Reply to Exeter's Objections. To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq. Capt. Gen Gov & Command in Chief the Hone His Majestys Council & House of Represen for the Prove of New Hamp. es The Reply of the Petitioners for a Bridge over the River at New Market to the Objections made by the agents of the Town of Exeter. 1st It is objected a bridge would stop the course of the fish &c. This is w' the objectors cannot prove, it is Gratis dictum, nor does it carry probability with it that an open Bridge as this is proposed to be, should stop the passage of Fish only by having a few Piers standing in the River, it may with almost Equal truth be said, that ships & Vessels in the River Stop the Course of the fish, & so there should none of them be Suffer'd to pass besides the advantage made by fishing at the head of the River is too Inconsiderable to be put in the Scale against the advantage of such a bridge. 2 their second Objection supposes that the building this bridge would prevent all trade &c. it is not fair to suppose the case other ways than it Really is, or will be. An open Bridge will not prevent trade, passing & Repassing with Vessels &c. a bridge may be so Contrived as to be very little Impediment to that. Some Inconveniencys allways attend the building of Bridges, and if none was to be built but only where there should be no Inconveniency attending there will never be another built & if that had been the Rule of judging concerning those that have been done, there never would have been one made over a River But in Such a Case the Greater Public Benefit is to have the Preference if the building the bridge will serve 100 People in the Course of a year to the Same Degree it disserves or prejudices 99 the Bridge ought to be built, that a bridge can be so made as to be very little Damage to the passage on the River, we need only to look about us, & see what has been done in other places. Vessels of near 100 Ton pass & Repass London bridge (as well as many other places) tho' they are forced to strike their Masts, yet the trouble was not tho't Equal to the advantage of the Bridge. As to the Lumber Trade tis well Known it Decreases every year at Exeter. Lumber bro't out of the Conntry is carry'd to other places more than to Exeter, & if this Bridge is built more will come over it or to it, in one year than come down the River from Exeter in three. 3 their third objection is but little different from the 2 it supposes that there could be no passing the Bridge, without Insuperable difficulties, which is only beging the Question, the Petitioners think a Bridge may be so contrived as to be no other Impediment in passing but only a few Minutes time & a little care and they have the Examples of other places & People to support them in their Opinion, as to what they say about the Inducem to Settle at Exeter it is a great mistake for they settled there as soon as at Portsm" for the sake of the falls for Grist Mills & not for the Sake of transporting Lumber to Portsm° when every man there might cut it at his own door or within a few Rods of the River. 4 their 4th objection is still the Same only to make it a little more formidable, the Mast Trees are bro't in & His Majestys name made use of, and is it more difficult for a Mast tree to Swim under a Bridge than for a Gundeloo of wood or a Raft of Boards, what may easily pass as the bridge may be contrived. But how many mast trees are bro't to the head of Exeter River in a year, & those that are might with as Little Difficulty be hal'd below this Bridge & would be so was the bridge erected, but this objection was made only to fright People with those Potent words his Majesty's use, and to carry a more frightful idea they Suggest the Lives of the People would be in danger which is nothing but suggestions. 5 The fifth Objection Relates to the depriving People of their Privilege, this objection operates Equally in all other cases of this nature & if attended to, no bridge had ever been built nor tyde mills, nor any works upon Rivers which makes the passage more difficult for they are always some disadvantage to those whose Estates lay above such works, and 'tis almost impossible but that every Public work is a prejudice to Particular Persons, the Repair of a Bridge that the Public maintains, is a prejudice to the Owners of the Lands adjoining & yet it shall be done & the Law will give them no Remedy Because Private Right must give way to the Public advantage, and if it is considered what a great advantage this Bridge must be to two thirds of the People in the four old Towns, & all the new settlem's above New Market Durham Dover &c. both in peace & war what is the little difficulty of the trading part of Exeter & those concerned with them in comparison of the advantages of such a bridge which are so plain they need not be mentioned the wisdom of all well ordered Governments have Esteemed such Buildings a Great advantage & if it be fact that more of the vessels which fetch Lumber from Exeter Stop at