Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-01-26
Fhe Ticouderoga Bridge.

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The correspondent of the Tribune, in
Saturdays issue, thus describes and ex-
plains this issue as it appears in the New
York Legislature, and shows that Mr..
Weed has placed himself in no enviable
position. Mr.. Delano of Essex proves
himself match for those fellows who are
az alarmed about the closing Of the navi-
cation on Lake Champlain.
The absence of the editor, for few
days past, has delayed some notes on this
Ticonderoga Bridge question. Il is to be
feared that some of our Whitehall and
Troy friends are placing themselves in
an attitude of opposition to this measure
which they may have opportunity to re-
greet. We shall soon pay our respects to
the meeting and resolutions of the Board
of Trade of the city of Troy, who have
been pleased in some of their speeches to
pervert our position on this subject, and
think that the statement that the Addison
County Railroad will not injure the in
terests of Troy or Albany can be fully
maintained. But without further COM
ment we give the 7Tabu7ae's version of the
ferry controversy in the Legislature:
"After three days discussion, the As
sembly had decided to take Smith Weeds
bill, abolishing the Whitehall and Platts-
burg Railroad ferry across Lake Cham
plain, from the Railroad Committee and
consign it to the Committee on Commerce
and Navigation. We have had daily the
most exciting discussions on that same
ferry. Mem bers have exercised them
selves over the question whether the sup
plying of railroad ferry" is matter
which comes under the head of railroads
or of navigation, and at last they have de-
cided the knotty point-that railroad fer
ries fall within the province of the Com
mittee on Commerce and Navigation.
There is only one way practicable at
present of bringing the immense trade Of
Essex county into the great railway chan
nels of the country, and that is by ferry
across Lake Champlain, to connect with
the Vermont roads. Two years ago,
Smith Weed himself, by his personal in
fiuence. got through an act establishing
the above described steam-railroad ferry
across Lake Champlain. And now, the
same Smith Weed, having fallen out with
the railroad company, introduces bill to
repeal his own railroad steam-ferry law,
and moves it's reference to the Railroad
Committee, of which he is an influential
member.
| But the Whitehall and Plattsburg Rail-
road, with its steam-ferry, finds a sturdy
champion in Mr.. Delano of Essex, and
Smith Weeds head, after three days bat
tie, rolls in the dust. Mr.. Delano, in the
name of the people of Essex County, pro-
tests against being shut out from sur
rounding cities and the luxurious sea-
board. He shows that Mr.. Weed is in
terested, and that other members of the
Railroad Committee are interested, pecu-
niarily in having the Whitehall and
Plattsburg Road construct an extension
on the west side of Lake Champlain,
which extension the said road is, unfor-
tunately, too poor to build.
Without going further into the intri-
cacies of this question, it may be observed
that Mr.. Weed was insolent and unparli-
amentary, and that Mr.. Delano proved
himself to be a cool and strong debster.
The final vote upon referring the bill to
the Commerce and Navigation Committee
was 81 in the affirmative to 40 in the neg
atIyo.
Some members have q stupid habit of
getting in little speeches when the Yeas
and Nays are being taken, after the pre-
vious question is ordered. a member
starts up and says: "Mr. Speaker, 1 de-
sire to be excused from voting, and will
briefly state my reasons" and immediate
ly proceeds to advocate or oppose the mo-
ton according to his best ability, and
winds up by saying, "Mr. Speaker: l
withdraw my objections, and vote YEA"
or Nay, as the case may be. This pitiful
shsmming appears to be the established
practice, especially with members who
don't want to offend any one. By-and-by,
Mr.. Weed and bis little crowd will have
power to defeat some of the measures of
the men who are now opposing his little
scheme; and the real significance of to-
days business is, perhaps, quite as much
opposition to the Railroad. Committee as
any concern about the Whitehall and
Plattsburg Railroad"