HISTORY OF VERMONT. 261 



fore the president of the United States, the acts 

 of the convention and Iciiislature of Vermont ; 

 and on February 18lh, 1791, the admission of 

 Vermont, was completed, by an act of Con- 

 gress, without any debate, or one dissenting 

 vote. By tliis event, ?M the controversies res- 

 pecting Vermont, were brought to a conchision : 

 She was to take her seat in Congress, March 4, 

 1791 ; and the fedei'al union was completed, 

 in every part-of the United States of America. 



The violence and duration of the controver- 

 sies, in which Vermont was so long engaged, 

 jiroved unfavorable to the state of society in 

 that and in the adjacent states. During the first 

 part of their contest with New York, there wa$ 

 not any settled form of government in Vermont. 

 The people transacted their business, by the 

 meetings of towns and plantations.; by commit- 

 tees, leaders, and officers, appointed and submit- 

 ted to by general consent. The opposition to 

 New York v/as one continued scene of violence, 

 and the minds of the settlers were constantly 

 agitated by the most uncomfortable passions : 

 But a general fear of the final issue, prevented 

 both parties from proceeding to bloodshed. But 

 in one instance, was there any person slain, in 

 this quarrel. In March 1775, during the ses- 

 sion of a court holden under the authority of 

 New York at Westminster, one man was shot 

 through the body in the court house. But it 

 gave such a general alarm, that both parties 

 were more cautious to avoid the extremes of 

 irregularity. In this stage of the controversy^ 

 the settlement of the country was much prevent- 

 ed by the contrary Claims which subsisted. an4 



