after come to my knowledge.-I am with the greatest respect your Excellency's very humble Servant THOMS. CHITTENDEN. Williston, June 16th, 1792. signed True copy from the Original.1 Acting Gov. Clarke to Gov. Chittenden. QUEBEC 5th July 1792. Sir Your letter of June the 16th delivered by Mr. Levi Allen did not reach my hand until the 30th of that month. Your representation leading to Questions beyond the sphere of my Trust, and being unaccompanied with the Proofs to be expected with Complaints of that kind, I can only give command for the Investigations to be obtained here on a Subject of such Importance to the Peace of the Border. If the Result shall be a Report affecting Points that belong to National Discussion, the information collected will go from me into such Channels as may bring the Report I receive with the Documents for its Verification under the Consideration of the Sovereignty I serve; and with these I shall not fail to transmit a Copy of your letter. I am to presume, that a similar Deference will be held by yourself, towards the Power, to which the State you Govern is reputed to be Subordinate, and I trust in the Wisdom of the Negotiations and Councils of the Sovereignties concerned, for the Maintenance of the Faith of Treaties, and the Preservation of the Common Tranquility. I am, Sir, your very humble servant ALURED CLARKE. Gov. Chittenden to President Washington. VERMONT WILLISTON July 16th 1792. Sir, Before this time I conclude you have received my Letter of the 16th of June Inclosing Sundry affidavits relative to the abuses lately offered this as well as the united States by the officers & Soldiers Stationed at Point au fair together with a Copy of my Letter to Lieu Governor Clarke upon the subject I now have the Honor to Transmit to your Excellency a Copy of Governor Clarke's answer to me I shall make no Comments upon the equivocal and evasive manner in which it is written as I was Sensible that the Conduct of this garrison might Involve questions of national Importance and desarve a national discursion I took the earliest opportunity of transmiting to your Excellency the Information I had recieved upon the subject but as the Injury was more immediately felt by the Citizens of this State I consider my Self Justifiable in requesting of the Commanding officer at Quebec an Explanation of so new and unprecedented abuses from that Quarter Imprest with the Idea that what had been done was without his order or approbation. I Submit to your Excellency how far I have acted prudent in this Business or what father or differant measures I Should have taken I think it my duty further to observe that Alburgh is a tongue of land Seperate from the main land Cauled Point a fer by the waters of Lake Champlain Containing abought Sixteen Thousand acres and is from three to Ten miles distant from the Garrison it Contains between Sixty & Seventy heads of famileys Including abought five Hundred Souls 1 From copy in Ms. Vt. State Papers, Vol. 24, p. 51. From the original, in Ms. Vermont State Papers, Vol. 24, p. 53. A part of the Settlers Possessed the Land as an old french Seignory the other part as a grant under the authority of the State of Vermont. the former Settlers finding their Title Involved and wishing to avail themselves of a Title under Vermont in order to secure to themselves the reward of their toils Assembled with the other Inhabitance and Early in the month of June organized as a Town agreeably to the Laws of this State and took the Necessary oaths to Intitle themselves to the privileges of freemen and Citizenship within this State and are (a few only excepted) Solicitous not only to be protected but Governed by the Laws of this & the united States at the Last Session of the legislature in this State Two Justises ware appointed resident at Alburgh who ware soon after sworn into office. previous to their appointment the Inhabitance had not been the Subjects of any civil Government but the place had been too much a randezvous for outlaws and fugitives from justice as their views are now meritorious it is to be hoped that every attempt to defeat them will meet its deserved recompence I have the Honor to be your Excellency very obt Sarvt Thomas Jefferson to Gov. Chittenden. T. C.1 PHILADELPHIA, July 9th. 1792. Sir, I have the honor to enclose you sundry papers communicated to me by the British Minister residing here, which have been duly laid before the President of the United States, and further to solicit from your Excellency information as to the facts therein stated, and while I am authorized to assure you that the government is proceeding sincerely and steadily to obtain by the way of negotiation a relinquishment of our territory held by the British, I am at the same time to press that no measures be permitted in your state, which, by changing the present state of things in districts where the British have hitherto exercised jurisdiction, might disturb the peaceable and friendly discussion now in hand, and retard, if not defeat, an ultimate arrangement. I have the honor to be with perfect respect and esteem, Your