Year: 1867

OF Lamollle valley what had been unan.
imously granted to the people OF Ben.
nington county The people of Lamoille
valley are as capable Of taking care of
their own as the people of any other
part OF the State, and they ought to be
allowed to do so. He thought we were
not prepared TO defeat this bill, and then
read up the record of our acts as legisla.
tors OF this State. Fit was just to graut
enabling acts to towns to build other
roads, it is now as just to grant the same
privilege to the towns in Lamollle
valley.


Mr. Jones Of Cornwall, said there are
other interests In the State besides rail-
roads, and 1t was OF as much benefit to
have manufactures springing up in our
midst as to have railroads, and he could
not overcome the objection in his own
mind to allowing one private corpora.
tion privileges not conceded to others,
II any one could give him any light that
would enable him to overcome such
objections, perhaps he might be induced
to favor such legislation, but with his
present information on the subject he
was opposed to the passage of the bill.


Mr. Christie Of johnson was In favor
of allowing the gentleman from Corn
wall all the privileges that majority of
his town would ask, and if they wished
to aid private corporation, whenever
he would show that his town, or a
majority Of it, was in favor of such an
enterprise, the people of Lamoille valley
would grant ii to them willingly, and
he hoped the gentleman from Cornwall
would grant the same privileges to the
people OF Lamoille valley.


Mr.. Brigham of Hydepsrk said if the
gentleman from Cornwall would look at
the question fairly, he would find his
objections answered very readily. This
railroad was just what the people of
Lamoille valley wanted to develop manu-
featuring resources which are abundant
in every town. 1t is only on the lines of
railroads that manufactures spring up,
and the railroad is the first step towards
them. He answered at length the various
objections raised to the bill, repeating
substantially the arguments heretofore
made in its favor. The people of that
valley both needed and desired rail-
road, and it cannot be built without the
passage of this bill. He hoped the legis-
lature would not refuse the petition that
had been sent up to them, but would
pass this bill.


Mr. Wood of Fairhaven moved to
of five, with instructions to report
whether any amendments are necessary
to limit the amount OF such subscrip-
tions, or the manner or the time in
which they are to be made. He opposed
the bill and sustained his motion.


Mr. Brigham raised the point of order
that the motion could not be entertained
under the rule, but the Speaker enter
tanned the motion.


Mr. Ross of st. Johnsbury protested
against dilatory motions designed to kill
the bill.


The Speaker on reflection changed his
decision and excluded the motion to
commit. ... .-a#.


Mr. Mead OF Randolph moved that the
bill be laid on the table and made the
special order for 2 IL p m. tomorrow.
Disagreed to.


Mr. Wood of Fairhaven moved an ad-
journment; disagreed to. He then
moved to limit town subscriptions to
six times the amount of the grand list.


Mr. Ferrin Of Montpelier moved to
amend by striking out the word "six"
and inserting the word fifteen; dis
agreed to.


Mr. Brigham of Hydepark said this
was but another trick of the enemies Of
the BILL and hoped that if they had any
friends in the House they would stand
by the bill in its present form and not
destroy the life OF it by striking deadly
blow at some Of its provisions.
Mr. Wood of Fairhaven thought it
very evident that the gentlemen from
Lamoille Valley are getting wild and ex-
travagant in their notions, and it was
the duty of the House to place some re-
striction upon the amount the towns
should be allowed to subscribe, and
spoke at length against the bill.
Mr. Converse of Woodstock expressed
his thanks that the people of Lamoiile
Valley had found so able and enthusi-
| astic a guardian as the gentleman from
Fairhaven. But he had no charity for
! the sincerity of his motions when he an
nounced st the beginning and close of
his speech, that he was opposed to the
bill, and then proposed to perfect it by
having it amended. He regarded it as a
measure to kin the bill. He defended
himself against the attacks that had
been made upon the arguments he ad-
vanced in the commencement Of the dis
cussion. He preferred to hear the opin-
ions of the people OF that beautiful val
lev, rather than to hear the opinions Of
the gentleman from FairhaVen, who lived
away over almost on the borders OF New
York, with which State he bad all his
commerce and intercourse. He further
| said that he believed there was another
and a secret influence at work in this
myttrr, which would prefer to have
thugs r,ulnln ~ they are st present.
Mr.. Wood replied that he had never
been approached by any man in the in
terests OF any i'roqd in the State. The
| roads in his ImmedIate vicinity would
not be harmed by the proposed road, and
| he knew OF no other road that would be (;
he certainly had heard of nothing OF the
kind. He spoke further at length
against some of the provisions of the
bill. He then moved that the House ad-
! inurn disaurppd to.