Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1857-02-20


itol, and the calling of the Assembly TO an
extraordinary session thereby rendered prop
or, if not necessary, being Just now topics of
general remark and-as may always be ex
pccted on recurrence of like evcnts-therc
being, apparently, one serious effort if not
more than one to bring about removal Of
the seat of government: it may not be amiss
to call attention to some facts pertaining to
the subject with the thoughts they inspire
In attempting to group these, the writer asks
permission to pronounce his own unbiased
opinions, without complcatng you, Mr.. Edi-
tor he wishing, only that whatsoever shall
be found to be just and polite may be done
in the premises. If there be adequate causes
for taking away the government scat from its
present locality. let them be demonstrated
If no such causes exist, but, on the contrary.
there be found las the writer believes many
weighty reasons for keeping the scat where,
by law, it now is, let the salutary maxim Of
''when you stand we'll, stand STILL I've the
lesson of the day. An eminent writer has
well said "al change is of itself an evil
which ought not 20 be hazarded but for evil
dent advantage" What are the general as
poets of the cases In short, what ought TO
be done Let reflect, as well as anticipate.
At the session Of the General Assembly in
1905, Montpelier was made the permanent
scat of the State Government. In 1903 the
Assembly held, the first time, a session there.
in the wooden building erected by the inhab- |
itants as the writer has over understood. at
their own cost. The natural object of this |
mcasurc-and let il be borne in mind, that il |
not party, factions scheme, but the
deliberately declared purpose of the people Of
the State, formed after great agitation of the |
d IN of IN fhuf ,laa
numbers and capital. and give spur TO the en-
terpriscs which within few years elevated it,
in substance and adornmcpts TO the rank of
a hrst-class village.
They who survive that period, having seen
what Montpelier then was, will not fail to do
justice to the persevcring spirit of its citizens,
when they compare the present with the past.
Were all which the citizens of that place have
done to render it fit capital for the State
wrought and expended on merely temporary
expectations. it would, nevertheless, be CON
sidcrcd constituting strong merit. other
things being equal. in claim for the scat
But what loss, it may be properly asked, was
this measure, by which Montpelier was made
the permanent scat of government, than ,
piedge Of the public tditb, which neither honor I
nor policy will permit to be broken.
But, more still BY act of 1882, the AS ,
sembly begun to construct at Montpelier the +
House recently burned, by appropriating i
: 5, 900, and ,hore we cite the very words of Z
The act "for the purpose of erecting ne3c v
state house at Montpelier" with this proriso fl
Or condition, that 'the inhabitants of Mont Oh
oelier, or any individuals, shall before. &c, "
give good and sufficient security" &c, "to n,
,ay into the treasury of the state the sum of II
fifteen thousand dollars, which said last mem II
pIa1 u1e l.
nittee, and expended for the purpose afore- :,
aid. With this condition the inhabitants n
f Montpelier complied, and paid for the use W
f the state the required sum. Now. if the
roceedings in 1905 and 1908. constituted N
IS we insist they did pledge, the measures Il,
dopted in 1892 and executed during the years Il,
blowing made a contract Ii cannot be held -,
ssential to u correct view of obligations br
hereby incurred by the state to the inhabi- IN
ants of Montpelier, that the point be argued
ut to the conclusion, ethically every one
feels what herein is right. The
ontinued action of the state in this behalf. 4,
ave to Montpelier, to the whole extent of
he public faith, perpetual guaranty of pos
ession of the Capitol. The results are be-
ore us. lu reliance upon public acts which, d.
o all mems views, closed the question for P
'ver, the inhabitants have invited and recciy-
ID great increase of population, created o
leavy business capital, and introduced manu-
actures and the arts, all contributing to the n
Common welfare and with all this there u
anne on to be intimately and literally min
yled the facilities for sojournings, whether for
pleasures or duties, as also most cordial hos
ptalites to the representatives Of the people,
that bespoke not less the liberal spirit of the :
citizens than their reliance on the honor Of !
tkn ata Ts,l. a. 4 Al
private property has been greatly enhanced in 5
value, and in large measure this value, it y
cannot be denied, depends ON the decision !
now to be made. Shall this value now held =
in hand by fair compact be stricken down :
VIII any one give the blow For, in the
light Of public faith pighted, private interests
become public ones; since what would be
dorogatory to the individual cannot be less so
to the people.
Does policy require the removal of the cap
itol: What the state might gain, or be con
sidered to gain, by such an act, the writer has
yet to learn. The state house was placed in !
the present site, on the principle and the fact
that IT was as near to the geographical centre
of the state as, regarding other indispensable
points, it could have been located. In that
position it would, unqucstonaby. have stood
until its clements yielded to decay. had not
the lamentod loss happened Manifestly. no +
one would have seriously urged the removal
of the capitol, or advocated the construction
of another anywhere, so long as this should
stand Is the principle changed by the fact
of the burning;
Again, the question of public economy
in the removal can only arise as to the doben.
ture for travel and, in relation to this, it
seems supererogatory to remark that, pretty
accurately, as locomoton is, what one would
take off, another would put on.
Moreover, what shall be done with the large !
property that the fire has left, some of which !
rs said to be even not scathed, while almost !
all Of the structure is in state to receive a /
new finish. Clearly, the building can be put ;
to no other use, where it is. Doubtless, q
new capitol may be put up at some point at
private expense But then what shall be
done with the materials left of the old Let I
the question of economy be calmly considered |
in all its bearings so far as sound policy, in
other words, state welfare, has any claim in I
dsposing of this subject, it should be regard |
cd. But when public institution has en-
joyed the sanction for its place and privileges.
of half century, no light cause for disturb '