HISTORY OF VERMONT. 199 



several influential men in the interest of New 

 Hampshire, inviting the westcrrf towns to send 

 representatives, to attend a convention at Charles- 

 town, The convention was held, January l&th, 

 1781 ; and consisted of representatives from 

 forty three towns. To the disappointment of 

 those who had proposed the measure, a large 

 majority of the convention, appeared to be iit 

 favor of joining with the government of Ver- 

 mont. A committee was appointed to confer 

 with her as,sembly, on- that subject : And on 

 February 10th, the committee informed the as- 

 sembly, then sitting at Windsor, that '^ the con^ 

 vention of the New Hampshire towns, was de- 

 sirous of being united with Vermont, in one 

 separate independent government, upon such 

 principles as should be mutually thought the 

 most equitable and beneficial to the whole." In 

 consequence of this application, the legislature 

 resolved, on February 14th, that " in order to 

 quiet the present disturbances on the two sides 

 of the river (Connecticut) and the better to en- 

 able the inhabitants on the two sides of said riv- 

 er to defend their frontier, the legislature of this 

 state, do lay 2i jurisdictional claim to all the lands 

 whatever, east of Connecticut river, north of the 

 Massachusetts, west of the Mason line, and 

 south of latitude forty five degrees ; and that 

 they do not exercise jurisdiction for the time 

 being." The convention o'f the New Hamp- 

 shire towns, was then sitting at Cornish, on the 

 opposite side of the river ; and on February 

 twenty second, the articles of union were agreed 

 tipon and confirmed ; and the assembly of Ver- 

 mont resolved, that they should be held sacred.* 



• Journal of tke assembly of Verraantj Vol. I, p. 3J6. 



