Connecticut western news., 1886-12-22
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER p, 1886
THE COUNTY SEAT QUESTION.
Result of Syinchess~r'- Special Town
 neefin-.

There was not large attendance a; the special town meeting Tuesday after noon, Dec 14, the number present being about one hundred, including nearly every prominent citizen of the town and nearly every large tax payer Judge Hitchcock presided. The sense of the meeting in relation to county seat mat ters seemed to be correctly voiced by the following preamble, which was passed without dissenting voice:
 It is the sentiment of the citizens of this town that the time has come when the county seat of this county should be established at some town not so dlth cult of access as the present county seat; or that half shires should be estab- lished at such places in the county as the public's interest may require.
 The following resolutions were then presented by MT. T. M. Clarke, (the n .mes ir the 4th resolution being sub- s,quently reported for approval of the meeting by a committee appointed by the chairmaul, and unanimously passed: Resolced, That the representatives of the town be instructed to lay before the legislature next to convene. our protest against the longer maintenance of Litch tield as our county seat; that they he ln- structed to set forth before that body the new modes and methods and routes of travel within the county. the changed location of our centerS of business and population. and the present and future unsuitability of Litchtield for oar court and county busiLesS.
 Resolred, 2d, That committee of nine be appointed by this meeting whose duty 1t shall be to take earnest action before the next general assembly and at all such times and places as they shall deem suitable, to procure the removal of the county buildings and business to some other more convenient and suita ble location or locations; that said com mittee have power to fill vacancies in their number which may occur, and that they report to the town at such times as they deem eXpetiient; that they continue in office as the agents of the town for the purposes named Ill these resolutions until discharged by vote of the town, and that they be and hereby are authorized to incur such expense and on the credit of the town to pledge the same to such an extent as they, or a majority of them may deem necessary or advisable to secure the location fl a court house aud jail at Wlnsted; and that the selectmen be and hereby art authorized and directed to uraw tow orders for the payment of such eNpen- ses as said committee shall incur, and the execution of such contracts as they shall make, whenever presented to them approved by said committee.
 Resolred, 3I, That sai committee ar' authorized to make on behalf of the town such pledges aS to the form ano extent of aid which this town will fur nish for the procurement of groun'.' and the erection of buildings for county purposes as they may deem judicioa, and best, and that the town will au, does hereby ratify and confirm sucl said pledge> and undertakings.
 .Resolred, 4th, That the committee C nine aIiutled to i'll the foregoing resolu tions consist of David Srong, Henr, Gay, c. J. Camp, T. NJ. Clarke. J. D Yale, w. T Batcheller, I. B. Woodruff R land Hitchcock, and A. H. Fenn.- Wiasted Herald
 The following editorial also appears in the Winsted Herald in connection with the above report of the meeting:
 At its special town meeting on Tues day of this week, report of which vii be found elsewhere, the town of Win chester committed the county seat mat t.r to judicious and conservative com mittee of nine of its foremost cit!Zeu anl will abide by their action i'll tn premises. It is understood that Ne, Milford has already in special tow' meeting voted to offer accommodatioH for the Superior Court, aud to provi,I' Q suitable iai, both without expense [, the county, and 1t Is presumed that tn committee authorized to act for Win chester will make the same liberal offer and we are. certain that such offer should 1t be made, will be cordial ratified by this town; at least We. hav thus far heard nothing in opposition t such a scheme.
 .sOur neighbors over the hills in fu of and inaccessible Litchield will hard ly be expected to surrender the count. seat, so long held. without a struggle but it now looks as though they woul, be compelled to submit to the lnevlta ble. The time appears to have arri7e' when the people of the county will urss to a suee essful issue their claim for het ter accommodation in the matter O county business The people of Litch field will have a hard task to make l appear that a large majority of tb, towns in the county will not be bette accommodated with Winchester ant New Milford as half-shire towns tlal by the present arrangement, and If tn people of the various towns can secure on the whole, greater convenience, ano be spared expense for a new cour house,-ani as soon as that should be buili au additional. expense. for new iaiI.-tthat contingency is not discussed ao,e in Litchheld-they don't propost to raise the question of new jail unti new court house Is first secured )-wil they not be likely to accept the over