[Signature: "Horace Eaton" appears under state seal in upper left corner]

ToHonorable George P. Marsh and Honorable Charles Paine.

Page 1

Greeting.

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Whereas, the Legislature of Vermont at its annual session A. D. 1846. passed a resolution, as follows, to wit: "Resolved, that the Governor be requested to appoint some suitable person or persons, whose duty it shall be to correspond with the eminent sculptor Powers, a native of Vermont, now resident in Italy, to ascertain the terms upon which he will execute statues in marble of Ethan Allen and Thomas Chittenden, to be placed in the vacant niches in the lobby of the Capitol:"

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Now I do hereby appoint you to perform the duty mentioned in said resolution. You will at suitable times make report of your doings to me.

Given under my hand and the seal of said State the first day of December A. D. 1846.

By the Governor,Frd Billings Secretary.

References in this letter:

Horace Eaton, (1804-1855), was elected to the office of Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, 1843-1845, and to the office of Governor of Vermont, 1846-1848, after being nominated by the Whig party of Vermont.

Charles Paine, (1799-1853), was the Governor of Vermont, 1841-1843 and a member of the Whig party. He was, at that point in the history of the state, the youngest man ever to be elected to the position.

Ethan Allen, (1737/38-1789), is considered, with Ira Allen and Thomas Chittenden, one of the founding fathers of the state of Vermont. As a commander of the Green Mountain Boys, a local militia, outlawed in New York, Allen was a considerable force in the defense of the newly formed state against the British.

Thomas Chittenden, (1730-1797), was the first governor of Vermont, elected in 1778. He is considered a founding father of the state of Vermont. He was regularly re-elected to the office of governor, until March of 1797, except for the year 1789, when he was defeated for on term.

Frederick Billings, (1823-1890), was a lawyer, statesman and president of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Billings gave George Perkins Marsh's library, a collection of 12,000 items, to the University of Vermont. He also provided funds for a building to house the collection, the Billings Library, now the Billings Student Center.