the place proposed for this bridge & Raft it down which may be easily prov'd, this Lessens the Difficulty to those that object, as to many of the People brot in as objectors it is plain they proceed only on this principle that it will be some charge to them as they fear, upon the whole it is Humbly Submitted whether the advantages will not abundantly over Balance the supposed disadvantages, by Province of New Hampshire Petition of Inhabitants of Stratham against the bridge. To his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Captain General Governor and Commander in Chief In and over his Majesties Province of New Hampshire, To the Honble his Majesties Councill & house of Representatives Convened in Generall Assembly. Humbly Sheweth the Subscribers Freeholders and Inhabitants of the Town of Stratham in Said Province That Whereas we have Lately heard That a Number of Persons have Petitioned This Honble Court for Liberty to build a Bridge over the river at or near the Ferry place in Stratham and New Market, We Humbly Conceive that the building of such a Bridge would Greatly obstruct the Trade and Fishery of this Province in Generall as well as Damnify many Poor People in their Private Interests. Wherefore we humbly Pray that Your Excellency & Hon's will not Grant the Prayer of the said Petition. Richard Sinkler James Leavitt John Honneford Jonathan Cldrk Jun. Benjamin Palmer Joseph Palmer Thomas Rennles Jonathan Clark senior James Robinson David Stevens Matthew Tomson Matthew Tomson Senior William Mead John Clark Joseph Clark Petition of Inhabitants of Kensington against the bridge. To his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Capt Gen" Governour and Commander in Chief in and over his Majties Province of New Hampshire, To the hone his majes Council and Representatives in gen" Assembly Convened. Humbly Shew the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the Parish of Kensington in s Province That we having heard of Petitions being preferred to your Excellency and hon" for building a bridge Cross the river at or near Stratham & New Market ferry, the building whereof we humbly apprehend will greatly obstruct the trade and fishery of this Province as also deprive many of his Majesties Loyal Subjects of their Just rights and Priviledges. Wherefore we most humbly pray your Excellency and Hon" that the prayer of s Petition may not be Granted. Jeremiah Fogg Abraham Haskell Jonathan Huchinson Thomas Knolteon Jeremiah Green Jeremiah Easman George Conner Robert Row Abraham Samborn Joseph Wadleigh John Been Joseph Wadleigh jun. Jonathan Prescutt Isaac Fellows Jun. Moses Samborn Israel James John Page Jonathan Garland Joshua Gilman Stephen Hobs Noah Hobs Nath Healey Jeremiah Samborn Petition of Inhabitants of Hampton falls against the bridge. To his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esqr. Capt. General Governour and Commander in Chief in and over his Majties Province of New hampshire and to the hon his Majes Council and Representatives in Gen' Court assembled. Humbly Sheweth bie the Subscribers Freeholders and Inhabitants of Hampton falls in s Province that having heard or seen in the Newspaper that Petitions have been preferred to your Excellency and Hons for building a bridge Cross the River at or near Stratham Province of New Hampshire} Petition of Inhabitants of Stratham against the bridge. To his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Captain General Governor and Commander in Chief In and over his Majesties Province of New Hampshire, To the Honble his Majesties Councill & house of Representatives Convened in Generall Assembly. Humbly Sheweth the Subscribers Freeholders and Inhabitants of the Town of Stratham in Said Province That Whereas we have Lately heard That a Number of Persons have Petitioned This Honble Court for Liberty to build a Bridge over the river at or near the Ferry place in Stratham and New Market, We Humbly Conceive that the building of such a Bridge would Greatly obstruct the Trade and Fishery of this Province in Generall as well as Damnify many Poor People in their Private Interests. Wherefore we humbly Pray that Your Excellency & Hon's will not Grant the Prayer of the said Petition. Richard Sinkler John Cole Benja Norris Jonathan Sibley Thomas Chase John Honneford Jonathan Clark Jun. Benjamin Palmer Joseph Palmer Thomas Rennles Jonathan Clark senior James Robinson David Stevens Matthew Tomson Matthew Tomson Senior William Mead John Clark Joseph Smith Petition of Inhabitants of Kensington against the bridge. To his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Capt Gen" Governour and Commander in Chief in and over his Majes Province of New Hampshire, To the honie his majes Council and Representatives in gen" Assembly Convened. Humbly Shew the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the Parish of Kensington in s Province That we having heard of Petitions being preferred to your Excellency and hon for building a bridge Cross the river at or near Stratham & New |