Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-12-04

The bin to incorporate the Lake Shore Rail
road Company, with the right to build a railroad
from some point On Lake Champlain, in the town
7 Of Orwell, thence through the towns Of Benson,
b Vet Haven and Fairhsven. to P5ultuey, was
signed by Governor kaGs, OF Saturday th- Dist
inst, and returned to the Secretary On Monday
and has become a law. The passage Of this bill
through both houses on the last day, or rather
the last night Of the session, against the unaui-
nous report Of the railroad committees Of both
the House and the Senate, and the failure Of the
/ governor to eff, thereto his signature before
the anal adJ9urnlieut, are circumstances Hnicl
have excited some comment, and mu b II sap
/ prehension prevails in respect To the whole sub
Jet
In justice to Gov. Page, who, without doubt,
has finally approved the bill with great reluct-
ance, it Is proper that statement Of facts should
be laid before the public.
Tie tn sle introduced in the House. early in
the session, and was referred to tre committee
on railroads. On the hearing before The con.
mittee, there was no ostensible appearance By
anybody, except some citizens o. the towns
through which the proposed route passes. the
member from West Haven appearing as their
attorney.
In behalf Of the petitioners for the road, it was
shown in substance that the route il practicable.
and not expensive to build; that the towns
through which the road Woqli pass erl manly
agricultural; that there are thought 10 Re some
undeveloped slate quarries in Benson, and two
or three considerable water privileges along the
line, that would be benefited By building the
road; that the proposed road would, when built,
form a connection between the road from Plqtts-
burgh to rconderogs, on the west side Of Lake
Champlarn, and the Saratoga Road at Whitehall.
or with the Rutland and Washington Road, in
the Town of Poultney. There vas no e.ide.ce,
and none was offered to show that the mere
local advantages TO be derived from the road
would warrant the expenditure necessary TO
build it, and that the local business would be
wholly inadequate to its support was fact too
apparent to be even denied
On the other hand, it was shown By the rs-
monstrants that all the towns, now destitute Of
railroad facilities, through which the road would
pass, border upon the Lake. ana have the ad
vantages Of cheap water communication. and
that consequently there exists no indispensable
local necessity for it.
1t further appeared in evidence before the
committee on the part of the remonstrapts
that the scheme was in reality a project of
the Saratoga Railroad Company, TO enable
them to form connection with the roads in
process Of construction on the west side #
Lake Champlain. Thus making a short and
expeditions route from Troy to 0giensburgh
and Montreal, without entering Vermont. ex-
cept at the State line opposite Whitehall and
thence near the Lake Shore, on the western mar
gin Of the State, through the towns of West
Haven, Benson and portion of Orwell, to
point opposite Ticonderoga ; that by securing
this route, the almost insurmountable difficulty
Of constructing a road from Tconder1ga to
Whitehall, on the west side Of the Lake, would
be obviated, it appearing that the expense Of
constructing the latter road would he 50 enor- +
nous as to preclude the possibility of its icing
built in many years, if at all
1t further appeared in evidence that the Civ
ing the Saratoga road connection by means of
the proposed route, would form direct line be-
tween Troy and Montreal and Ogiensburrb.
shorter and probably more expeditions than the
present trunk lines through the State of Yer
mont. and thereby establish competing road
for all through business, to the great injury Of
all the main railroad lines in the State. inciud-
ing the Vermont and Canada. the Vermont
Central, the Rutland and Burlington. the Yer
mont Valley and the Bennington and Rutland
Railroads that as an Offset TO this vast ininrv
to the Vermont roads and all their people along
their lines, the only benefit to be derived bv the
State from the proposed route, would be confined
to two CT three towns, not requiring special
-aiway facilities.
II further appeared that in any event, no haste