Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-12-12
Connecticut River Dam Hearing.

SOnnCCtiCuk nlVcT lam ftCdTinYs
The joint committee on corporations
gave an extended hearing in the SUI
preme court room at Montpelier Mon
day evening on the bill granting a
charter to the Connecticut River Pow
er company, and the hearing was con-
tinued Tuesday afternoon. All of the
interests which would be affected by
the construction of this dam were rep
resented. After mature discussion, an
amicable adjustment of all the points
of difference was arranged, and 1t was
agreed that the committee should re-
port the bill favorably, with the
amendments as agreed to. The full
text of the charter, as amended by the
committee, is printed herewith, with
the names of the corporators. Briefly
stated, these corporators ask the leg
islature for authority to build dam
across the Connecticut river at point
opposite the village of Brattleboro.
The purpose is to manufacture water
and electrical power for municipal and
manufacturing purposes. AT the hear
ing, the Boston & Maine railroad was
represented by W. B. G. Stickney of
Bethel and John Young of Newport;
the Central Vermont railroad company
"
Bellows Falls Canal company by ex-
Gov. w. w. Stickney; the land owners
who would be affected by the dam by
H. H. Allbee of Bellows Falls, and the
corporators by G. G. Fits of Brattle-
boro. Among those present at the
hearing as interested spectators or par
Elephants were w. H. Vinton of the
Brattlebogo board of selectmen, F. l..
Hunt of the S. A. Smith company, c.
w. Durham of the firm of Durham
Bros, c. A. Harris, treasurer of the
Brattleboro Savings bank, f. w. Blod-
gett, chairman of the Brattleboro
board of bailiffs. E. C. Robertson of
Hinsdale. N. H., o. E. Randall of Ches-
terrified, N H., and George T. Aplin
and H. p. Farr of Putney.
If a stormy time had been antici-
pated. it did not materialize, for be-
fore the hearing was completed 1t de-
veloped into the most amicable kind
of a mutual conference. A series of
six amendments was agreed upon.
Lawyer Allbee of Bellows Falls first
raised the point that the committee
ought to report the. bill unfavorably
because the required twelve days no
tice previous to the meeting of the
general assembly had not been given.
Mr.. Fits admitted that this notice had
not been given. but said il was not es-
sential within the meaning of the stat
| ute that this provision should be
strictly carried out. EX-Gov. Stickney
| claimed that it was unfair to the far
| mers along the banks of the river to
| spring such a proposition upon them
without proper notice. but Senator
| Phelps, chairman of the committee,
overruled the objection and the hear
| ing was continued. The principal OBJ
| lection raised by the attorneys for the
| railroad companies was that their
tracks might be damaged by the rails
ing of the river, but when the cor
porators stated that they would bind
themselves for the protection of the
banks of the river these objections
were withdrawn.
The Bellows Falls people were salts
LIED by an amendment providing that
the right shall not be given to con
struct a dam which shall raise the wa
ter in the Connecticut river at any
point within 21s miles of the dam Of
the Bellows Falls Canal company
Another amendment gives the right tc
construct the dam at any point in said
river opposite the village of Brattle
boro south of the mouth of the West
river" An important concession
granted is that which gives the com
pany power ITO pump water for fire
protection and domestic uses In ant
for such municipality" In case Of dis
putes with land owners, the judges o
the supreme court are to appoint com
missioners. The final amendment
agreed to limits the time to five years
= in which the construction of the dan
: must be started. This amendment wal
finally agreed to by all parties in in
terest Thursday afternoon, although
Mr.. Fits wished to have the amend
ment changed to works" instead o
dam" as he said there is larg
amount of preliminary work to b.
done before the dam can be started
This amendment, with all the others
is embodied in the bill as printed.
It is understood that the compan
will apply to the Legislature of NeN
Hampshire for the privilege of cor
3 structing the dam at the session whic
: begins early in January.
= Wednesday evening.
+ The main interest in to-day's pre-
y ceedings centered in the discussion l
: the House of the bill introduced b
: Mr.. McFeeters of Enosburg for tn
abolition of capital punishment. Tn
g subject brought out the greatest di
g play of oratory of the session. Tn
f bill was finally ordered to third real
2 ing and passed on a yea and nay vot
!. 116 to 80. Father O'Sullivan OF 5
n Adams, who was an. advocate of tn
II bill, proposed two important amen
d ments. The first of these provide
n that any person while under sentenc
by the provisions of this bill who cor
Y mits murder or murderous assau
e shall be hung. Adoption of tn
It amendment was refused. The secor
A amendment provides the death penalt
q for persons convicted of murder
II connection with criminal assault
a upon women, and was agreed to. TT
n Windham county members voted Il
r and against passage as follows: "
l. Bridges of Athens, Conland of Bra
lie tleboro, Dunklee of Vernon, Eddy
le Stratton, Goodhue of Westminste
1T Tudor of Somerset, Wheeler of VIII
m ingham; no-Adams of Marlboro, Ga
IN of Guilford, Jones of Dover, Robbil
N of Dummerston, Robinson Of Ward
r. boro. Waite of Londonderry, Wheel
le of Jamaica, Wheeler of Rockingham
s. Willard of Townshend; absent or n
I'd yoting-Hall of Grafton, Houghton
to Putney; Jones of Halifax, Kingsbu
II of Windham, Osgood of Brooklir
W. Porter of Wilmington, the Speaker.