Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-03-03
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Change Of Shire Of Orleans
County.


of the Connecticut g. Passumpsic Rivers
railroad, in the County of Orleans, for
the courthouse and other county build
ings in said county. The Act provides
that the committee shall not act under
their appointment until a majority of
the legal voters Of said county, present
in town meeting and voting, shall accept
of the provisions of the Act; and 1t is
made the duty of the select men of the
several towns in said County, to insert
in the warnings for their annual March
meeting in 1873, an article by which
the question of accepting of the provis-
ions of the Act may be submitted to a
vote, by written or printed ballots, yes,
or no.
The town clerks are required to keep
checklist of the name of each person
voting upon this question in their re-
spective towns, also, within twenty days
after such meetings, certify the votelof
their several towns upon said question
to the county clerk of said county.
1t has been suggested that the failure
of certain State officials to appoint the
committee as provided in the first sec
ton of the act, makes the whole thing
null and void, but, if the select men of
the several towns comply with the pro-
visions of the law, the people will then
have notice served upon themto exercise
their rights as freemen. This is ques-
ton which should be settled by the le-
gal voters of Orleans County, and the
neglect of part, or all of the officers to
attend to their duty in the matter does
not debar the freemen from exercising
their just rights. Now, who are the par
ties that are agitating this question, and
where is it that they want the shire es-
tablished? Do the people all along the
line of the railroad ask that this change
be made, or is it few individuals who
happen to be located at Newport, and
who are anxious to have the shire estab-
lished there so that they can be the bet
ter accommodated, while a very large
majority of the people of the County are
put to great inconvenience and expense ?
Should the shire be established at Bar
ton, or Barton Landing, the trains on
the railroad so run that the people at
Newport and Derby could take the morn
ing train and be set down at Barton in
season for the days business at court
but reverse this, place the shire at New
port, and the trains so run that no town
south of Newport could be accommoda.
ted, because, parties having business
there would have to 90 on the cars the
evening before the business of the next
day. All towns in the county, south o.
Newport, and north of Irasburgh, can b.
as we'll accommodated at Irasburgh a!
they can be at Newport, and all that par
of the county south of Irasburgh would
be put to great inconvenience by being
compelled to travel to Newport. The
town of Craftsbury has population o
nearly fourteen hundred souls, and ;
Grand List of five thousand dollars, nov
located thirteen miles from the court
house. Remove the shire to Newport
and the citizens of this town will hav,
twenty5four miles to travel to- atten,
courts. The town of Greensboro. by tn
nearest road is seventeen miles from Iras
burgh, which is as great distance as an
town in the county fromithe shire, ex
cept, perhaps Holland, which may b
one or two miles further. The popula
ton of Greensboro far exceeds that @
Holland, but parties who wish to remov
the shire tell US that the people of Greens
boro can travel twenty eight or thirt
miles to Newport as easy as they can G
to Irasburgh. The town of JayIis locs
ted the same distance from Irasburgh a
is the town of Greensboro, but the popr
lation IN 1870 was only about half a
many, and the Grand List less than on
third. Distance from Jay to Irasburgl
seventeen miles, from Jay to Newpor
fifteen miles, a saving of two miles ft
Jay with It's $50 inhabitants, and an il
crease of eleven miles for Greensbo1
with its 1927 inhabitants.
The towns that could be more easil
convened at Newport than at Irasburgl
are, Holland, Morgan, Salem, Derb,
Jay, and parts of Troy, Newport an
Charleston. The population of this Sc
ton of the county, as near as it can
ascertained, is 1884, against Is AL r.
siding in towns that can be as we'll an
better accommodated at Irasburgh tina
at Newport. The Grand List of tn;
portion Of the county which could be tt
better convened at Newport, is 500, SO;
against S4l, 4lO for the other sectic
which can be very much better convene
at Irasburgh. The towns of Jay, Sale
and Morgan, have an aggregate popul
ton of 1850 souls, the town of Craft
bury has population of 1880, with
List of S4,S97.o7, against a list
S3,572,S7 for the three above name
towns.
When question IF so much impo
lance as the removal of a County Shi
comes before the people, who is it tn