Vermont was admitted into the Union, March 4th, 1791, making the fourteenth State.

It has an area of 10,212 square miles, equal to 6,535,680 acres. The population in 1870 numbered 330,552. It now has three Representatives in Congress; forms part of the second judicial circuit; constitutes one judicial district; has one port of entry, located at such place as may be named by the President, who may also designate two places in the State as ports of delivery.

Vermont was the first new State admitted into the Union, and thus made the fourteenth State.

Montpelier is the capital. The State election is held on the first Tuesday in September, and the Legislature meets on the second Thursday in October.

The enacting clause of the laws is: "It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont."

Vermont has usually been regarded as originally a Slave State, and credited with 17 slaves in 1790. It has recently been developed through an examination of the original returns, that there was that number of persons of color in the State at that time, but they were not slaves.

Virginia is also one of the original thirteen States, and had an area previous to the division in 1862, of 61,352 square miles, equal to 39,265,280 acres; but after West Virginia was set off as a separate State, there were but 38,352 square miles left of this once great State, equal to 24,545,280 acres.

The population in 1860 amounted to 1,596,318. This State has at present eleven Members of Congress. By the division the number of Representatives was cut down to eight; the new State receiving three out of the eleven. Population in 1870, 1,224,830.

Virginia lies in the fourth judicial circuit, which by the act of 1866 was composed of this State, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. There were two judicial districts in this State, anterior to the division, the Eastern and the Western. There is now but one.

There were also twelve collection districts in this State, and twelve ports of entry, all of which remain the same as they were before West Virginia was cut off, for they were all located on the Atlantic coast, or on the bays and rivers running into the Atlantic Ocean; there are also ten ports of delivery.

Richmond is the capital. The State election is held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The Legislature meets on the first Monday in December.

The enacting clause of the laws of Virginia is: "Be it enacted by the General Assembly."

When the United States government was formed, Virginia was the largest, most populous and influential State in the Union. But after 1810 she fell behind New York in population; and in 1860, she had fallen to the fifth position in this respect. The division has reduced her much below that point.

This State is often called "the Old Dominion," because it was first settled by whites after the discovery of America, an English colony being planted here in 1607.

"The Mother of Presidents," is another appellation often given to her, because four of the Presidents were Virginians, viz.: Washington, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe. She was also the birthplace of several others, viz.: Jackson, Harrison and Tyler.

"The Old Dominion" is now divided into two States, Virginia and West Virginia. Her political power and influence have dwindled greatly.