Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-12-23
The State House. l.

VINO are StrlcG StcklefS 10 cOHIftCI ODlipdtiUnS
to revert back to the history Of the State House,
and learn the precise contract made by the State
of Vermont, and the people of Montpelier, at
the time, when Montpelier was first made the
State Capitol. We find that on Nov. 9Th, 1905,
the Legislature passed the following act, entitled
" An act establishing the PERMANENT seat OF the
Legislature at Montpelier: 1t IS hereby enacted
by the General Assembly of the State Of Yer
mont, that Elijah Paine, Ezra Butler, and
James Whitlow be, and they are hereby APP
pointed Committee 10 fix upon place IN the
town of Montpelier Tor the erection of buildings
for the accommodation Of the Legislature OF
this State, and to prepare plan for such
buildings
SEC. 3. And it is hereby further enacted that
If the town of Montpelier, or other individual
persons shall before the first day Of September,
which will be in the year Of our Lord one thou
sand eight hundred and eight, erect such build
ings on the place designated by the aforesaid
Committee to their acceptance, and shall COM
pensate said Committee for their services. and
also convey to the State of Vermont the proper
ty Of said buildings and the land wherein they
shall stand and lodge the deed OF conveyance.
dolly executed, in tho Secretary Of States Office,
th4,i, ana IN tAaSsrse. SAID buildings shall become
the permanent seu7 Of the Legislature for holding
all their sessions
SEC. 3. Provided, nevertheless, and it is here
by further enacted, that il any future Legsla-
ture shall cease to hold their sessions in said
town of Montpelier. those persons who shall
erect said buildings, and convey the property OIL
the same and of the land as aforesaid, shall he
entitled to receive from the Treasury of this
State. the full value of the same, then fairly
appraised"
Agreeahly to this act of the Legislature, the
citizens of Montpelier and vicinity did erect a
State House, pay said Committee, and decided
two acres of land to the State, all of which
was done to the acceptance of said Committee.
The deed was executed by Thomas Davis is
warranted, and refers, Tor its consideration,
to the act of the Legislature of lSO5-deed
dated August 23d, 1903. think no enc can
mistake the terms of this contract, OF the in
tention of the parties. The State, On the one
part, pledges its good faith to make Montpelier
the permanent Capitol on condition that Mont
pslier would Greet suitable buildings, and con
vey the necessary amount of land on which
thew stand. to the State of Vermont. The State
Committee decided that Montpelier had com
piled with the conditions on her part, and the
Legislature accordingly held their session of
1908 at Montpelier, and has continued to hold
them in said town up to the present time. NO
one, think, would seriously contend that the
State is not bound to pay the full value to the
individuals who incurred this outlay, should
she ever remove the Capitol from Montpelier
The old State House was used by Abc State till
it became dapdated. The State, and the peo-
pie of Montpelier believed that the interests OF
both required a better House, and, of course,
more grounds. On Nov. Sth 1882, the Legis-
lature passed the following act, entitled " An
act authorizing The building of a State House
at Montpeliy
SEC. l. is hereby enacted by the General
Assembly \ the State of Vermont, That the
sun Of hfrsT F~housaiad dollars bc'-and thgsame
is hereby APPROPRIATED for the purpose of erect
ing new State House at Montpelier; and the
Treasurer of the State is hereby directed to ray
said sum to the Committee to be appointed, as
hereinafter provided, to snperintend the building
Of said State House, out OF any moneys III the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated. Proud
ed, the inhabitants of Montpelier, or any indI-
vduas shall, before the first day of january
in the year Of our Lord one thousand eight
hund, and thirty-three. give good and sufficient
security to the Treasurer Of this State, to pay
into the Treasury of the State, the sum OF If
teen thousand dollars, one-half Of said sum to
be paid in one year, and the remainder in two
years from the passage of this act, which said
last mentioned sum Shall also be paid to said
Committee, and expended for the purpose
aforesaid ,"
The act further provides that the Governor
should appoint Committee to propose plan,
&c. Also Committee to superintend who
should give bonds, &c. The State took the en-
tire charge of the work, and purchased more
land for its convenience. On Feb. 22d, 1888
Ira Owen decided to the State piece of land
I" in consideration of seven hundred dollars, paid
by citizens Of Montpelier" This deed contains
this provision g." Prorided it shall be used ,t0l
the sole purpose of erecting State buildings, ana
common for the use Of the same, and the pub
Hc." On the same 22d of February, Silas G
French decided another parcel of land to tht
State Of Vermont, in consideration of " On'
hundred dollars, and also in consideration tina
the Legislature of the State Of Vermont at thell
October session, A. D. 1882, passed an act fol
the purpose of building anew State House, anc
for the objects of providing land for which tt
locate the same and for common around it.
January 9th, 1884, Daniel Baldwin, NJ Cot
tril, L. Cross and Silas G. French decided one
acre of land to be used for public buildings anC
common February %, 1888, Ira Day ant
NJ. Cottrill decided piece of land to the State
(" for good and valuable consideration, an'
also in CONGREGATION that the Legislature o
Vermont at their October session, 1882, passed
an act for the erection of new State House
and for the object of providing land on whicI
, to erect the same. and for q common around
The land 10 be used for The sole purpose Of erect
ing Stdte buildings and a common" 1t will b
observed that all these deeds are conditional an
limited for The sole purpose Of erecting Stat
buildings, and suitable grounds for cOmmoI
and yard.
Montpelier paid the fifteen thousand dollar
| in cash, and also gave about three THOUSAND
dollars more in land. This State House ant
f appurtenances was completed in five and hal
7 years. The State paid for the work one hundre
1 seventeen thousand seyenty-seven dollars an
twenty-th cents The whole was finished i
0 1888, and stood about twenty years, when
5 was consumed by fire. Chapter OF the Com
s piled Statutes, entitled The seat OF Govern
t ment and public buildings, enacts.