HISTORY OF VERMONT. 331 



and purposes a part of the federal constitution. 

 After some formalities about the proper mode 

 of proceeding, and some debates upon the sub- 

 ject, it was resolved to adopt the proposed al- 

 teration, yeas 93, nays 64 j and U was soon 

 passed into an act of the state, with all the re- 

 gular forms and signatures.* The expence of 

 the adjourned session was 4,964 dollars and 88 

 cents ;t aod having decided upon an alteration 

 of the constitution, and attended to some state 

 business, the assembly adjourned after a session 

 of twelve days, 



No political measure had ever been attended 

 with greater contention and debate, or pursued 

 with a more determinate resolution than this. 

 On the one hand it was contended, that the 

 measure was fit and necessary to be taken ; that 

 the constitution of the United States, contrary 

 to the intention of the framers of it, and to the 

 expectations and wishes of the people, did in 

 fact admit of the case that a person might be 

 pluced in the president's chair, whom the electors 

 did not mean to appoint ; that an instance had 

 occurred already, in which this difficulty had 

 nearly occasioned a dissolution of the federal 

 government and union ; that it might, and 

 probably would happen again, and that ihe con- 

 sequences might be fatal to the whole federal 

 system ; that most of the states had in fact 

 wished for such an alteration, and that several 

 of them had actually proposed and urged it ; 

 and that Vermont in particular, in the year IV 99, 

 had adopted and proposed this alteration and 



f Journal for 1 8041 p; 2 ;;4 



