In 1864 a futile attempt at resuscitating the State survey was made by the passage of the following: It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: SECTION 1. The office of the State geologist is hereby continued, with a view to encourage the further development of the mineral wealth of the State. And it shall be the duty of the State geologist hereinafter named to give counsel respecting the openings to be made in mines and quarries, when de sired by the owners thereof, and faithfully to advise and assist all such persons as may employ him in an attempt to discover new mines and quarries, or to encourage the workings of those already discovered. SEC. 2. The assistant State geologist under the late survey, Albert D. Hager, of Cavendish, is hereby appointed and confirmed as State geologist of Vermont, for the purpose contemplated by this act: Provided, however, That in no case and under no circumstances shall such geologist charge or receive from the State anything for expenses or services rendered, but in accepting said office it is understood that he looks to his employers for any compensation that he may reasonably deserve to have for any professional services so by him rendered. SEC. 3. The geologist shall keep a record of such new facts relating to the geology of the State as shall come to his knowledge, and transmit a copy of the same to the governor, when requested by him, for the use of the State. SEC. 4. This act shall take effect from its passage. Approved November 22, 1864. It could scarcely have been expected that any original work of value would be accomplished under a law which, as a matter of fact, simply threw the influence of the State in favor of private enterprise. So far as publication is concerned nothing whatever came from the appointment and one is not surprised to find among the laws of 1870 the following: It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: SECTION 1. The governor shall appoint a State geologist, who shall hold his office until another is appointed in his stead under the act entitled "An act for the appointment of State geologist," approved November 22, 1864, in the place of Albert D. Hager, who has removed from this State; and so much of section 2 of said act as relates to the appointment of said Hager to that office is hereby repealed. SEC. 2. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. Approved November 22, 1870. Under this law the governor gave the appointment of State geologist to Hiram Cutting. Two years later the following acts were passed: An act providing for additions to the collections of the State cabinet. It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: SECTION 1. A sum not exceeding $200 per annum for the next two years is appropriated for the purpose of defraying the necessary expenses of the State cabinet; said sum to be expended by the curator in the collection of such specimens as he may deem of public value and properly labeling the same. SEC. 2. The auditor of accounts is hereby directed to draw his order on the State treasurer, at such times and for such sums, not exceeding the sum men tioned in section 1 of this act, in favor of the curator of the State cabinet, as shall appear to said auditor that said curator is entitled to receive under seetion 1 of this act. SEC. 3. This act shall take effect from its passage. Approved November 26, 1872. An act to appoint a State geologist. It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: SECTION 1. The governor is hereby authorized and directed to appoint a State geologist who shall have a competent knowledge of scientific and practical geology and mineralogy, and shall hold his office during the pleasure of the gov ernor. SEC. 2. It shall be the duty of the State geologist to give counsel respecting the openings to be made in mines and quarries when desired by the owners thereof, or any person interested therein, and to faithfully advise and assist all such persons as may employ him in any attempt to discover new mines and quarries, or to encourage the working of those already discovered: Provided, however, That in no case and under no circumstances shall said geologist charge or receive from the State anything for said services or expenses except he is directly employed by the governor of the State, but shall look to his employers for any compensation that he may reasonably deserve to have for any profes sional services so by him rendered. SEC. 3. The geologist shall keep a record of such new facts relating to the geology of the State as shall come to his knowledge and transmit a copy of the same to the governor, when required by him, for the use of the State. SEC. 4. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed. SEC. 5. This act shall take effect from its passage. Approved November 26, 1872. From these acts it is evident that the State had no intention of favoring to any extent work other than that of caring for and building up the State cabinet. Apparently the effort, so far as survey was concerned, was nearly as barren of results as was the previous one. Cutting, however, did publish brief reports, in pamphlet form in 1872, 1874, 1876, and 1878 as curator, and which included more biological than geological material. THIRD SURVEY UNDER G. W. PERRY AND GEORGE H. PERKINS, 1886-1900. In 1886 the matter of a survey came once more before the assembly with the following result: It is hereby enacted, etc. SECTION 1. Section 164 of the Revised Laws is hereby amended so as to read as follows: SECTION 164. The governor shall biennially appoint, with the advice and consent of the senate, a State geologist, who shall be curator of the State cabinet, and shall hold office until his successor is appointed. The person appointed shall have a competent knowledge of scientific and practical geology and mineralogy. SEC. 2. This act shall take effect from its passage. Under this law the appointment of State geologist and curator of the State cabinet was conferred upon Rev. G. W. Perry, who held the office until obliged to resign, through ill health, in 1898. In 1896 the law was modified as below: It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: SECTION 1. The State geologist shall during the next two years personally inspect the mines and quarries now in operation within the State, also deposits of minerals of economic value which have not been opened or developed. SEC. 2. He shall incorporate in his next biennial report the results of such Inspection, showing as far as possible the quality and quantity of our marble, granite, slate, soapstone, copper, and other mineral products; the extent of our mines and quarries, and the methods of working the same. He shall also make as full a statement as possible of the undeveloped mineral deposits of promising value, incidentally reporting unused water powers in the vicinity of said deposits. SEC. 3. For the prosecution of this work there shall be appropriated the sum of $1,500 annually for the period of two years. Approved November 24, 1896. Under these enactments Mr. Perry, as stated by Dr. George H. Perkins, collected a considerable amount of material for a report, which, however, he was unable to complete on account of long-continued illness. He therefore resigned early in the summer of 1898 and was succeeded by the present active incumbent, Dr. George H. Perkins, above mentioned. Up to and including that of 1900 two reports had been issued by Doctor Perkins--one on the marble, slate, and granite of the State (1898) and the second on its mineral resources (1900). As noted in the act, the present survey receives an appropriation of $1,500 annually. VIRGINIA. The first direct move in favor of a geological survey of the Virginias would seem to have been the result of a letter written by Peter A. Brown, of Philadelphia, the corresponding secretary of the Geological Society of Pennsylvania, to His Excellency, John Floyd, governor of Virginia. This letter, dated September 30, 1833, enlarged on the supposed importance of the mineral resources of the State and the great scientific discoveries which might be made through a systematic investigation under State auspices. The letter was transmitted by Governor Floyd to the legislature, together with his message of 1833-34, and the following recommendation: Whilst engaged in the improvement of the State by constructing roads for the safe and speedy transportation of the products of agriculture, we ought not to be unmindful of the great wealth which lies buried in the earth, which only |