Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-03-06
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
The Centennial OF VermOnt's Admission
TO the Union, March I, 1891.

ZION OF an independent government in thi
territory, held at Dorset on September 2jth
l1ij, recognized the Continental Congress
although independence of the states had no
then been declared. The convention Of Jan
uary Is, I'M, which had followed from this
after declaring, That the district of lane
commonly called and known by the name oi
New Hampshire grants be new and sepa
rate State, chose Jonas FAY, Thomas Chit
tenden, Heman Allen and Reuben Jones Il
present petition to Congress that their
declaration might be received that the
district might be ranked among the free
and Independent states, and that delegates
therefrom might be admitted to seats in Con
gress. They presented the petition, where
upon that body, melted by the delegates
from New York on Monday, June 3d. 1777,
Resolved That Congress is composed of
Delegates chosen by and representing the
communities respectively inhabiting the
territories of New Hampshire, Massachu-
setts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence
Plantations Connecticut, New York. New
Jersey, Pennsylvania Delaware, MARYLAND
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina
and Georgia, as they respectively stood at
the time of its first institution" and RE
solved, That the independent Government
attempted to be established by the people
sitting themselves inhabitants of the New
Hampshire Grants can derive no counte-
nance or justification from the act Of Con
gress declaring the United Colonies To he
independent of Great Britain, nor from
any other act or resolution of Congress. "
and that the petition be dismissed
This did not hinder the adoption of the
constitution of Vermont on the 2d of July
after, at Windsor, nor the organization of
the government of the state under it. The
grant of New Hampshire in 1929 was of
all that Part of the main Land in New
England lying upon the Sea Coast begin
ming from the middle part of Merrimack
River and from thence to proceed north
wards along the Sea Coast to Piscataqua
River, and so forwards up within the said
River, and to the furthest Head thereof,
and from thence northwestwards until
three score miles be finished from the first
Entrance of Piscataqua River, and also from
Merrimack through the said River, and to
the furthest Head thereof and so forwards
up into the Lands westwards until three
score Miles be finished" " This description
did not reach TO Connecticut river, and af-
ter Vermont was organized sixteen towns
between the river and its western limit
asked to be, and we're, received as a part
of that state and the legislature of Yer
mont sat at Charlestown in 1881. Several
towns in New York along the western
of Vermont were likewise re-
reived as part of Vermont, which at the
same time was continuing to seek to be adj
mltted into the union of states, and to be
opposed in this by New York.
On June %, 1881, the legislature of Yer
mont appointed Jonas Fay, Ira Allen and
Bezaleel Woodward delegates to repair to
The American Congress with full powers to
propose to and receive from them terms for
4 union of Vermont with the United States,
and to take seats in Congress as delegates
from Vermont when terms of union SHOULD
De agreed on and ratified" The subject was
brought before Congress. which, August
!, Resolved, That in case Congress shall
the said people of Vermont they
will consider all the lands belonging to New
and New York respectively
without the limits of Vermont aforesaid as
coming within the mutual guarantee of ter
'itory contained in the articles of confeder.
alton, and on the Goth that at being the
liked purpose of Congress to adhere to the
guarantee to the States of New Hampshire
md New York contained in the resolutions
If the 1th instant Resolved That it be an
Indispensable preliminary to the recognition
If the people iuhabiting the territory called |
ermont and their admission into the fed,
'ral union that they explicitly relinquish |
Ill demands of lands or jurisdiction on the |
'ast side of the west bank of the Connect |
'ut river, and on the west side of a line be- |
yinning at the northwest corner of the state |
If Massachusetts, thence running twenty
niles east of Hudson's river etc. The |
legislature at first strongly and boldly re-
ected this condition, but on January /
1872, General Washington wrote to Gov |
rnor Chittenden as follows:
Gen. Washington's Letter.
1T is not my business neither do think it |
ecessary now TO discuss the origin of the right |
f a number Of Inhabitants to that tract of country
ormerly distinguished by the name of the New |
hampshire grants and now known by that Of |
'ermont | will take it for granted that their |
ight was good because Congress by their resolve |
( the 9TH Of August imply it, and by that of the
list are willing to confirm 1t provided the new
tate is confined to certain prescribed bounds. 1t |
ppears, therefore, to me that the dispute Of
oundary is the only one that exists and that be-
lg removed all other difficulties would be re
loved also and the matter terminated to the sat
ifaction Of all parties. You have nothing to do !
ut withdraw your jurisdiction TO the confines of |
our own limits and obtain an acknowledgment
( Independence and sovereignty under the resolve
+ the 2lst of August for so much territory as
oes not interfere with the ancient established
ounds of New York, New Hampshire and Mas
achusetts In my private opinion while 1t be-
ooves the delegates to do ample justice to
ody of people sufficiently respectable by their
umbers and entitled by other claims to be ad-
lifted into the confederation il becomes them
lso to attend 10 the interests of their constituents
nd see IT. appearance of justice to
ne they ..terially iniure the rights of
theirs. am apt to think this is the prevailing
pinion of Congress"
This letter had much influence, and Febru-
ry 23 the legislature adopted a resolution
onfining the boundaries within those lin
IS and appointed Jonas Fay, Moses Robin
Dn, Paul Spooner and Isaac Tichenor
gents Ito negotiate the admission of the
tate of Vermont into the confederation of
he United States and Delegates to Con-
ress in case of such admission COM
littee of Congress was appointed, to whom
ne subject was referred, and who reported
Aob BCoBAo VI blC sdlu ulhlTltI udu
fully complied with the stipulation made
nd required in the resolutions of the Goth
nd 2lst August" aud submitted a resolu-
on for its admission. Congress voted
own all motions to fix a day for consider
" the report, and the matter was for the
me dropped.
The colony of New York assumed TO
rant lands within what is now Vermont
n awhile. The constitution of Vermont
epudiated these grants and titles TO land
nder them. The legislature of New York
larch o, 1880, passed an act appointing
who agreed with commits
oners from Vermont that New York would
lnsent to the admission of Vermont into
le Union ''if the legislature of the state
Vermont should on or before the first
ay of January, I192, declare that on or
efore the first day of June, 1894, the said
ate of Vermont would pay to the state of
ew York the sum of thirty thousand dol
rs that Immediately from such declara-
on by the legislature of the state of Yer
ont all rights and titles to lands within
le state of Vermont under grants from
le government of the late colony of New
ork or from the state of New York; ex-
'pt in confirmation of grants from the
'ovince of New Hampshire, should cease.
he legislature of Vermont passed such an
Z October 2S, 1880. The constitution of
e United States was adopted by ratifca-
On by conventions of delegates in each
ate. A convention of delegates of Yer
ont for that purpose sat at Bennington.
rael Smith and Gardner Chandler we're
'legates from Brattleborough. On Jauu.
y 10, l19l, the ratification was agreed 10
I'd signed by one hundred and four dele
ties and dissented 10 by four. Congress
Issed
The Act of Admission.
AN Act for the admission Of the state Of Yer.
ont into this Union, the state Of Vermont hav- ,
Z petitloned the Congress to be- admitted a ,