Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1858-12-24
From the Bellows Falls Times.
THE STATE HOUSE AGAIN.

We have received several articles, from
different sources. on the State House qucs-
ton, and nearly all approve of the course
taken by the House at the close Of the ses-
sion. One of our correspondents, who was
a highly respected and influential member Of
the House, wants to know our authority for
stating in our last THAT Montpelier would
pay the bond when the House is completed.
BY this We did not mean that Montpelier
iCouid do so after it was built but only to
state what some of the Montpelier men pro-
fcss to believe To free everything from all
complication, the question is, shall Montpelier
build the State House, She agreed to do.
or shall the State foot the bill; Our own
opinion has already been expressed, and we
apprehcnd we do not differ from our cores
pendent. He says that "thc great object of
Montpelier was to get the money out of the
State, and no man who took her part claimed
she would ever pay the money back again.
BY communication published elsewhere in
this paper it will be seen that Judge Kit
fridge. who drew the bond, now repudiatcs
it, and says it is not valid This only makes
the cheat moro palpabc and the people very
natulolly Coel indignant.
In this part OF the State, the feeling is
pretty general that Montpelier should carry
out her obligations We have met with no
exceptions, save in Chester, Cayendish and
Springfield This question will be the main
Issue at our next election.
The following is the communication refer
red to in the above extract from the Times
THE STATE HOUSE.
| Mr.. Enron, Dear Sir There were some
things that tronspired at Montpelier, in rcla-
| ton to the State Honso appropriation, which
/ ! have not seen in print, though they should,
( in my opinion, be generally known. First,
! that Mr. G. w. Colamcr, member of the
House from Montpelier, and one Of the sign
ers of the bond, rose in his seat and said,
"that they did not repudidte the bond nor
ask 10 be released from it, Mark the stud
led and peculiar style Of language used-Did
not rcpvdiate or ask 10 be released. The Ian
guage was non commHtoi. lie did not say
that they ever intended to pay the full amount,
lonc.half, or even a dollar more toward the
completion of the House
Second, he further said, that Judge Kit
tredge, who drew the bond, said that it was
not valid bond, and also, that Hon. George
/ p. Marsh, one of the Commissioners. advised
them not to pay the bond, but spend the mon
ey on the hill in the rear of the building"
He seemed to think that they could not
legally be called on for the half that was
payable in February, 1858, until the whole
was due, that they might know to penny
how much the half was. The great desire
seemed to be to get the House completed
and then trust to the Supreme Court or an
other Legislature
The writer heard the opinions of perhaps
fifty different persons. members Of the Sen.
ate, House and outsiders, all favorable to
clean appropriation by the State without cal
ling upon Montpelier for a dollar at this time
every ono of whom, after few minutes con-
versation, expressed the opinion that Mont
polier aeUer ought to pay a dollar more toward
the building of the House and it is well
known that there was not dollar offered on
the part Of Montpelier until aftor the House
had voted to appropriate S55 900 only OF
condition that the sum was paid in on the
bond, and had also voted to meet at Burling
ton and Rutland alternately, hereafter, in case
that Montpelier did not finish the building
The writer felt highly honored in being
member from Windham County, with such
noble band of men in the House from sale
county, gentlemen who had backbone anC
nerve to the last, particularly so as thcr,
: were four distinguished members of the ba
from said county, all working against tn,
State on the Montpelier side, during TIN
whole session--said legal gentlemen bein,
not members of the House, but of as higl
legal ability, perhaps, as any in the county.
| G@&S%%@