Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-06-08

the part be had taken 10 the war; aud that no person
would that account, suffer any future loss or dam
age, either IN his person, liberty or property yet in
less than two days after his return be was seized aud
Imprisoned in the gaol In said county Of Worcester
under tho preteuct Of being brought TO trial In con-
| sequence of the accusations already mentioned.
THAT without any trial without the finding Of any
bill against him. and without his being allowed any
| thing to eat, drink wear, at the expense Of tue
county or state water excepted he suffered two years
| aud eleven months confinement in very disagreea-
! bic prison, although it had been customary to allow
states prisoners something for their subsistence, even
] II they had been thieves highway robbers aud muir
derers aud although be frequently peuuoned the gem
eral court or assembly Of the commonwealth Of Mas
sachusetts praying for Liberation and the enjoyment
Of those rights which were granted 70 him a. one OF
Your Majestys subjects in the dehnitive treaty Of
peace between Great Britain and America.
! That, for long time be treated With neglect
aud contempt, but was at last discharged from con-
dnement Oh the 25h day Of July, 1881, by order Of
the said General Assembly That he was liberated In
a very distressed condition, being destitute Of house
] aud home and the common necessaries Of life, but
went with his claims for the loss Of his houses, lands,
ETC. to Montreal In the Province Of Quebec, IN hopes
it was in the power Of the commissioners appointed
by Your Majesty TO inquire into the losses services
! and suderings Of the American loyalsts to grant
compensation That be found 1t was not in the power
! Of the commissioners to receive his claims because
they had not been delivered to them previous to the
beginning Of May, 1855, at which time he was in prs
H., therefore, went to Great Britain, petitioned
! for relief and had some compensation granted for
what De suffered IN tue time OF the war uut not any
thing that he knows Of, for his suherngs since the
establishment Of the peace. That he returns bis sin
cere thanks to Your Majesty for those iayours, and
further begs leave to mention that he returned TO
America in the year 1871 and having been informed
that tue commonwealth Of Massachusetts had lalit0r
bis board whilst be had been states prisoner, went
into that government to visit bis friends IN the year
l79I when be was unexpectedly lied aud imprisou
ed the gao in the county OF Bristol for not paying
for said board That he suffered four days, eighteen
hours and fifteen minutes close confinement In said
county Of Bristol, and lost by this prosecution l4l
pounds, lG shillugs aud pence, sterling. He also
lost vi n Imprisoned in Worcester 273 pouuds 10
shings and pence, sterling, in consequence Of his
non-appearauce before the supreme Judicial Court,
when he resided within the British lines in the time
I NIFaN
said commonwealth by his bondsmeu, who were also
imprisoned. That said impris0 uts also prevented
his collecting the debts that due to him In said
state, which amount to S6s pounds, shillinga and
pence, sterling including the principal, which, join
ed, amount TO 's4 pounds shiiugs and pence be-
sides the two years eleven months, four days,
eighteen hours and Is minutes imprisonment which
be has suffered repugnant TO the requsitons Of the
articles OF the peace That be has petttoned to Your
M2jestys commissioners in PHILADELPHIA, and those
appointed by the President aud Senate Of the United
States Of America for the purpose OF ascertannC the
amount Of all losses and damages divers
chants and others Your MajestyA subjects have
tanned in consequence Of their being debarred by
dry lawful impedimeuts from collecting their debts in
said states praying that they the said commissioner
would aid and assist him in obtaining compensation.
but they esteem tn mselves not empowered TO act
upon the subject, because his Imprisonment Is cou-
sidered not as a lawful but as an unlawful imped-
ment to his collecting his debts. That he under
stands that a number Of Your Majestys subjects in
Nova Scotia and elsewhere, who formerly belonged 90
Massachusetts, are debarred from receiving c0mpen-
sAtou for their debts in the same manner although II
does appear By the records that the General As
Eemby Of Massa chusetts repealed the laws they
made ID the time Of the war for the purpose OF pro-
tecng the American lOyasts, and which were repug
naut TO the dehntye treaty Of peace between Great
Britain and America, TIL the year lIs'. That It ap-
pears by article Of Congress passed in the year
1924, that foreigner is allowed to sue any state
within the limits Of the United States Of America
Therefore be way 10 obtain compensation for
the injuries and abuses that be has received than that
of mploriug Your Majesty's most gracious aid aud
assistance. He therefore prays that Your Majesty
will be grac0usly pleased 70 aid and assist your petit
toner, and all others Your MAiestys loyal subjects
who have been injured by violations Of the treaty
Aforesaid, "aud for whom no provision appears TO be
made at present for their relief in obtaining COM
peusation OF the United States in such way aud
manner as Your Majesty in your wisdom may see g.
