HISTORY OF VERMONT. 169 



the name 6f New Connecticut, alias Vermont ; 

 And that the inhabitants that at present, or that 

 may hereafter become resident within said terri- 

 tory, shall be entitled to the same privileges, 

 immunities, and enfranchisements which are, 

 or that may at any time hereafter be allowed, 

 to the inhabitants of any of the free and inde- 

 pendent states of America : And that such 

 privileges, and immunities, shall be regulated 

 in a bill of rights, and by a form of govern- 

 ment, to be established at the next session of 

 this convention."* 



Having taken this decisive step, they drew 

 irp a declaration and petition to Congress, in 

 which they announce to that body, as the grand 

 representative of the United States, that they had 

 made and published a declaration, " that they 

 would at all times thereafter, consider them- 

 selves as a free and independent state, capable 

 of regulating their own internal police, in all ^ 

 and every respect whatsoever 5 and that the 

 people in the said described district, had the 

 sole exclusive right oi governing themselves, iii 

 such manner and form, as they, in their wis- 

 dom,, should choose ; not repugnant to any re- 

 solves of the honorable, the continental Con- 

 gress : And that they were at all times ready, 

 in conjunction with their brethren in the United 

 States, to contribute their full proportion to- 

 wards maintaining the present just war, against 

 the fleets and armies of Great Britain. "f They 

 petitioned Congress that their declaration might 

 be received, that the district therein described, 



• Recorcis of the Convention. Appendix, No, VIII- 

 + Copy, attested by J. Fay, clerk. 



VOL. II. W 



