98 



CIVIL HISTORY OF VRRMONT. 



Part II. 



SASIUKL E. GODFREV. 



COLD SEASON. 



GOV. GAI.USHA. 



pective plenipotentiarieg. The tumults 

 of war now cpased — the gloom which 

 overhung our laud was dispersed, and all 

 were rejoiced to see our soldiers re-con- 

 verted into citizens — our implements of 

 war into instruments of husbandrj', and 

 to hear the peaceful hum of business in- 

 stead of the roar of cannon and the trum 

 pet of war. 



Section IV. 



Lcgislatitc. proceedings from 1814 to the 

 close of the year 1841. 



Before the meeting of the assembly in 

 1815, peace had been restored to the coun- 

 try and many of the causes which had 

 agitated tlie community had disappeared. 

 Tiie rcpul)lican party had now gained the 

 ascendancy in the state, and Mr. Galusha 

 was again elected governor by the peo])le, 

 by a handsome majority. The governor's 

 speech contained nothing to revive the vi- 

 olence of party. He alluded to the storm 

 of war which had just passed over their 

 heads and was now succeeded by the calm 

 and sunshine of peace, and then invited 

 the attention of the legislature to the im- 

 mediate business of the state. Among 

 the acts passed at this session was one 

 grantijig to a company the exclusive right 

 of navigating lake Champlain by steam 

 for 23 years. This act met with much 

 opposition in the house, and was passed 

 by a vote of 01 to 70. It was afterwards 

 found to be unconstitutional and void. 



The case of Samuel E. Godfrey, who 

 had been convicted of the murder of Mr. 

 Hewlet, in the State prison and was sen- 

 tenced to be hung at Woodstock, %vas 

 brought before the legislature for a re- 

 prieve, or commutation of punishment, 

 and occupied much time, but with no oth- 

 er result than the postponement of his ex- 

 ecution for a iew months. This was the 

 second execution of the kind, under the 

 government of the state. 



The spring and summer of 1816, were 

 remarkably cold. Snow fell to the depth 

 of several inches in all parts of Vermont 

 ori the Sth of Juno, and from the general 

 failure of the crops there was an uncom- 

 mon scarcity of provisions. Mr. Galusha 

 was this year re-elected governor, and, in 

 his speech, he called the attention of the 

 legislature to the encouragement of man- 

 ufactures. The customary answer to his 

 excellency's speech this year gave rise to 

 a spirited debate, in which the federal par- 

 ty were treated with great asperity, on 

 account of the vote of the representatives 

 in Congress, from Vermont, who were | 



federalists, by which the pay of the rep- 

 resentatives was increased contrary to the 

 wishes of the freemen of Vermont. With 

 this session terminated the practice of re- 

 turning an answer to the governor's 

 speech, which had, from the first election 

 of Mr. Tichenor in 1797, every year con- 

 sumed nmch time, and often given rise to 

 the most violent contentions."' 



At the three following elections in 1817, 

 1818, and 1810, Mr. Galusha was succes- 

 sively chosen governor of the state, and 

 nothing occurred to excite the violence 

 of parly, or to interrupt the general pros- 

 perit3^ Bountiful harvests rewarded the 

 toil of tlie husbandman, and the blessings 

 arising from the diliusion of knowledge, 

 the success of the mechanic arts, and tiie 

 influence of good government were gen- 

 erally diffused. In 1817, the president of 

 the United States, Mr. Monroe, in hia 

 tour through the middle and eastern 

 states, passed through Vermont, and eve- 

 ry where received the respect due to his 

 dignified office, and the gratitude merited 

 hy a life devoted to the service of his 

 country. 



In 1810, the usual business of the leg- 

 islature was transacted with unanimity, 

 and, among other things, a resolution 

 was adopted approving in the highest 

 terms of tiie measures and objects of the 

 American Colonization Society. Mr. Ga- 

 luslia having signified his intention to re- 

 tire from public life, the house adopted a 

 resjK'ctful address to him on the occasion, 

 in which they say that, " on a review of 

 the events of the memorable struggle of 

 our fathers for independence, we fiiul you 

 in early life on the banks of the Walloom- 

 scoik, with your patriotic band teaching 

 them boldly to defend their country. In 

 discluirgingthe duties of councillor, judge 

 and governor, you have ever merited and 

 received the approbation of your fellow 

 citizens." 



In 18'20, Richard Skinner, formerly 

 chief justice of the state, was elected 

 governor. In his speech, he presented a 

 clear view of the evils resulting from the 

 frequent alterations in the public statutes, 

 and he expressed as his opinion, that the 

 present organization of the Vermont ju- 

 diciary, was calculated for the despatch 

 of business and to prevent the multiplica- 

 tion of lawsuits. At this session a reso- 

 lution was passed remonstrating against 

 the admission of Missouri into the union 

 with a constitution legalizing slavery, 

 and the cruel and unnatural traffic in hu- 



*At the rouimpncement of the session in 1817, tlie 

 question— Shall there be a committee raised to re- 

 port an answer to the yovornor's speech .' — was de- 

 cided in the negative — yeas 77, nays 103. 