Exceliency's most obedient & most humble servant, His Excellency the Governor of Vermont. [PAPERS INCLOSED.] TH: JEFFERSON. PHILADELPHIA 5th July 1792. Sir, I have the honor of submitting to your consideration copies of certain papers, which I have received from Canada. They contain information that some persons, acting under the authority of the State of Vermont, have attempted to exercise legal jurisdiction within districts now occupied by the King's troops, and have committed acts of violence on the persons and property of British subjects residing under the protection of his Majesty's Garrisons. At this period, when the grounds of the subsisting differences between our respective countries are become the subjects of serious and temperate discussion, I cannot but entertain the strongest confidence that the general government of the United States will entirely disapprove of the violent conduct observed by the State of Vermont upon this occasion, From a copy, evidently made in haste, in Ms. Vt. State Papers, Vol. 24, p. 56. and will in consequence thereof adopt such measures as may be best calculated to prevent a repetition of it in future. I have the honor to be, with Sentiments of the most perfect consideration, Sir, Your most obedient humble servant Mr. Jefferson. (signed) GEO. HAMMOND. (Copy) Pursuant to express orders from his Excellency the Governor of the State of Vermont to us directed, These are to warn all the Inhabitants of the town of Allburgh qualified as the law directs to vote for town officers, to meet at the house of Michael Honsingers on the 7th. day of June next at 10 O Clock in the morning for the following pur poses. 1st. To chuse a moderator to regulate said meeting. 2nd. To chuse such civil officers as the law directs in the State. And to do any other Business that may be found necessary to be done on said day. Given under our hands at Alburgh this 16th day of May 1792. Justices SAMUEL MOTT (signed) State of Vermont. (Copy) To the Sheriff of Chittenden County or either of his Deputies-Greeting. Whereas by the complaint of Samuel Hitchcock Esquire Attorney General of the State, we are given to understand that Patrick Conroy of Alburgh in the County of Chittenden hath for some time past used and exercised the office of Justice of the Peace at Alburgh in the County aforesaid without any legal warrant, lawful authority or right whatsoever, and hath claimed and still doth claim without any legal warrant, lawful authority or right whatsover, to be a Justice of the Peace at Alburgh aforesaid and to use and exercise the said office of Justice without any legal warrant, lawful authority or right whatsoever, but the same hath usurped and still doth usurp to wit, at Alburgh aforesaid, in contempt of the States [State] and to the prejudice of the Dignity of the same. Therefore by the authority of the State of Vermont you are hereby required to make known to the said Patrick that he appear before the next Supreme Court to be holden at Burlington in and for the County of Chittenden on the fourth Tuesday of August next, to shew cause, if any he have, why an information should not be filed against him the said Patrick for thus as it is said illegally exercising the said office of Justice of the Peace within said County, to wit, at Alburgh aforesaid. Hereof fail not and make due return. Dated at Burlington this fifteenth day of May one thousand seven hundred and ninety two. (signed) ELIJAH PAINE, Judge of Sup Court. Alburgh, May 26. 1792. The within is a true copy of the original writ. attest STEPHEN PEARL Sheriff* (Copy) Extract from the declaration of Minard Yeomans. Minard Yeomans declares, that on the 8th of June in the morning Encus [Enos] Wood stiling himself Deputy Sheriff and Constable of the State of Vermont, with three other men, came up to the house of Mr. Conroy at Caldwell's Manor, and asked if he was at home. He was For Jefferson's letter, and thepapers enclosed, see Ms. Vt. State Papers, Vol. 24, pp. 54 and 47. 2 Ms. Vermont State Papers, Vol. 38, p. 165. answered no-that he was gone with Judge Dunn to Missisque BayHe then asked for Mrs. Conroy, and was told that she was in Bed. The Deputy Sheriff then told Minard Yeomans that he would seize on the Cattle-He was answered that if he did, he must abide by the consequences. On which the Sheriff seized on Minard Yeomans by force, and said they would tie him, on which he made resistence, in the act of which his coat was tore. Minard Yeomans farther says that he told them, that if they took those violent measures, he should not be able to get security for the Cattle, which they demanded, on which they desisted. After this he went to captain Savage, and gave information of what had passed, who immediately told him to send two men in a canoe over to Point au fer to acquaint Captain Dechambault with these proceedings. Captain Savage in the meantime sent a party of men to the end of the Manor, who overtook the Sheriff and his three men, and brought them back together with eight head of Cattle out of the Ten which they carried off. Two of the Cattle escaped by being