Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-06-22

, perhaps as could be expected the gist 0
: my remarks at our town meeting on the
oath ult., is far from being just in its con
clusion as to my motives in speaking ahc
voting as did
johnson, left to its own voluntary ac
ton, would never have bonded itself; the
opposition as you are aware being leu pJ
able and influential men; and In ordel
for us to answer their objections, and carr,
the vote and grand list of the town, i
became necessary for myself and others tt
both publicly and privately assure many
who reluctantly voted in favor of bonding
and who quite as reluctantly signed the
articles of assent required by law, that
the condition of "no road, no pay,
should be kept sacred, and that the claims
of the opposition, the company OF
Legislature would impose further bur-
dens upon the town,--or remove the con-
dtions of the bonds, were groundless
This we did most arduously, on our honor
as citizens. In making these representa-
tions | relied upon the assurances of the
men who now are officers of the road in
this county, that the bonds with the con-
ditions were all they asked of the town
were satisfactory to the Portland men
ana would give such security to capital
lists, as would insure the building Of the
road, without further action or risk Of the
towns, save to issue and pay their bonds
as specified in their conditions. Upon
this basis | still stand and have not reced-
ed from it one iota, and although con-
science may be sneered at, and wrong mo-
tives Of action imputed to me, yet the re.
sponsibility of my position is upon me. |
am unable to see how any true bonder at-
ter what has passed and been pledged in
the days of bonding, can now torsake that
basis and advocate the present issue of
the bonds bearing interest from their is
sue, to be sold by the company to third
persons and made payable out of the
State, and to expend the avails of the
bonds towards the building of the road,
with no legal guaranty such as would sat-
isfy business men in private matters that
the road will ever be completed without
II further taxation on the towns. 1t looks
to me like an entire new programme, and
that to torsake the old for the new, re-
CARELESS Of our former representations and
pledges, and of the means used to
obtain the votes and signatures Of the
people, at least without beginning the
matter the same as ON new issue aud
again going through with the formalities,
not only of the public popular vote but
the signatures of those representing ma
jority of the grand list of the town to
new articles of assent, would be infictng
great wrong upon those who never would
have acted with US had it not been for
the conditions specified, especially upon
that class of property holders who are
not roterS.
If | correctly understand the matter,
the law of last fall, under which the re-
moval of the conditions of the bonds is
attempted, was passed professedly for the
relief Of two certain towns, in matters of
minor Importance relating to the location
of the road through said towns, and had
no direct reference to removing the vital
condition Of emo road, no pay and, as
far as | can learn, the intent to act under
said enactment for removing said condi.
ton, has in this vicinity been kept pro-
found secret until within short time. On
the part of cur town director there has
been such mysterious reserve and reti-
ccncc, and apparent desire to have the
public remain in ignorance of the matter
as long as possible, and such a manifest
lack of confidence in the stockholders,
and an apparent feeling that we must put
implicit confidence in the officers of the
road without knowing what they were try
ing to do, as TO cause inquiry and distrust.
| therefore carefully examined the matter
for myself, and came to the conclusion |
have. 1t seems quite improbable to me
that the courts will allow public vote to
annul conditions to articles of assent sub
scribed and acknowledged by those hav-
ing the requisite grand list, and over
year after the execution of the paper to
substitute entirely new conditions without
the consent of the signcrs, many of whom
ire barred the right of suffrage; and
should it turn out to be legal, it cannot
honestly be claimed, to be morally right.
II certainly is breach of confidence. and
i, as | understood Mr.. Brigham to state,
here is u standing offer to build the road
for s3l 900 per mile on present securities,
ask is it right or discreet to adopt this
new mode of procedure? AS the bonds
now stand the town is safe, and if it pays