Douglass to Gov. Chittenden. This proved to be a claim of the Moheakunnuk, the Stockbridge Indians whose territory was described as "west of the Connecticut river, extending a short distance west of the Hudson, and into the State of Vermont." This made them next neighbors to the Mohawks, and in fact the tribe was ultimately to have a home in the Iroquois nation. This claim was finally discharged by a grant to these Indians by Vermont, of the township of Marshfield. This was the only Indian claim to land in Western Vermont until the Cognawagas made their claim in 176 1768.

GHAPTER XI.

THE PLACE OF HOLDING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS, THE CAPITOL AND LIBRARY BUILDINGS, AND SU

PREME COURT ROOM.

no

While Vermont stood as an independent State or Nation from 1777, to the time it was admitted into the Federal Union in 1791, there was no place fixed by statute for meeting and holding the sessions of the Legislature; as it was expressed in the legislative act of 1791, there were no places of "residence of the Legislature; it had seat of government-no State House. Previous to the passage of that act the Legislature met in different places about the State as was most convenient and as would meet the wishes of the members of the Legislature. The Legislature met and its sessions were held as follows: at Windsor in March and October 1778, February and April 1781, June 1782, February 1783, October 1785, and October 1791; at Bennington in February 1779, October 1780, June 1781, January 1782, February 1784 and 1787, and January 1791; at Manchester October 1779, 1782 and 1788; at Westminster March 1780, October 1783, and 1789; at Charlestown, N. H., October 1781; at Rutland in October 1784 and 1786; at Norwich

in June 1785; at Newbury in October 1787, and at Castleton in October 1790. The Governor and Council also met in special sessions at Bennington in June 1778, November 1779, July and August 1780, and June 1790; at Arlington in April and December 1779, February, June and July 1780, March and April 1781, May 1782, and April, May and June 1783; at Windsor in July 1779, March 1786, and May 1801; at Manchester in January 1780; at Shaftsbury in March 1782, and April 1784; at Rutland in August 1788, and March 1799; and at Fairhaven in March 1789."

On November 1, 1791, an act was passed declaring in the preamble, that a "great inconvenience and expense have arisen to this State by reason of having no fixed place for holding the sessions of the Legislature, and that no place near the center is sufficiently settled to accommodate the same," and therefore designated Rutland for the session of 1792, and after that at Windsor and Rutland alternately for the space of eight years, and also provided that the then next adjourned session should be holden at Windsor, and after that alternately at Rutland and Windsor for the spate of eight years. The regular October sessions of 1792, 1794 and 1796 were held at Rutland, and in 1793, and 1795 were held at WindThis covered but five years of the eight, and the only adjourned session was held at Rutland in February 1797, instead of at Windsor as the act of 1791, provided it should be. This was caused by the repeal of the act of 1791, in 1796. In fact Rutland and Windsor were subsequently selected

sor.

as the places of the meeting of the Legislature but not exclusive of other towns. Before the Legislature was permanently located at Montpelier, the sessions were held at Rutland in February 1797, and October 1804; at Windsor in October 1797, and in 1799, and January 1804; at Vergennes in 1798; and at Middlebury in 1800 and in 1806; at Newbury in 1801, Burlington in 1802, Westminster in 1803, Danville in 1805, and at Woodstock in 1807.

The act of 1791, located the sessions at Windsor and Rutland and on condition that those towns should at their own expense furnish wood and sufficent houses for the reception of the Legislature. At Windsor a "meeting house" was furnished and at Rutland a "State House" was furnished for the use of the Legislature.

In the General Assembly on October 1803, Solomon Wright of Pownal, Samuel Porter of Dummerston, Samuel Shaw of Castleton, William Perry of Hartland, Amos Marsh of Vergennes, Thomas Porter of Vershire, Udney Hay of Underhill, Reuben Blanchard of Peacham, Benjamin Holmes of Georgia, Samuel C. Crafts of Craftsbury and Daniel Dana of Guildhall on the part of the House, and Noah Chittenden of Jericho, James Witherell of Fairhaven, Eliakim Spooner of Weathersfield and Lieut. Gov. Paul Brigham of Norwich on the part of the Council, were appointed a committee to take into consideration the expediency of the measure of establishing a permanent seat for the Legislature and report by bill or otherwise. Paul Brigham for the committee reported. “that

in their opinion there ought to be appointed a committee consisting of a member from each County, to be nominated by the several County Conventions, as County officers are, for the purpose of examining and fixing upon the most proper place for a permanent seat of government and to report at the next session of the Legislature." And accordingly such a committee was appointed.

On November 12, 1803, a bill entitled an act appointing the committee named to fix a place for a permanent seat for the Legislature was before the Legislature, but it went over to the adjourned session when it was again under consideration and went over to the next regular session. On November 6, 1804, a new bill on the subject of place for a permanent seat of government was presented but it went over to the next session.

On October 15, 1805, the new bill was referred to a committee of one member from each County, joined by a committee from the Council, who reported "that they were unanimously agreed on the expediency of the measure of fixing a permanent seat, and that they have also agreed on the town of Montpelier, as being the most convenient place for the accommodation of the State at large;" and recommended that a bill be drafted accordingly. A bill was introduced on the 6th, and after some amendments the bill was passed Nov. 8, 1805, and it became a law and is as follows:

"An act establishing the permanent Seat of the Legislature at Montpelier.