When the Legislature reassembled at Windsor, April 5, the returns showed that the proposed Eastern Union had been approved. The New Hampshire towns which voted to unite with Vermont were Hinsdale, Walpole, Surry, Gilsom, Alstead, Charlestown, Acworth, Lemster, Saville, Claremount, Newport, Cornish, Croydon, Plainfield, Grantham, Marlow, Lebanon, Grafton, Dresden, Hanover, Cardigan, Lyme, Dorchester, Haverhill, Landaff, Gunthwait, Lancaster, Piermont, Richmond, Chesterfield, Westmoreland, Bath, Lyman, Morristown alias Franconia and Lincoln. The Vermont towns of Bennington, Manchester, Clarendon, Dummerston, Londonderry, Woodstock and Hertford opposed the union. Members from most of the towns east of the Connecticut River, which voted for union with Vermont, appeared, and were given seats in the General Assembly.

Soon after the annexation of these New Hampshire towns, the proposed Western Union was taken up by the Vermont Legislature. Petitions from several New York towns were received on April 10, 1781, asking to be placed under Vermont jurisdiction. These towns included Cambridge, Camden, Granville and Skenesborough. The petitions having been considered in committee of the whole, that committee reported on April 11 that the Legislature recommend to the people to the westward over which Vermont had recently laid a jurisdictional claim, that they should appoint members to attend a convention to be held at Cambridge (N. Y.) the second Wednesday of May; that a legislative committee be appointed to meet this convention; that in case articles of union and the matter of raising men for the

defence of the frontiers be agreed upon, that the articles be transmitted to the various districts, and that members should be elected to the Vermont Assembly; that in the event that two-thirds of the districts choose such members they should take their seats. The report was adopted by a vote of forty-eight to thirty-nine. All but twelve of the negative votes were cast by members from towns east of the Connecticut River and until recently a part of New Hampshire. Evidently the Connecticut River towns did not look with favor upon any annexations which would deprive that valley of its supremacy in the Vermont Legislature.

At a convention held at Cambridge (N. Y.) May 9, 1781, representatives were present from Hoosick, Schaghticoke, Cambridge, Saratoga, Upper White Creek, Black Creek, Granville, Skenesborough, Greenfield, Kingsbury, Fort Edward and Little Hoosick.

It was proposed that the district lying north of a line extending from the northern boundary of Massachusetts to the Hudson River, east of said river and south of the forty-fifth parallel of latitude, be considered a part of the State of Vermont; that the whole military force of Vermont should be exerted in the defence of this district as occasion might require; that application should be made for the admission of Vermont to the Confederation as soon as circumstances would permit; that the people of the district should have credit for the Continental taxes they had paid into the New York treasury if Vermont should be called upon later to pay its proportion of money emitted by Congress; that no additional costs should

result to the people of the district on account of a transfer of court jurisdiction; that the changing of jurisdiction should not affect or alienate private property." The committee of the Vermont Legislature, of which Moses Robinson was chairman, stipulated that the independence of Vermont should be held sacred and that when the State became a member of the American Confederation the Legislature should submit any boundary disputes to Congress or any other tribunal mutually agreed

upon.

These terms having been accepted by the Cambridge committee, the Vermont Legislature approved the articles by a vote of fifty-three to twenty-four. Eighteen of the negative votes were cast by members from towns east of the Connecticut River. Credentials were then presented admitting fifteen persons from the Western District as members of the General Assembly. It was voted that notice of the annexation of territory and reasons therefor be transmitted to adjacent States, and that delegates be appointed to repair to Congress with the power to propose and receive terms for a union with the United States, such delegates to be empowered to take seats in Congress when terms of union should be agreed upon. Jonas Fay, Ira Allen and Bezaleel Woodward were appointed delegates to Congress.

By legislative enactment the Western District was divided into townships, Little Hoosick, Hoosick, Cambridge, Schaghticoke and Saratoga East being annexed to Bennington county, while Argyle, Black Creek, Eastborough, North Granville, South Granville, Fort Edward, Kingsbury, Skenesborough and White Creek

became a part of Rutland county. Governor Chittenden issued a proclamation on July 18, 1781, formally extending the authority of Vermont over these townships, claiming that the government of New York had been very deficient in defending the inhabitants of this territory, of late had abandoned them to the ravages of the enemy, and that for several years Vermont had been the main support and protection of the people of this Western District.t

In June, 1781, President Weare of New Hampshire forwarded to the delegates representing that State in the Continental Congress, petitions from the towns of Walpole, Westmoreland and Swanzey, opposing union with Vermont. A letter accompanied these petitions which declared that "no supplies of men, money or provision can be collected at present from more than twothirds even of that part of the State which lies east of Connecticut River, and unless Congress brings matters to an immediate issue, we cannot tell how far the contagion may run, but very much fear that the State will be very soon ruined in a great measure, and not able to contribute further towards the war."

Early in August a memorial signed by James Duane and Ezra LeHommedieu, delegates representing New York, was presented to Congress, protesting against the "high handed encroachments" of the people of the New Hampshire Grants, praying for a decision of the vexed question of jurisdiction, and laying claim again to the whole territory in dispute.

In order to comprehend the policy of Congress it should be understood that the action of Vermont in

annexing portions of New Hampshire and New York, and the receipt of an intercepted letter from Lord George Germaine relating to British offers to Vermont, had thoroughly alarmed that body. James Madison, in a letter written to Edmund Pendleton, August 14, 1781, alluded to the probability of a speedy decision of the Vermont controversy, saying: "Notwithstanding the objections to such an event, there is no question but they will soon be established into a separate and Federal State."

It

Congress, on August 7, 1781, authorized the appointment of a committee of five to confer with such person or persons as might be appointed by the people of the New Hampshire Grants "respecting their claim to be an independent State, and on what terms it may be proper to admit them into the Federal Union of these States." was resolved that in case Congress should recognize the independence of Vermont that the lands belonging to New Hampshire and New York should be guaranteed against the encroachments of the new State. The committee authorized by Congress consisted of Messrs. Boudinot of New Jersey, Vandyke of Delaware, Carroll of Maryland, Montgomery of Pennsylvania, and Randolph of Virginia. The resolutions adopted by Congress relative to Vermont were sent to Governor Chittenden by General Washington, who selected Capt. Ezra Heacock as his special messenger, and charged him to ascertain whether the people of Vermont would be satisfied with the independence suggested by Congress, or whether they were really desirous of union with Great Britain. Governor Chittenden talked freely with the