Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1857-03-06

the erection Of new and costly State House in this
town Tho State did crafty them, and built a
splendid edifce, costing more than $50 600 This
o1or was voluntarily made by Montpelier, because
shc felt II TO be for her interest TO make it, She
promoted her welfare in making this offer, aud was
faracous enough to perceive il. For this outlay,
she has since been repaid ten, II not an hundred
fold Now where is the obligation Of any one To
Montpelier in consequence Of these offers Where
Is the vested right or The violation Of pightod faith
10 this town, If we conclude, now that our capitol n
in ruins we will build house and take up our
ubode elsewhere
Mr.. Chairmin, said Mr.. Marsh trust that this
question of location or removal Of our State Capl.
tai, will always remain an open one We have re-
Gently had several mlgnlnnuus offers, on the part
Of different towns. # we locate the capitol with
them Rutland offers 10 build It Castleton docs
the same. Brandon offers $50 600. Burlington
comes m to-day with proposition TO erect the whole
buildings IN good stvle with modern improvements.
without charge on The State Treasury. Montpelier
has made her offers in 1900 1882 und she
again comes IN with proposition TO rebuild the
capitol ON its old foundations for $4,000 There
can he no reasonable objection 10 this az II is the
course that has always been pursued for the last
ffy years. The State always has, and always will
avail herself Of these proposuens. Il will to Ger.
tain extent. among other things, enter into the con
s.dcuton of hs question aud q - useless TO dis
puise i; Other towns have, therefore the sane
Sfnte House. But Sir wherever our Capital may
be located and Whatever propositions may be accep-
ted, trust that It's future location may always be
considered an open qnesilon--ihit the State retains
the right now and FOR all coming time, 70 remove
Che seat of government to such place she pleases
Aud let BE- further understood, that hereafter no
town, from which the removal Is made, has The right
10 claim damages or % complain Of breach Of
phphted hth. because Of the removal The State
in boa sovereign capacity, Cannot be Invested of the
right To remove her capital, whenever and wherever
% suits her convenience.
Mr. Chairman. ! desire 10 say word Ia regard 10
Montpelier have ~ sinister feeling against her
or any OF her citizens have acquaintance and
/ trust some friends among them, and 1t Is with no
unirendly feeling tn them, or 20 their welfare. that
] act 100 obedience 10 The wishes Of my constituents
and my own convictions OF right 100 The discharge
OF pubic duty. could not avoid thus duy ii
would. II Montpelier can give rs good and satis-
fciurv reasons shy she il euutcd 10 retain the State
Capitol; # no other location viii better convene
the State. why then 30 Co.'s name. let her have It
Bot n settling this question. we are 10 take INTO
WOW all those cons deuuons leguinaioly connected
with IT,
Ons of the great argument. made IN favor Of the
present location. by members of the Committee, is,
tht our Fathers put thp Capital here here It has
rculined fr half "a century, aud D. Is now too late
tD disturb g. Il viii remove the ancient land
m1rSs which our fther- have setup' say these gen
tcmen, nnd o. Will not dD % disturb what they have
done. The menlries uf our fuheis. their deeds
and he monuments they have lef usit Is pleasant TO
contemplate We love and cherish their names and
works, and We respect ani venenie them al the
m1rr a- tune rolls on aud seems apparently % sepa~
rate as tho more from each other. This IS natural
and commendabe feeling But we must bear In
u.nl That they shared while living the common lot
of humanity. They were not always perfect, ant
D. WIS possible ior them au for us, 90 commit grave
errors and mistakes. Basidrs, they were governed
hy the circumstances which surrounded the o.. and
their teasons for action were derived from these err
cumsianccs Nov, are we 60 make 900 progress -
Are we not 10 act Tor ourselves on Che question pre-
scented aud be governed by the considerations which
belong 20 90
NJ Chairman it ~ well kn1wD that our fathers
whrn they settled 90 this State. cutertaned great
rruutunnce % low. or what WAS thee termed swamp
land- They were afraid of 4 iuds of a surplus of
water When they made their fOads they shunn ed
she valleys which bordered the streams. With
rreni labor they constructed these roads over the
hA tops. in every direction. from one end of the
State To the other. TncIr meeting hlnses. school
houses and other public bindings they placed on
the top- OF these bulls. Now Sir. when q u pro
posed 20 locate a road al the foot Of these hills,
through our valleys, following our noble streams
when Il Is proposed TO bring our meeting houses
and other public buildings from the tops of these
bic k bills where uobndy resides, 20 the neat and
beautiful villages winch skirt these valleys We are
met bv an insurmountahle obstacle Nou must new
az do Il, say these gentlemen "Our fathers butt
these roads and erected these public buildings on
these h tops-hcre they have stood : . half cen
fury. and here they must forever remain" IL will
remove the ancient landmarks which our fathers
have zap, if you lay your ssculegions hand upon
thomr believe. sand Sir. 49,, that were our ilth-
ers living they would scnrn their degenerate sous
for acting upon such narrow and unworthy consid-
cratons The genius Of improvements ot progress
--or the dictates of good sen-e do not thus act
Now SAID Mr. Marsh. how was it with The Mont
pehor of my years ago-or of twenty years ago.
and with the Montpelier OF the present day Then
u was the centre Of travel for the whole State. u
was the centre of stage Routes, and he terminus of
many OF them. II mistake NOT, SAID be, Mr.. Cot
trlll OF the Pavilion the noted stage agent and
proprietor Of those DAYS. These stages ran into
and out Of 1cher 10 all objections On every part
OF the State. rhe crack Of lchu's whip from the
top Of the siage-box would be heard from early
m1rn tiu late at night These. Nuh other carriages
and udag en- horseback, were the means of getting
into Montpelier Now. SIR all Is chaugcd Where
are your stages aud stage routes: Where your
coaches and wagons Where the rathng of
wheels around your hotels Gone, sir, all gone.
The mode of travel has changed entirely The
steam. whistle IS nov heard Instead Of The drivers
whip and the people of nearly the whole state are
nov accommodated by Railroads.. Scarcey mem
her now COMES no 10 the sessions Of Your General
Assembly, except by riilroad let him reside where
he may he fret seeks railroad at the nearest point
from his residence on which To travel Ii becomes
very important then To enquire what accommodations
whit facilities has Montpelier Tor this kind of ira
vey The answer 10 this enquiry is that net sin-
gle railroad passes through her village. Nothing
but a spur, a mile long, reaches the Vermont Cen
trail road below the village. FROM this junction
with the Central the cars are backed ~ every day
into Montpelier, and these are all the facilities f'l
rairnad travel that Montpelier possesses
Me- Charman much IL said about a geographical
centre for our seat Of government. The gentleman
from Monip ler M. Merrill, the gentleman from
Danwle, Mr.. Howard the gentleman from Bralle'
bnro', Mr. Bradley. the gentleman from Waterbury
Mr. Green and the geutleWnn from Stockhudge
Mr. Hubbard, all dwelt urgently eoquen,ly. and al
length upon this claim IA favor of Montpelier, as
the geographical centre of the State. T. ar, too, be
lieve iu geogmp lcul centre, aud m Tins respect
differ from the gentlemen who have preceded IN,
on my own side Of the House | believe IN geo
graphical ceutre, butno IN a geographical centre Of
hills OF rock and stone; of mountains aud valley'
merely-not in centre of 70 many acres of land
but IN a centre of trauA Give me the place wher,
the tide of travel from the different portions OF The
State indicates that It is the centre of accommoda
ton both as II regards irgtess aud egTess. This It
such geographical ceutre as the people need az