1860, and visited Abraham Lincoln at his Illinois home. He died in Chester, Pa., April 16, 1861.

Lucius B. Peck was born in Waterbury, Vt., November 17, 1802, being the son of Gen. John Peck. After finishing a preparatory course he entered the United States Military Academy, where he remained one year, resigning on account of ill health. Having regained his health, he entered the law office of Samuel Prentiss at Montpelier. Later he studied in the office of Denison Smith at Barre, and was admitted to the bar in 1825. He formed a partnership with Mr. Smith and later removed to Montpelier. He soon built up a large practice in Washington and Orange counties and became one of the leading lawyers of Vermont, being arrayed against men like Paul Dillingham, William Upham and Jacob Collamer, in the trial of cases. He represented Barre in the Legislature of 1831, and Montpelier, in 1835 and 1837. He served two terms in Congress and was United States District Attorney under President Pierce, 185357. He then resumed his law practice, forming a partnership with B. F. Fifield. He was twice the Democratic candidate for Governor. In 1859 he was elected president of the Vermont & Canada Railroad Company, which position he held during the remainder of his life. He died in Lowell, Mass., December 28, 1866.

In his annual message, Governor Eaton protested against the charging of excessive interest to debtors. Referring to national issues, he said: "Against slavery itself as a system wrong in practice and wrong in prinċiple, Vermont has taken the ground of irreconcilable hostility; and she must and will continue to maintain

it." He alluded to "a general prosperity, before unknown," resulting from the tariff act of 1842, and to "a blight wantonly thrown over this cheerful and gratifying prospect" by later tariff legislation.

The Legislature passed an act fixing the number of Supreme Court Judges at six. A liquor license law was enacted, providing that at each town meeting held in March a vote should be taken on the question whether licenses should or should not be granted for the sale of intoxicating liquor. If a majority of the votes of the entire State showed a license majority, then the Assistant Judges of the several county courts might grant licenses Otherwise in accordance with the provisions of the act. licenses might be granted for the sale of liquor only for Licenses, medicinal, chemical and mechanical purposes. good for one year, were fixed as follows: Grocers, two dollars; tavern keepers, three dollars to twenty dollars; retailers, six dollars to twenty dollars; wholesalers, twenty dollars to fifty dollars. The following resolutions were adopted: "Whereas, in our judgment the existing war with Mexico was not founded in any imperative necessity, such as may justify or excuse a Christian nation for resorting to arms, and has now manifestly become an offensive war against a neighboring republic; and, whereas, we have just grounds for anticipating that the territory which has been or may be occupied or conquered, will become slave territory, and, as such, claim admission to the Union; and whereas, its admission as such, and with a mixed population, degraded by ignorance and superstition, and allied to us neither in interests, character or language, will endanger

the harmony, welfare and perpetuity of the Union; therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, that the honor and best interests of the Nation will be subserved by a speedy end of the war with Mexico, and a settlement of all matters in dispute by arbitration or negotiation.

"Resolved, That Vermont will not give its countenance, aid or assent to the admission into the Federal Union of any new State whose constitution tolerates slavery; and does hereby appeal to each of her sister States to concur in its own name, in this declaration."

Congressman Foot, on January 10, 1847, argued for the Wilmot Proviso. This was an amendment to a bill appropriating two million dollars to enable the President to negotiate peace with Mexico, introduced by David Wilmot, a Pennsylvania Democrat, providing that "as an express and fundamental condition to the acquisition of any territory from the Republic of Mexico by the United States, by virtue of any treaty which may be negotiated between them, and to the use by the Executive of the moneys herein appropriated, neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part of the said territory, except for crime, whereof the party shall first be duly convicted." Mr. Foot argued against the necessity of the war, expressing the belief that all our difficulties could have been settled without war with Mexico; and had war been necessary he thought it might have been carried on without doing violence to the Constitution. On the following day Mr. Dillingham opposed the extension of slavery, and favored the Wilmot Proviso. On February 22 Mr. Collamer opposed

the further prosecution of the war. All the Vermont members supported the Wilmot Proviso when it came to a vote on March 3, 1847.

Some anxiety was felt by persons opposing the licensing of the sale of liquor, concerning the result of the first vote, in the spring of 1847, as little had been done to educate the public, but the result was a substantial majority against license. As announced by the Secretary of State it was as follows: License, 13,707; no license, 21,798.

The Whig State Convention of 1847 renominated Governor Eaton and adopted the following resolution relating to the war: "Resolved, That, while the part taken by the Executive in originating the war without the knowledge of Congress, and the apparent unrighteous purpose for which it was undertaken, call for severe reprehension, we pledge him a hearty approval in every wise measure tending to a speedy and honorable peace."

The Democrats chose Paul Dillingham, Jr., of Waterbury as their candidate for Governor. A Native American ticket was nominated at Danville, July 6, headed by R. C. Benton of Lunenburg for Governor and Daniel P. Thompson of Montpelier for Lieutenant Governor. Both men are said to have declined to accept these nominations.

There was no choice for Governor in the State election, the vote being, Horace Eaton (Whig), 22,455; Paul Dillingham, Jr. (Dem.), 18,601; Lawrence Brainerd (Free Soil), 6,926; scattering, 98. Governor Eaton was reelected in joint assembly by the following vote:

Eaton, 125; Dillingham, 85; Brainerd, 19. The Legislature was divided as follows: Senate, Whigs, 21; Democrats, 9. House, Whigs, 105; Democrats, 79; Free Soilers, 20. Solomon Foot of Rutland, who had recently retired from Congress, once more was elected Speaker.

In his message to the Legislature Governor Eaton reported an improvement in the educational system of the State. He announced that legislative resolutions relating to slavery and the Mexican War, and forwarded to the several States, had been "returned forthwith" from Richmond in accordance with an act of the Legislature of Virginia. The Governor observed: "It is believed that Vermont has seen nothing in the progress of the contest (the war with Mexico) to change her sentiment, either in regard to the insufficiency of the grounds on which the war was commenced, or the unworthiness of the purpose for which it has been waged."

The Legislature authorized the Governor to appoint "the artist, B. F. Mason," to ascertain if an authentic likeness of Ethan Allen existed in Montreal, and if it did to obtain permission, if practicable, to copy the same for the State. The Governor also was directed to ascertain if any authentic likeness of Thomas Chittenden was in existence. There appears to have been in circulation a report that a likeness of Ethan Allen was to be found in a group picture in Montreal. This was altogether unlikely, as Ethan Allen probably was not in a mood to sit for a portrait during his enforced visit to Montreal as a prisoner, after failing to capture the city. So far as known no portrait of Ethan Allen ever was made. In