The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-05-27

band; singing by the glee club, Frank Owler,
director; prayer by the chaplain; address,
Hon. w. w. Grout; singing by the glee
club; music by the band; memorial cere-
monies of the Grand Army in memory Of
their fallen comrades by Brooks Post, No. 10.
Brooks Post and other organizations which
are to form the procession will meet at one
o'clock P. NJ, sharp.
In accordance with the notice previously
given, a special village meeting was held at
Capital Hall Monday evening. The warn
ing having been read by the clerk, James
r. Sabin, II. A. Huse, Esq, was chosen mod
orator and called attention to the first ar
ticle, which was to see if the village would
give the baiiffs authority to sell to the
United States the land on which Capital
Hall stands. T. r. Gordon, ESQ, moved
that the article be dismissed. Hiram At
kins then made a personal explanation as to
his connection with the appointment of the
commission to recommend location for the
federal building, denying the report that he
had packed it and affirming that he was re-
sponsibe for just one name-that of +. III.
Bascom-out of the seven Mr.. Gordon's
motion was then put, without any discus
sion and carried by large majority. The
second article of the warning, to see what
should be done with Capital Hall, was then
dismissed, as a matter of course, and the
meeting adjourned without transacting any
further business not having been in session
! over fifteen minutes. A good number were
| in attendance, with the evident expectation
of hearing warm debate, but their hopes
were not realized. This action of the viii
lage destroys any lingering hope that the
federal building might in due time take the
| place of the Montpelier House, and reduces
the number of probable sites to three-the
Jewett corner, opposite Orange Fifeld's, the
| lot west of the Courthouse and the lot north
of the Golden Fleece.
The board of civil authority met last Sat-
urday TO consider the cases of those who
hah lad as.ttg .
in fixing their lists. There were present the
selectmen, Clark King, G. III. Heaton and
| Dennis Lane, and Justices w. G.. Ferrin,
II. w. Heaton, S. 9. Shurtlef, Henry Lowe
and G. M. Hale. Reductions were made as
follows: A. G. Brown, guardian, from S720
to $500 Mary l.. Ellis, from $1,000 to 81, 900;
A. a. Mead, from Sl6,767 to 81, ,S0S George
w, Reed, from S17,79S to 1920: John e.
Hubbard, from $500 to $50; Vermont Mutual
Fire Insurance Company, from 34,20O to
S17 100; Joseph A. Wing, house, from ST.
700 to $1,000. The principal interest centered
in the action of the board with reference to
the valuation of the stock of the Montpelier
Savings Bank and Trust Company, which
had been listed at $50 per share. A test
case was made on j. w. Brooks case.
Messrs. Ferrin, Heaton and Lowe argued in
behalf of Mr.. Brock, and Messrs. Livingston
and Oviatt presented the other side. The
monotony of dry facts was frequently varied
by sharp personal thrusts on the part of the
gone conclusion from the first and it was
voted that the stock be appraised at its par
value no one voting to the contrary except
Mr.. Shurtleff, and the benefits of this vote
were afterward extended to all stock held
in town, even though the parties owning
the same had not appealed from the listers
appraisal. Immediately after making this
wholesale reduction, without even being
asked to do so, the board refused to listen
to Fred E. Smith, on another matter, be-
cause he had not taken an appeal! 1t will be
noticed that four out of the eight members
of the board present-Messrs. II. w. Heaton,
G.. H. Heaton w. c. Ferrn and Dennis
Lane-were directly interested in the matter
at issue, and virtually argued and decided
their own cases. This record is only ex-
celled by lawyer formerly residing here
who, it is said, as town grand juror made a
complaint against man, returnable before
himself as justice of the peace, and then ap-
peared as attorney for the respondent and
in his capacity as justice acquitted him!
While the action of the civil board may not
have been illegal, it was certainly most
fragrant abuse of their power, and the
voters will doubtless emphatically express
their opinion in regard to it at the next
March meeting.