Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-10-06
The Legislature and the New State House

The Legislature and the New State House
In the Burlington Times of Tuesday, Oct.
4th, just as we are going to press, we md an
article upon the New State House. which puts
forth ideas unexpected to us, most certainly
from that quarter. Burlington, the hrst to
compel Montpelier to build the new state
Uo,sa the first to ask the State to refund
.eyery dollar 50 paid Personally we thank
the General for his mercy upon our own pocket
But there is one idea in the article, which we
give entire below, that is not exactly correct
The remark that Montpelier secured the Local
cation by out bidding, will be found by the
records to be entirely incorrect. Montpelier
never bid higher than Burlington, and not at all
until compelled to SO do by bids from other
lawns. Tle Capitol was located upon the mer-
its of the question alone, for the bids were
equal.
From the Burlington Daily Times of October 4th
The State House,
There seems to be no doubt that the new
State House is a superb ediice, and credit to
the State. With the exception OF the LIBRARY,
which is unquestionably too full OF combustl-
BILE fixtures, the whole building undoubtedly re-
fleets credit upon the architect, Mr.. SiLLowAY,
and upon the superintendent, DR.. POWERS. 1t
is Certainly as fine State House as there is in
uutbebi ANisAas The REPRESENTATIVES, Hall is mod
ii Of beauty, and th5p So ~ her il Al, nd
mirablc improvement U 10y
the entire arrangeniel ore puliuihe, as re-
spects the Executive offices, the Clerks ana Com
mittees rooms, and the apartments OF the Der
geant-at-A Arms and his assistants is admlraDle.
The designs of the very competent Archltect
have been we'll carried out by the Snperintend
ent Except as to the wooden stairs and the
wooden arrangements in the Library room,) and
Vermont hasa State House which does her great
credit.
And now, ,uho shall pay for it? We have al
ways been of the opinion that the State should
build its own State House, wherever it might
be located. We hold that opinion now. we
think it would be better for the State it it's Cap
ital were Burlington, and tried to make the
Representatives of the people think 80, two
years ago But they didn't think SO, and again
located the capital ut Montpelier, greatly inhu-
enced, no doubt, by the generous offer OF Mont
peier to provide u new Capita! free OF expense
to the State. Our own opinion was that the To-
cation of the Capital of the State, as between
Burlington and Montpelier. should be settled
on the merits of the case solely, and without
reference to the bids But it was not SO set
tied, and Montpelier, by the highest bid secured
the State House We are disposed to acquesce
in this matter, and let the past take care OF it.
self. The State has got d magnificent State
House in Montpelier, and now, We ask again,
pho shall pay .torH? We say, cmphatically,
the State and nobody else. Montpelier (hy a
stringent compulson, to be surrey has built the
edifce and has done it in IL manner creditable
to the State, as well as to herself. We have
one of the finest State Houses in the Union,
and, the question of location being definitely
settled, we ought to pay for 1t. 1t is simply
ridiculous for the Legislature Of Vermont to sit
in anything but ITS OWN State House. 1t is
wholly incompatible with its dignity and self re-
spect to he indebted to any one of the towns OF
the State for the edi6ce in which it dellbera ties
and legislates for the people of the whole State.
If the Legislature had fixed upon Burlington
for the Capitol of the State, we should have in
sisted that the State should build and its Capt.
toll, and we insist upon the same now. Our
Montpelier friends made considerable mistake
in announcing that they did not dream OF re-
spending to their bond and thereby got them
selves into considerable embarrassment, from
which they have handsomely relieved themselves
by completing the State House.
We are disposed to accept this " amende hon
orable," and to look upon things nop. as they
are. The State House is fred at Montpelier
by whatever means, and that ends the matter -
Let The State OWN its o,on State House, aohereUe'
At may be. Let the State repay to Montpelie,
every dollar Montpelier has expended for erect
ing this noble building, and like gentleman
own its own residence These are our senti
ments, and we utter them very freely.
There has been contention enough; there
has been rivalry enough; the great question il
settled, unfortunately, we believe, but settled
and we think it best and most sensible to acqui
esce in the settlement. Montpelier is the Capt.
tai of Vermont, and let us unite to honor her ~
our Capital. AND, above all, let us pay for
and own, the ediGce in which the legislation fo
the whole State is to be enacted. HEARTBURN
ings are one thing, and good practical common
sense is another. 1t is easy to be obstinate ant
revengeful, but it is easier and far more agree
able to be forgiving and practical to conside
things as they are, without fretting over wha
we wished them to be- Vermont is small
compact, homogeneous State, "right on tn
gooss,'' and don't let US quarrel momen
longer over our State capital, Or our Stat
House, but pay for the latter, like men. an
turn our anger and hatred upon the detestabl
Administration of the Sham Democracy. Thi
is the way we feel.