ferried over to Grand Isle, before the Party came up. (Signed) MINARD YEOMANS. St Johns 9th. June 1792. (Signed) WLM. WARBURTON Adjt. 1st. Batt. 60th. Regt. 1 Thomas Jefferson to Gov. Chittenden. PHILADELPHIA July 12, 1792. Sir, I had the honor of inclosing to you on the 9th. instant copies of some papers I had received from the British minister here, and I have now that of forwarding some received from him this day. I must renew my entreaties to your Excellency that no innovation in the state of things may be attempted for the present. it is but lately that an opportunity has been afforded of pressing on Gr. Britain our rights in the quarter of the posts, and it would be truly unfortunate if any premature measures on the part of your state should furnish a pretext for suspending the negociations on this subject. I rely therefore that you will see the interest even of your own state in leaving to the general government the measures for recovering it's rights, and the rather as the events to which they might lead are interesting to every state in the highest_degree. I have the honor to be with sentiments of perfect respect Your Excellency's Most obedt & most humble sert. The Governor of Vermont. TH: JEFFERSON. [PAPERS ENCLOSED.] (Copy) WILLYTON [Williston'] 16th. May 1792. The Constitution and laws of this State require the executive Officers of Government to carry into effect the laws and Government of the same. It is therefore incumbent on you as civil magistrates te execute your functions and cause Town officers to be appointed and sworn to a faithful discharge of their duty; it is incumbent also on the people to assist 'Ms. Vt. State Papers, Vol. 38, p. 179. It is supposed that this and the preceding paper were among those inclosed in Mr. Jefferson's letter of July 9 1792. It is probable Gov. Chittenden wrote "Willyston." The editor has seen it written thus, or Wyllyston, which was the true name, as the town was named for Gen. Samuel Wyllys, of Hartford, Conn. you to form such regulations in the town of Alburg which is now unquestionably established within the bounds of this and of the United States of America, and under the Government thereof. In case there are any of the Inhabitants of said town that have sworn allegiance to the King and Government of Great Britain, such obligations cease with the Government and can be no obligation [objection] to a submission to the laws of this and the United States. Would those people chuse to be under the British government, they must move within its limits, otherwise they ought to submit to the government of the State in which they live. Your humble servant. (signed) THOS CHITTENDEN. N B. If your people refuse to pay attention to the above requisition I cannot think it will be long before this government will call on them in a different way to submit to the laws thereof. Should they be put to the necessity of taking so disagreeable a measure, I should not think strange should they be obliged to pay up all the back taxes, since you were represented, as some towns in this State in like circumstances have done.' (signed) T. C. Messrs. Mervin [Marvin] and Mott Esqrs and People of the Township of Alburg. (Copy) Chittenden County To the Sheriff of Chittenden County, his Deputy State of Vermont or either of the Constables of Alburg, Greeting: By the authority of the State of Vermont you are hereby required to attach the goods chattels or estate of Patrick Conroy and Minard Yeomans or either of their Goods Chattels or estates both of Alburgh in Chittenden County to the value of fifty pounds lawful money and them or either of them notify according to law and for want thereof to take their bodies or either Bodies if to be found within your precincts and them or either of them safely keep so that you have them or either of them before our Judges at Burlington at the next County court to be held for the said County of Chittenden on the last Tuesday of September next save one then and there to answer unto Joseph Mott Jun" of Allburg aforesaid in an action of trespass committed in destroying of timber cutting carrying off destroying fences and buildings and sundry more trespasses committed to the said Joseph Mott Jun" possession or improvement to the damage of the plaintiff as he says fifty pounds lawful money for the recovery whereof with just costs the Plaintiff brings this Suit. hereof fail not but of this writ and your doings herein make due return according to law. Dated the 11th, day of June Anno Domini 1792. SAMUEL MOTT Justice of the Peace. A true Copy JOSEPH MOTT Jun Constable-one Grey horse his improvements his square oak timber that lays upon his Premises the property of Patrick Conroy and Minard Youmans attached. June the 12. A. D. 1792.2 (signed) 'Alburgh was represented in the General Assembly of Vermont in 1786 and 1788. 2 Jefferson's second letter and the foregoing papers enclosed are in Ms. Vt. State Papers, Vol. 24, p. 55. The penmanship of the papers copied is the most distinct and beautiful to be found in the Vermont State Papers. It was the work of a clerk of Mr. Jefferson. |