C KAP. 6. 



LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS. 



99 



AVAILS OF THE PUBLIC LANDS. 



GOV. VAN NESS. 



GEN. LAFAYETTE. 



man blood, and instructing their senators 

 and representatives in Congress, to exert 

 their influence and use all legal measures 

 to prevent it. 



In 1821, Mr Skinner was againelected 

 governor. In his speech, the governor in- 

 Ibrnied the assembly that he had received 

 communications from Maryland and New 

 Hampshire, respecting the appropriation 

 of the public lands belonging to tlie Uni- 

 ted States, to the several states for the 

 benefit of education, and said that the 

 people of Vermont " could feel no d<'li- 

 cacy in making a claim of this kind, for 

 no one of the United States, in proportion 

 to their ability, contributed nmre to the 

 acquisition of those riglits, which were 

 purchased by the toil, distresses and sac- 

 rifices of the revolutionary war. Situa- 

 ted on the frontier, they constituted the 

 barrier between the enemy and the confed- 

 erated states. Not having been acknow- 

 ledged as a member of the confederation, 

 no part of tlie expense they incurred in 

 the war has been assumed by the general 

 government, while they have participated 

 in the burden of the public debt." In 

 conformity with these suggestions, reso- 

 lutions were passed declaring the right 

 of each of the states to a participation 

 in the benefits of the public lands and re- 

 questing our delegation in Congress to 

 use their endeavors to procure the pas- 

 sage of an act appropriating to the use of 

 the state of Vermont, for the purposes of 

 education, such portion of the public 

 lands as should be equitable and just. 



Mr. Skinner was again elected gover- 

 nor in 18*22. In his speech he called the 

 attention of the legislature particularly 

 to the subject of maiiufaciures. The 

 committee on manufactures to whom this 

 part of his excellency's speech was re- 

 ferred, made a report, in which they say, 

 " Vermont can raise as fine wool as a.ny 

 quarter of the globe, and her mountains 

 roll down their thousand streams to aid 

 us in its manufacture. It also abounds in 

 ores, and minerals, and forests upon which 

 the industry and ingenuity of our citizens 

 might operate witli great advantage, 

 could sufficient capital be allured to these 

 objects by the patronage of our laws." 

 In compliance with a recommendation of 

 the governor an act was passed declaring 

 all contracts void where interest should 

 lie taken, or secured, at a higher rate than 

 six per cent, per annum. 



Mr. Skinner having signified his wish 

 no longer to bo considered a candidate for 

 the office of governor, at the meeting of 

 tlie legislature in ]8"-2IJ, Mr. Van Ness 

 was found to be elected in his stead. In 

 his speech he invited the attention of the 



leorislature to the immediate concerns of 

 the state, but was not sensible that any 

 material alteration in the laws were at 

 that time demanded. He discouraged all 

 change which was not particularly neces- 

 sary, as producing uncertainty in law, 

 and thereby occasioning perplexing and 

 expensive law suits. An act was passed 

 at this session prohibiting horse-racing, 

 under a penalty of the forfeiture of the 

 horses and money staked ; but few altera- 

 tions were made in the existing laws. 



[n 1824 Mr. Van Ness was re-elected 

 governor without opposition. In compli- 

 ance with the recommendation of the 

 governor, an act was passed at this session, 

 giving the choice of electors of president 

 and vice president to the people by a gen- 

 eral ticket. General La Fayette having 

 arrived in this country on the 17th of Au- 

 gust, a committee of the legislature re- 

 ported that " as a nation we owed to him 

 a debt of gratitude, and that Vermont, in 

 common with her sister states, would re- 

 joice in an opportunity of manifesting 

 it." A resolution was accordingly passed 

 requesting the governor, in behalf of the 

 people of this state, to invite General La 

 Fayette to extend his tour into Vermont, 

 and honor its citizens with his presence. 

 On the 28th of June ISS-"), La Fayette 

 entered Vermont for the first time at 

 Windsor, where he was joyfully received 

 by the governor, and a numerous body of 

 citizens assembled to welcome the early 

 benefactor of their country. From Wind- 

 sor he proceeded by the way of Montpe- 

 lier to Burlington, and was every where 

 received with the warmest affection and 

 gratitude, and with the most enthusias- 

 tic demonstrations of admiration and ap- 

 plause. 



Mr. Van Ness was again chosen gover- 

 nor in 182.'), and in his communication to 

 the assembly he invited their attention 

 particularly to the subject of internal im- 

 provements. A board of canal commis- 

 sioners was appointed and five hundred 

 dollars were appropriated to defray tiieir 

 expenses. It was made the duty of these 

 commissioners to assist any engineers, 

 who might be employed by the general 

 government to ascertain the most practi- 

 cable routes for canals within this state. 

 The great objects contemi)lntcd were, the 

 improvement of the navigation of Con- 

 necticut river and the,connexion of that 

 river with lake Champlain and lake Mem- 

 phremagogby means of canals. The law 

 setting forth the ])rinciples upon which 

 the grand list for the assessment of taxes 

 in this state, should be made out, was re- 

 l)ealcd at this session, and a new law upon 

 tliis subject enacted. 13y this act it was 



