6 



I found that to the history of the legislation of Vermont on this 

 subject is attached no want of interest. The matter of a Geologi- 

 cal Survey of Vermont was first brought to the consideration of the 

 General Assembly during the administration of Gov. Jenison, in 

 1836, and in the following year (October session, 1837,) the sub- 

 ject was referred to the Committee on Education, in whose behalf 

 the late Gov. Eaton submitted to the Senate a carefully prepared 

 report,* accompanied by able and important documents. Although 

 the subject was discussed at each succeeding session of the Gener- 

 al Assembly, the first Act was not passed until October, A. D. 

 1844,t and the second act received the executive sanction in De- 

 cember, 1853 1 the one making provision for the Survey, raid the 

 other providing for its completion. 



The duties devolving upon the State Geologist, by virtue of the 

 Act of 1844, are clearly set forth in the third section of said Act, 

 and are as follow : " It shall be the duty of the State Geologist, 

 as soon as practicable, to commence and prosecute a thorough 

 Geological Survey of the State, embracing therein a full and scien- 

 tific examination and description of the rocks, soils, metals and 

 minerals ; make careful and complete assays and analyses of the 

 same ; and annually, on before the first day of October, to report 

 to the Governor the progress of the work, the most efficient and 

 economical manner of conducting it, and an estimate of the ex- 

 pense for the ensuing year."t 



By virtue of this Act, Gov. Slade appointed, as State Geologist, 

 Professor Charles B. Adams, at that time Professor of Chemistry 

 and Natural History in Middlebury College, who entered upon his 

 duties on the first day of March, 1845, and who made four annual 

 reports upon the Survey indicating its advancement, which reports 

 were duly submitted by the Governor to the General Assembly, 

 and printed and distributed among the people. The Legislature 

 having made no provision for embodying the facts which were 

 gathered during the three years of the Survey in a systematic 

 report, and having failed to make any appropriation for a con- 

 tinuance of the work, the Survey was suspended the manu- 

 scripts, field-books and specimens being locked up in about fifty 



* See Appendix No. 5. 

 f See Append x No. 2. 

 4: See Appendix No. 3. 