This petition bears the following endorse
ment:
LUXE KNowLToN,
Member Of the Honorable Council for the State Of
Vermont In America and Justice of the Peace
throughout said state
The five or six years succeeding his release
from imprisonment, 1877, were spent in va
rious parts OF the United States and Europe.
In 1859 he was for short time engaged in
editing the Philadelphia Magazine He also
published an almanac, which, as you will OBJ
serve was printed in Bennington, though l
cannot learn that he had at that time any in
tention of locating in Vermont In 1890 he
published work entitled "A Tour in Hol-
land. by an American" This work was pub
|ished in Worcester, Mass. though be was
then in Europe probably he sent over the
manuscript In 1871 he had published in
Dublin a work tntitled DIR. Stearns's Tour
from London to Paris; also, in London, The
American Oracle. comPreheniing an account
OF recent discoveries in arts and sciences
Not far from 1876 4 canno; learn the exact
date he came to reside permanently in Yer
mont His irst settlement was in Dummer-
stou, where he engaged in the practice Of
phys.c There we're at that time several fam
lilies in this section who had removed here
from the vicinity Of his early home, which
may have been tue reason he selected this
comparatively usw state for his reside nee or
it may have been that he sought to elude
creditors, who were forever on his track
Very soon after his arrival he took steps to
cousummate a scheme that had been in his
mind for many years. His own words will
best convey to your minds the scope Of his
project In the year l772, observing that
the physicians could not agree when they
met to consult upon dangerous cases, under
took TO examine into the cause of the disa-
greements, and found it to be from their be.
ing instructed by different physicians aud by
different books" To remedy this be pro ~os-
ed to publish a regular aud universal system
of surgery, physc and materia medica, so
that all physicians might receive their instruc-
tion from the same source, and forever put an
end to medical chickering's. He had carefully
prepared such a work, and only awaited means
to publish it, He petitioned individuals, med
ical societies. state legislatures, and finally the
United States Congress, with q persistency
that is painful to contemplate to aid him in
establishing a lottery whereby he might raise
the means necessary (S15, ,OOO) to place his
work before the medical fraternity. The mat
ter finally resulted in his publishing in 1901
by subscription, a small work entitled 'Stearns'
Herbal, which, viewed in the light of the
ambitious project of which it was the out
come seems contemplate in the extreme. y I
will give one letter he received in reply to a
petition sent to Judge Tillinghast, then mem
Der of Congress from Rhode Island, soliciting
his aid in securing an act to legalize a lottery
for the purpose mentioned above. 1t is
fair specimen of the replies he received from
all whom he addressed on the subject-not a
POSITIVE reDuu, Dut an excuse tlat varied with
the position and circumstances of the indiyid-
ual addressed
PHILADELFHIA, Feb 13, 1899
s. STEAREs, Esq,-Dear Sir; Your favor of last
month"; enclosing petition and sundry letters recey-
ed. According to your request, delivered your let
tiers and advised with some influential members re-
specting the adoption Of the measure and have to
observe that received very little announcement.
at that time so much ont Of health to entirely
prevent me from attending Congress for about ten
days. Immediately upon being able to resume my
seat offered your petition and moved reference to
select committee, to which the House did not agree.
Am not able TO ascertain with precision the reason
which acuated this decision but presume it rests
the ground Of Congress having granted lottery
in any case, and also that it is in the power Of any
person to secure the copyright Of any performance Of
the kind. With respect, obt serY't,
T. TILLINGHAsT.
Received March 6, 1893.
The last ten or twelve years of his life
were spent in Vermont, or at LEASE think he
called this place his home he seems to have
continued his early habit of rowing about, as
he speaks of being in number of different
places in New England. After settling here,
don't know how he obtained his livelihood
he might have realized something from the
sale of his books perhaps he continued his