200 NATURx\L AND CIVIL 



A petition t^d also been received from a 

 tiumber of the inhabitants in the adjacent parts 

 of New York, praying that Vermont would af- 

 ford them protection against the enemy in Cana- 

 da, and receive them into union with her, that 

 their forces might be mutually joined for the 

 defence of the frontiers ; informing at the same 

 time, that if their petition was rejected, they 

 must remove with their families and effects, in- 

 to the interior parts of the country for safety. 

 This petition of the inhabitants, the necessity of 

 defending the frontiers, and the measures New 

 York was pursuing to subdue Vermont, were 

 as^iigiied as reasons by the legislature, why Ver- 

 mont ought to receive those inhabitants, into 

 her union : Accordingly, on Februar}^ 14th, it 

 ivas resolved, " that the legislature of this state, 

 do lay a jurisdictional claim, to all the land 

 situate north of the north line of the state of 

 Massachusetts, and extending the same to Hud- 

 i^on's river ; the east of the center of the deepest 

 channel of said river, to the head thereof ; from 

 thence east of a north line, being extended to 

 latitude forty five degrees ; and south of the 

 sam'e line, including all the lands and waters to 

 the place where this state now exercise juris- 

 diction. And not to exercise jurisdiction for 

 the time being."* 



Thus, while New Hampshire and New York 

 were extending their claims over the whole ter- 

 ritory of Vermont, Vermont adopted the same 

 policy ; and in conformity to the petition of the 

 inhabitants, extended her claim over a large 

 part of the territory of both these states. 



Great success attended this policy : Not 



* journal of the assembly of Vermont, Vol.1. Feb. 14, 1781. 



