General Congress, and form a
constitution for the State."' And he adiled, as a reason, why noth-
ing more had been done in their behalf, " until you incorporate,
and actually announce to Congress your having become a body poli-
tic, they cannot treat you as a free State '"'
la the meantime measures had been taken preparatory to a dec-
laration of independence, and at an adjourned meeting of the con-
vention, held at Westminster, on the 15th day of January, 1777,
composed of delegates from all the Counties, a formal declaration
was adopted, *' that the district of tcrritorj^, known by the name
and description of the New Hampshire Grants, of right ought to
1)0, and is hereby, declared forever hereafter, to be considered as a
free and independent jurisdiction or State, by the name of New Con-
necticut,alias Vermont." And at a meeting of the convention
afterwards, on the 4tli day of June following, it Avas resolved that
the State should be called Vermont. Joxas Fay, Tiior.iAS CiiiT-
TiiiXDEN, Heman Allex, and RiiUiiEN JoxES were appointed a com-
mittee to present to congress the above declaration, with the reasons
which induced it.
In pursuance of the advice of Mr. Youxg, the delegates who had
been chosen for that purpose, met at Windsor, on the 2d day of July
1777, and adopted a constitution, fixed a time for the choice and
meeting of the legislature under it, and appointed a committee of
safety to act in the meantime. The session of the convention was
closed in haste, occasioned by the news of the invasion of the country
by a formidable force under General Burgoyxe ; and by reason