Lake Memphramagog, with its numerous conflu ents, mac, in some respects, be regarded as an ano maly in the geography of Vermont. The lake itself, extending to 25 miles in length, with a mean width of perhaps two miles, and with about one-third of its length in Vermont, receives its confluents from each chain, and is, with these tributaries, part of the drains of the central mountain valley, but, de clining uorthwardly, bears its water into St. Law rence by the St. Francis. See Table XVII., article UNITED STATES. Lake Memphramagog, distant 40 miles from Champlain, is 562 feet more elevated.
From the preceding elements, with the exception of the comparatively small section drained into Lake Memphramagog, and which slopes north wardly, the great body of Vermont is composed of two inclined plains, having the eastern chain of its mountains as a common apex, and the channel of Connecticut as its eastern and most elevated base, and the shores of Lake Champlain as the western and most depressed base. Through this main chain, the summit level between Passumpsic sources and those of Lake Memphramagog are 1175 feet above the Atlantic tides, and that between Onion and White rivers is about 850 feet, of similar relative elevation. independent, therefore, of the geographic position of its natural sections, the mean and ex treme temperature of Vermont must differ greatly, following the rapid change of height. The eleva tions given are taken from measurements made with canalling projects in view, taken, of course, along the streams, and over the lowest gaps of the mountains, of consequence, in every case of the streams, below the arable country adjacent. The cultivated soil differs in height above the ocean from 100 to, it is probable, 1500 feet, or to an amount exceeding an equivalent to three degrees of latitude.
The soil of Vermont is as various as its surface. but a large proportion productive. The soil and climate are more suitable to grasses than to fruit, though of the latter the apple in particular succeeds well. Of minerals, iron ore is the only one of value that. is abundant.
The opening of the Hudson and Champlain canal was of inestimable advantage to western Vermont. having an inland sea extending about one hundred miles along its western border, and into which the canal entered, more than one-half the state was opened to tide navigation, which was before in a peculiar manner secluded. Pot and pearl ashes, the product of immense forests, and even the timber of those forests, now find a ready market. Consulting the tables of relative height in the article UNITED STATES, will disclose the fact, that 901 feet of lock age is only necessary to open the tide navigation of St. Lawrence to Lake Champlain. The subjoined ta bles will exhibit how much the advance of population in Vermont has depended on commercial facility.
Political the abstract of the respective enumerations of the people of the Uni ted States, taken in 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1820. published by the United States general govern ment, with the result of the census of 1830, we find that it was not until the census of 1820 was taken that the counties of Vermont were complete, as they stand in that of 1830. We have therefore con
structed the general table so as to include only the two last enumerations, as by them alone can be made any beneficial statistical comparison.
Increase from 1820 to 1830, 44,893, or a little above 19 per cent.
By the census of 1830, there were in Vermont 153 persons amongst the whites, and 5 coloured persons, who were deaf and dumb: and 51 whites who were blind.
Political ; Judiciary ; Legislature, styled General Assembly, compOsed of one house only, elected annually by the people.
Lieutenant Governor, and Council of 12; all elected annually by the people. Every orderly freeman of 21 years of age, a citizen of the United States, and who has resided in the state one whole year next before the election at which he offers to vote, is entitled to the right of suffrage.
Judiciary elected annually by the General Assem bly, is composed of a Supreme Court, consisting of three judges, and a county court for each county, with three judges each.
Sheriffs and justices of the peace also elected an nually by the General Assembly.
first civilized settlement of Ver mont, as far as recorded with certainty, dates no farther back than 1724, when Fort Dummer, on Con necticut river, was founded. In 1731, Crown Point, on Lake Champlain, was fortified, and settlements commenced on that side. Though vexatious to the early settlers, the political existence of Vermont, as a state, rose from its soil being claimed by both New York and New Hampshire. The first land grants came from the latter, but the former claimed the country under the Duke of York's patent. Be fore the revolution, both the contending colonies submitted their claims to the British crown, and New York prevailed. The country having been in great part settled under grants from New Hamp shire, which the Assembly of New York declared null and void, compelled resistance, as a measure of self-defence, and Vermont was found at the com mencement and end of the revolution unconnected with any contiguous colony. During the struggle against Great Britain, the Vermonters did their duty.
The revolution consummated, New York urged its claims of soil and jurisdiction, which were finally withdrawn, Vermont paying 30,000 dollars. This controversy ended in 1789, and the people immedi ately took measures to obtain admission into the Union as a state. On the 14th March 1791, Ver mont became the fourteenth state of the confede racy.
The constitution under which Vermont entered the confederacy was superseded by another, which was adopted at Windsor, 9th July, 1793. Except to improve their country with roads, bridges, manu factories, and schools, the people of Vermont have afforded little element for history for thirty-eight of the last years of their progress as an independent republic.