Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-01-16

ferent success, at the Capitol, some oil the
carly official records and documents. IL
chartered the Vermont Historical SOCIETY,"
and has aided it to some extent IN puolis"
inc two volumes Of its collections and some
of the addresses delivered before IL. Du'
only within year or two has the o'a'e' 10
e,eh undertaken to complete and PRINT, !
trom the manuscripts in its possession 'nd |
in the possession Of private individuals 'ne
official records of the first representative
bodies which organized and governed 'he
infant Commonwealth. At the session oil
1872 the Legislature authorized the uo'e.
nor to appoint some suitable person 10 eu'.
and publish the journals OF the Councii "a
Safety, and the early journals oil the "o'ei
nor and Coancil, with contemporary uo'u
ments necessary to explain such records 10
he printed not faster than one volume Oh
convenient size, each year. The Governor
ercag ed FIR this service Hon. +. Z. Walton
of MONTPELIER, whose tastes. studies, anu
experience in compiling the pubilsheu COZ
lections of the Historical Society, fitted him
prominently for the task.
Volume one, containing the Journals OIL
ito Conventions and Councils from July,
I7-5 to December, III, appeared a lew
weeks since. 1t is neat volume oil 800
n,res from the press Of j. & J. NJ. Poland
of Montpelier.
The first organized resistance OF the IN
babitants of the New Hampshire Grants 10
the claims of the province of New YORK was
tbroueh town committees OF safety
These committees afterwards met IN CON
yentions, to adopt measures Tor common
nrotection. Following these were general
conventions of higher grade, composed oil
delegates from the towns, called 10 meet
~, now .vigencies of the war of the Reyo-
linton. defence of the frontiers and main
tenance of the independence Of the incip-
lent State. The volume opens with the
records of eight such conventions, whlch
met during three years from l775 to l''".
Next in the contents comes the hrst ION
stitption of Vermont. Mr.. Walton has con-
ractcd with this some interesting re-
searches int) its origin. Copied as 1t was
mainly from the first Pennsylvania
Consultation. Mr.. Walton finds the more
marked features of the constitution, IN
The Frame of the Government Oh the
Province of Pennsylvania granted by
William Penn, with the authority oil
KIM Charles H., in 1852, nearly hun
draI wears before the adoption OF the
constitution Of Pennsylvania. vi some I'M
portant features, not in fenn's frame
of Government, DR.. Benjamin Franklin
who wa. the president of the Convention
which adopted the first PENNSYLVANIA Con
| stitution was the author. To the Pennsyl-
yania Constitution, the Nermonters, IN
aIopting it for their own, made some I'M
portant additions Among these, as every
ysrmonter worthy the name should be proud
+, s.4 VA, the portion Of the first section
of the Vermont Bill of Rights, which pro-
hibits slavery. This, Mr.. Walton Asserts
doubtless not without book, TO have been
the first emancipation act IN Amerlca. In q
note to this section Mr.. Walton reprints
from the Historical Society's Collections
the first deed of emancipation ever gwen IN
the State. 1t was based on the right oil a
captor. under resolution Of Congress- 10
DISPOSE Of prizes taken in war and Is interest
ing enough to be copied here.
HEApouARrERs, Poliot. 18th Nov. ~.
| To irLoa, may ii concern kRoir ye
| Where's Dinah MATHS 4 negro woman with Nancy
her child u two months old was taken prisoner on
Lake Chanplain vi tn the British troops somewhere
near Col. tiillners patten patent the t~elta uAs
Of instant November by scout under my cohinAnH
and according 10 resolve passed by the huhy Ho4o
the Continental Congress that all the prizes oeiGhs
to the captiyators thereof. therefore she anu AeI
child became the Just property o. tne ~, H.
thereof being conscientious that II Is not rlzht ia
the sight OF God TO keep slaves, therefore OBTAIN
| iu. leave of the detachment under my command 70
1--WE her and her child their freedom DO therefore
| live the said D.nah MATHS and Nancy her enid
! freedom to pass and repass any where through the
| United State. Of America with her behaving as be
coneth and to trade and to traffic for herself and
| child as though she was free born Wlthout oelns
| mo!ested hy any person or persons. In witness
whereGnto ! have set my hand or subscribed my
name - 49,. r,.
This is certified to by the town clerk OF
Bennington as being recorded in Book No.
, of said town records.
The Council of Safety was a body of
twelve men consisting Of Heman Allen and
Ira Allen of Colchester Jacob Bagley Of
Newbury, BENZ. Carpenter of Guiliord.
Thomas Chittenden Of Williston, Jeremiah
Clarke Of SALISBURY, Nathan Clark, Jonas
and Joseph Fay and Moses Robinson OF
Bennington, Mathew Lyon Of Arlington,
and Paul Spooner of Hartland,, appointed
as temporary substitute for State Gov
ernInent in time Of war. This Council. Of
which Thomas Chittenden was president,
bore sway from January, 70, to March, rs.
Its official records. so far as known TO be in
existence, consisting of scattered minutes Of
votes, resolves, orders etc, with
an introduction. which comprises bio
graphical sketches of its members, occupy
ll6 pages Of the volume.
In March. IT'S, the first State election
took place, and theneeforward for a short
time the Board of war was the Governor and
| Council Though these formed an i'm
portant branch of the Government for
ifty-seyen years. their records have never
| been printed and their proceedings
given in the volume, have been copied
from the original manuscript records.
| These records, for something over 3 year.
| from March, -. to August, -, are given in
| the present Volume. occupying some 20
| pages An appendix of 200 pages, filed
with interesting contemporaneons dOcu-
menis too numerous to be mentioned here,
| including Ethan Aliens ''ViGdication of the
opposition of the inhabitants of Vermont to
the Government of New York, - closes the
volume. Ii is illustrated by two portraits,
| if such they can be called. of Thomas Chit
tenden, irst Governor, and Joseph Marsh,
| first Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, con-
structel from photographs of some of their
de-eendants supposed to resemble them, and
| from authentic descriptions Of their persons
and dress. OF the value of such portraits
each reader will form his own idea.
The biographical sketches of men of note
whose names appear in these records, aP-
pended in notes to the text. constitute
feature of great interest and value in the book.
There are. we should say, over a hundred
of these, including all the distinguished
pioneers of our State The compilation Of
these, from many sources, must have added
greatly to the labors of Mr.. Walton. Al
together this volume is most valuable con-
tribution to the History of our State,
and as but II limited edition is printed,
the series Of which it is one, will,
beyond question, be in great demand. The
price of the volume has been fixed at $3.50.
for which it is sent, post or express paid.
by the State Librarian, IL. A. lluse, Esq,
Montpelier. The number printed for sale
was but 600, and of these, doubtless, a