the State is under rigid system Of super
vision that Of the railroads and il any thing is
to be secured in this direction it must be by Commits
sioncr of great power and wisdom and whose services
viii be worth than thousand dollars per Annum.
Mr., Stevens Of St. Adams said he here disposed
abolish this office, but examination of the report Of
the Commissioner satisfied him that it would be unwise.
The present condition Of the roads critical it may be
even questionable whether Of them run for an
other year Now while the Commissioner cannot do any
thing directly in this matter yet he may do good service
by timely notice that roads may be protected.
4lr Little Of Curinth said, if is honest. there
will be no harm in watching him This is equally true
Of the railroads. They constitute great aud growing
power, and may become dangerous power. The law
does merely provide for financial statements No:
human life is concerned well and nobody has choice
m the matter. We travel by railroad at all.
Originally the attempt made subject the roads to
future legislaoni but in vain. Now they wish US to
throw OF not merely this little sum Of thousand doll
lars, but all supervision them. This supervision is
as necessary now as it when the act was passed
and We have not got what the law intended let