Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-07-21
REPUBLICAN COUNTY CONVENTION
VERMONT HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

Inc SeCOnu SpeCldl lneellnb Vi lnlS Society, |
whose mission is to rescue the historic annals
of Vermont from oblivion, was holden at Brat
tleboro, on Tuesday and Wednesday last, at the
Town Hall, His Exceency Gov. Hall presiding.
After the minutes of the last meeting were
read and approved, the following gentlemen
were elected corresponding members of the So
cety:
Gen. ]. WATTS DEPEYsTER Tivoli, N. Y;
DIR. ]. G. HOLLAND, Springfield, Mass;
Hon. JOHN RosE, Q. G., Montreal, c. E.;
Hon. CARMI w. BABcocK Lawrence, Kan;
DIR. AsAHEL CLAPP, New Albany, Ind.
The Committee heretofore appointed to con-
fer with Mr. Henry Stevens in regard TO the re-
moval of the library and cabinet of the Society
to the Historical Rooms, in the State House,
Montpelier, asked through Hon. ID. p. Thomp
son, for further time to perfect their report,
which was granted on condition that the COM
mittee positively report at the annual meeting
at Montpelier, on Wednesday, the 10th day of
October next.
Capt. John Wolcott Phelps of Brattleboro,
made on behalf of Gen. ]. w. dePeyster of
teboro, donation of valuable books, pamph-
let's and documents, for which the special thanks
of the Society were returned, and on motion,
Capt. Phelps was requested to transmit a GER
tilted copy of the vote of the Society to Gen.
]. Watts dePeyster and Mr. Hunt.
Addresses were then delivered by Gov. Hall
and the Rev. Pliny II. White. Gov. Halls
paper related chiefly TO the illegal and fictitious
claim set up by the authorities of New York
over the territory embraced in what was then
called the New Hampshire Grants, and is now
the State of Vermont. All the maps of North
America and particularly of New England and
New York, published previous TO 1875, gave as
the boundaries of these respective provinces
line drawn from Lorg Island Sound northerly
to Lake Champlain about 20 miles east of the
line" In 1864 Charles ii of England, conferred
by royal patent the territory then known as
New Amsterdam, and which had then recently
been captured from the Dutch, on his brother
James, Duke of York and thereupon the
name was changed to New York. The bounda-
were somewhat loosely described, but it was
evidently the intention That this grant should
exactly cover the territory taken from Holland.
In consequence of the representations of Lieut.
Gov. Golden of New York, that the people of
New England were republicans in feelings and
tendencies while those of New York had pat
termed their institutions after those of England,
and that itwould be desirable to extend the rule
of the loyal province, and of the loosely defined
boundaries of that province, an order in council
was adopted in 1854, authorizing the New York
government to re-grant the lands in Vermont
which were held under charters from the Gov
ernor of New Hampshire, without taking any
means to remunerate the settlers. These grants
by New York were made to and for the benefit
of Gov. Golden and his associates in Office
The people of Vermont resisted, and in 176G
obtained an order from the English govern
ment to Golden to desist from granting further
patents. This order was entirely disregarded
by the New York government, which still con-
tinued to grant to favorites patents to large
portion of the best lands in Western Vermont
A struggle ensued, the result of which was the
settlers of Vermont, with the aid of Ethan AL
len and the "birch SEAL" succeeded in maintain.
ing their rights. The subject was discussed in
mastery manner and the conclusions of His
the weight of a judicial opinion. Mr.. White
followed with an interesting address on the
Early Poets of Vermont, in which he spoke Of
the lives and literary characters of Thomas
Rowley of Dandy, Josias Lyndon Arnold O
St. Johnsbury, and Royal Tyler of Brattlebo
no.
In the afternoon the members of the Societ,
went in carriages to see the sites of Forts Dunn
mer in Brattleboro, and Sawtell and Bridgmal
in Vernon. 1t was at the latter place that Mr.
Caleb Howe was killed by the Indians, and hi
wife, Mrs. Jemima Howe, was taken and car
ried into captivity The burying ground con
tanning her remains with the tombstone erected
to her memory, was also visited
At the session Wednesday morning severa
donations of valuable books and pamphlet
were made, and among them the Statutes O
Vermont for 1887, presented by Henry Burn
nam vi blutteooIo, anu Jesuit helutloIi, Trans
lated by the Hon. Alexander ii. Buel of De
troit, Michigan, which was referred to a selec
committee consisting of Gov. Hail. the Hon
George p. Marsh, the Hon. George Folsom, an,
the Hon. Daniel Kellogg to examine and repor
thereon at the annual meeting of the Society il
October next.
This resolution gave rise to an extended AM
interesting debate in which the Hon. Georg
Folsom, Hon. Charles l. Walker and Edwar
Kirkland, Esq, participated. Other donation
made during the year will be duly acknowledge
in the Librarians annual report.
The Committee being called upon to make
report in regard to the material for volume {
transactions, requested further time to max
preparations, and the plan of printing volum
at an early day was discussed by Messrs. Fo
som, ]. Dorr Bradley and George F. lIoughtor
The Hon. Larkin G. Mead then read the fo