Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-02-22

As soon a. this resolution had been read
Charles y. Davenport took the floor aud Of.
fered an amendment 10 Mr.. Waites r,,oIu.
ton which provided in effect that the
commissioners should not subscribe 10 tho
stock Of the road until the assent Of major.
ity. in amount Of the grand list. and a ma.
jority Of the Taxpayers. had been obtained 10
such action Mr.. Davenport's amendment
was sharply opposed by Mr.. Waite. on the
ground that it was evidently intended to d..
feat the purpose for which the meeting was
held. and to render all the proceedings in,al.
id by bringing an issue before the meeting
not provided for in the warrant. Col Has.
kins. J. VI. Tyler. ESD. and Hon. b. d. H,r.
ris also opposed the amendment on the
ground taken by Mr.. Waite. and also on the
ground that the meeting had 40 power to de-.
eide whether is was necessary. in case Of an
Affirmative vote. TO again secure the assent Of
a majority Of the taxpayers and grand list.
II the law required such assent to be oh.
tanned it must be done but no action which
the meeting could take could affect the aies.
ton one way or the other Mr. Dayenport
was finally forced to admit before the amend.
lnent was put to vote that be knew Of nollw
except the law Of God and Of humanity ri"
which authorized the adoption Of such an
amendment. or which had any bearing upon
the point in question. When the amendment
was finally put TO viva voce vote the mod
orator was unable to decide whether the
yeas or nays had it, and a division Of the
/ house was called for Upon the division
it was seemingly evident that the majority
were against the amendment, but to have
accurately counted the votes in such a
crowded lall would have been impossible and
a ballot was declared TO be necessary. While
preparations were in progress for the ballot.
/ however. Mr. Davenport finally withdrew his
amendment. and the question then upon
/ Mr.. Waite's resolution-the decision Of the
meeting being that the vote should be Ly bal.
/ lot. and that the box should remain open IN
| til O'Clock. The Jalloting at once began
aud proceeded without any unusual incident
or interruption until at O'Clock the box was
| turned. and few minutes thereafter the re.
suit was announced as follows:
/ Whole number Of votes cast
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ...... .... ~
Majority in favor Of town aid................lOs.
! The announcement of these figures was re-
/ ceiyed with a round Of applause. adjourn
ment was moved and carried, and the meeting
/ quietly dispersed.
While such a decision Of the question wa,
disappointment to one part of the voters it
must be a satisfaction to all to know that the
result was reached in a full meeting. with a
perfect understanding by the voters of the
/ question which they were acting upon and
with the issue involved brought squarely before
them. At the meeting held three weeks pre-
I vious the vote stood 42l nays to $50 yeas
comparison of these figures with the vote last
Saturday shows a gain of. 237 for the road
against Is gained for the opposition.
THE sPIKING OF THE LAST Gun
On Tuesday evening the work Of again
securing the assent in writing Of a majority.
in amount. Of the grand list, and Of the tax
payers. in number. to the vote of the town in
aid Of the Brattleboro i Whitehall railroad.
was begun with great energy and enthusiasm;
the work was vigorously prosecuted on
Wednesday and up to this time upward of
one-half of the necessary amount of grand
list, and the signatures of about one-half Of a
majority of the taxpayers have been secured.
a y
ing to either the letter or the spirit Of the law.
the friends of the railroad do not for a mo-
ment believe. They have been repeatedly as
sured by the best legal authority that even
without any vote having been taken by the
town on the question, the railroad commits
sioners elected last April were fully empower
ed to subscribe to the stock of the proposed
road TO South Londonderry. As a matter of
justice and courtesy TO the voters Of the town.
however, it was thought advisable to call a
1 town meeting and give them an opportunity
4 to make known their wishes in the matter.
Such a meeting WAS held last Saturday. and
/ the instructions which the voters gave to their
( commissioners in the resolution then passed
by majority of los, were positive and abso-
lutte. The certificates OF the towns action.
both on Saturday and in April last. which the
law requires, were sent to the Secretary Of
State Monday night and Tuesday morning his
acknowledgment that they had been received
and filed came by telegraph. 1t was then the
intention Of the commissioners to complete
their duty in the matter by subscribing the
sum OF 1900 upon the books OF the railroad
company directed by the town: but when
they came together for consultation in the
matter it was found that certain factious ell
ement of the opposition. which at Saturdays
meeting had declared itself as being anxious
1 10 keep the town mt Of a lawsuit was appar-
entity determined. if possible. 10 get the town
'hto a lawsuit being stated on reliable au-
thonty that threat had been made. that. if the
commissioners subscribed to the stock of the
road before the assent of the grand list and
] faNnaVs1S hal :, I, i.
effort would be made TO get an Injunction TO
stop the commissioners from raising any mon
ey on behalf of the town in aid of the road.
1t was also stated that petition to the select
men had been circulated asking to have an ar
ucle inserted in the warrant for the annual
town meeting instrcting the commissioners
1 not to subscribe to the stock of the road until
the assent of the grand list and taxpayers had
been again obtained. Under these develop
ments it was evident that determination ex-
lsted to make trouble if an opportunity pre-
sented, and 1t was also evident that if the
matter once got into the courts. the town
might be tied up in a lawsuit for a wear or
more; and, although no doubt was felt AS TO
what the final verdict in such legal proceed
| ings would be, while they were in progress no
'N4'' NNNA W sven ~ railroad, It's COnStruC-
non would consequently be delayed, the towns
| up the river would become discouraged and
disguised, and the result might be that the
road would be built to Bellows Falls instead
of Brattleboro. In this view of the case the
commissioners and other friends of the road
felt that, in order to place the whole matter
forever beyond question or dispute, the better
/ way would be at once to secure. for a second
time, the assent of the grand list and tax
/ payers This work, as We stated in the be-