Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-06-24

Governor and ccu,cil, Vol VIII.
The eighth ,li last volume Of the Records
of the Governor and Council Of Vermont,
which has just appeared, covers the period
from 1881 to 1896, when the old Council of
twelve Councillors ceased 10 exist, and was
succeeded by Senate OF thirty Senators.
The records of the five Councils within that
period, fill about half the volume. The re-
naming $50 pages are occupied with the
several appendices. Appendix \ gives
Gov. Palmer's speeches at the opening OF
four successive legislatures Appendix IL
is devotrd TO the report of committee on
the boundary line between Vermont and
New Hampshire, made in 1881 Appendix
C gives an opinion Of Judges Titus liutchln-
son and s ). Phelps, on the tenure of The
executive office, 10 the eject that the govern
or continues in office till his successor IS elect
ed In Appendix II, various documents re-
lating to the groundless claim of the Caugh-
nawaga Indians to Il large par: of the land
of Vermont on the west side of the noun
tains, which has been made and reasserted
over and over again for 80 years past. In
Appendix X, President Monroe's tour IN
Vermont in 1917, from Windsor to Burlng-
ton, with the various addresses to the Presl-
dent and his speeches In reply, IS reported.
Appendix J describes briefly some twenty
old maps of Lake Champlain and portions OF
North America, covering in whole or part
the territory which is now Vermont, dating
from Champan's maps Of 1862, down TO
Hutchinsons map of Vermont, published in
1921.
A copy of one Of these old maps published
at New Haven, Conn, in 1873, is given III
this appendix. On this the Winooskl and
Lamoille rivers are COMPOUNDED i'll one, which
is entitled: "R la Moclle. French River,
o. Wenusou, also Oniain." Shelburn Point
is called Plaster Point. The towns in this
vicinity are generally correctly named on
this map except that Huntington is called
New Huntington, in the Eastern part OF Will
liston the name Deeriield is written, and Fer
risburg is called Ferrersburgh. The territory
now occupied by Montpelier and the noun
tain towns south is not laid out into town.
ships, and portion of it, large enough for a
county, is labelled marble quarry"
Various historical documents and memoir
anda are given in other appendices. Among
the brief biographical sketches are those oil
Gov. Palmer, Benning Wentworth, Judge 5.
S. Phelps, Hon. W. A. Griswold, Geo. T..
Marsh, Capt ii. b. Sawyer, Gen. I. Is.
Ransom, and other prominent Vcrmonters
The volume is illustrated by steel engraved
PORTRAITS of Gov. Palmer and Gov. Silas Ii.
Jennison. Chronological, biographical and
other induces close the volume and add to the
value of the work.
The State is to be congratulated on the
completion of this Documentary History
and on the satisfactory way in which the
work of compilation and editing has been
performed by Mr. Walton. On similar his
tories, not as complete or valuable, though
more volumnous other States have spent
large sums The publication of the Docu-
1mentnry History of New York in ten large
ouarto volumes, cost that State over $500, =
900. In the preparation aud printing OF the
eight volumes of the Governor and Council
of Vermont a'out $50, 900 have been eX-
pended. OF the compiler. the st. Adams
Messenger well and truthfuly says:
For such an undertaking there was no
man in Vermont, and there were probably
few in any other State, so well adapted as
Mr.. Walton. Having been an editor OF long
experience and following in the footsteps OF
his father having always lived at the State
capital and enjoyed personal acquaintance
with most of the public men of the State Tor
half century and with many of the descend
ants of the first generation of our founders
and statesmen having enjoyed longer
and more intimate familiarity with The
State press than any other man, and having,
withal, mind given to facts and data, SO
much so he has often been called called a
walking cyclopedia," Mr. Walton went
with confidence and case through task
which would have appalled, most men In the
beginning and discouraged them at every
stage. He has committed few or no errors
and has corrected many. The work will be
years go by. 1t has garnered the material
for such a narratige history of the State rs
no one has yet written well. When it is fol
lowed by Mr. Benedicts history OF Yer
monts part in the War of the Rebellion, the
State will have done her part, and honored
herself in doing 1t, towards teaching 10 after
generations the lessons that will be better
than fortresses and armies 10 secure her per-
petuity.
As to the manner IN which Mr.. Walton has
done his work, the opinion of Mr.. Benson }.
Losing, the historian and antiquarian, will
be allowed to be that of competent Judge.
Mr. Losing gives that opinion in the follow
ing private note, which, shown us Tor our
own information, We venture to share with
our readers, as very high, truthful and I'M
partial testimony to the great and permanent
value of the work: