ness of Said Committee with most of the Necessary vouchers therefor that altho your memorialist hath been at great trouble & expense in searching for said Chest, he hath not been so happy as to recover ye Same or any part of its Contents-whereby he is rendered unable to State his account with this State in the usual form until he can procure his papers aforesd Wherefore your memorialist requesteth this Honble Court to take the premises into Consideration and determine what Sum in Specie he shall be allow'd p' diem for his time & all expences during his being on the employment of this State, and a Suitable Compensation for his time, only, whilest in the business asign'd the Committee as afores, and that he be allow'd to Credit this State for whatever Sums of money &c that hath been advanced him for that purpose on account according to the real value thereof (as near as can be ascertaind) when compared with Silver & Gold at the times and places of expenditure, in order that his said account may be Settled & Closed, by the Honble Comte of Safety, in the recess of the Court, or Such other way as this Honble Court Shall Judge more Eligible— And as in duty bound Shall pray Concord Mh 26. 1782. Nath' Peabody [7-11] [Petition for the Re-incorporation of Monson, 1782.] To the Honerable Council and House of Representatives in General Assembly conveined for the State of Newhampshire the Second Tuesday of June 1782. The Petetion of the Subscribers Humbly Shews That your Petitioners Inhabit on a tract of Land Lying Between sowhegan River and the Town of Hollis (According to its first Charter) which tract was once incorporated into a Township by the Name of Monson but at the time such incorporation took place, the inhabitants thereof were but few in Number and Unable then to Suport the charge of a Town and Commonly Attended public Worship at Hollis and Amherst. That about the year 1770—a proposal was set on Foot for Monson to be divided and by New Charters anexed to the Said Towns but notwithstanding the same was considerably Opposed by many of the Inhabitants Both of Monson and Amherst the same has taken place and your Petitioners have been at much Public Expense in said Towns by Reason of their being anexed to them— That the Contents of Monson are at least five miles Square and the Land as good as Land Generally is in this part of the Countryand is now become considerably Settled and increases dayly-in Improvement and inhabitants, and are are now Able to Reap the Benifit of an incorporation if they might Obtain such a favour as they now Consist of at least eighty five Families That your Petitioners are not unacquainted of a certain Petition Now being before this Assembly Signed by a Number of persons residing in what was formerly Monson, Joined by a Number living in Amherst (According to the first Charter) Praying for Certain matters as in the said Petition is Mentioned and as the Matters Contained in these Petitions are of much importance to both setts of Petitioners a Consideration of this their Request Previous to a final determination, of the Petition above Alluded to may Produce Such a Law as will reconcile all parties and promote their Weal Peace and Concord -- Your Petitioners therefore most Humbly pray, that your Honers will take the Premises (in all its parts) under your wise Consideration and Give them Leave to bring in Such a Bill as will Place the Antiant Town of Monson in its former Situation as to Boundaries, and invest them with such Priviledges and immunities as other Towns in this State hold and do Enjoy Your Petitioners cant think a Motion of this kind will be Opposed by either of the Towns, of Hollis or Amherst, as they are Large both as to Extent and inhabitants, & Should your Petitioners be so fortunate as to have a Bill Passed in their favour as to an incorporation they will be Willing Still to pay towards Suporting the Gospel in the respective Towns they now belong to till they shall Maintain Preaching among themselves a very Considerable part of the time-and as this Honerable Assembly can have no other thing in view but the Peace & good Order of all parts of the State they represent your Petitioners are encouraged to hope for a grant of their Request in Such a way and Manner as Shall Seem Meet to Your Honers-and Your Petitioners, as in Duty Bound Shall Ever pray &c Oliver Bowles Jerathmeel Colburn David Dunckle John Stearns Jun' John Dutton We the Subscribers think the foregoing requested incorporation will be more for our and the public good than the privileges asked for in a former petition now depending before this honorable House to which we were Subscribers, and therefore humbly request that the Same may be granted in preference to the matter contained in the Stephen How Samuel How said former Petition. Dated May ye 23d 1782 [7-12] [Eleazer Russell to Meshech Weare, 1782.] Sir The Law of the State and my duty direct me to apply to you in affairs that relate to the Naval office and Some late occurrences make Such an application now necessary. My Study has been to look after the Vessels that export corn & provisions to the eastern country lest they Should be carried to the enemy, and there is reason to fear it is often the case. Some of the Vessels that come here from the eastward are frequently taken by the British; Sometimes they ransom or purchase their Vessels, and return again upon the Same trade, and dont appear to be the poorer for the loss; by this means the enemy get Supplied. When they go Safe no people are more punctual in conforming to the Law, or in bringing certificates to cancel their bonds. There are also a number of Vesels that come into this port under pretence of making a harbor, and Sometimes lay several Days, and there is no Doubt that much provisions is carried to them by night, in Small boats, in a way that cant be detected, and no one knows where they go. This perhaps might be remedied by a Sufficient guard at fort point, on Great Island, and no Vessel Sufferd to go out without a pass, as the Law directs; But when I apply to the Capt of the Forts upon the Subject, he tells me there is not hands enough to man a boat, & by that means many Vessels come and go without being examined at the office. Many advantages would result from that point's being fortifiedthe harbor wants a guard — on the first instant a Brig from Cape Ann, then at anchor there, was attempted at 11 °clock at night by a six oar'd barge; the Brig happend to be provided with Small arms, and had more men, & the boat left them & went out of the harbor. The 7th Inst a Small armd Shooner was in the port and her peoples behaviour was very Suspicious - the masters of Some Vessels at anchor there went on board her, and they gave an odd & very contradictory account of themselves and when the examiners went on shore to inform, the Schooner pushd out to Sea. I had these facts from persons personally present. Occupying Fort point woud be keeping possession of the Jurisdiction of the river, which Newhampshire ever had; tho it is now often disputed by individuals of the other State, who claim a right of going to Kittery and Berwick without being subject to the Laws here but it is a point I have never given up. me From my first appointment to this office, it has been my constant aim to fix Such rules; agreeable to law; as shoud be safe for Government, easy to individuals, and to the persons that may Succeed For there had as good be no Law if it is not conformd to; But have never Straind the law beyond its litteral meaning or carried things to extrems. I have Strech'd my thots forward to the time when it may be necessary to lay duties for the public good- Have fixed my attention to the Smaller Vessels which at Such a time will be the greatest transgressors, and aimd at keeping them Steady to the rules of law now that they might not complain of order then, and call it innovation. Difficult has been the task-But till lately I have succeeded far beyond expectation, thro all the uproar and turbulence of the times. Now there are three or four people that murmur at the rules. They are employd in the coasting business, in transporting merchandise from State to State, aud want a pass to run a year without being examined - If it was allowd to a few, all would demand it, and there would be an end to looking after corn, provisions, and prohibited goods. These people now delay to enter their Vessels in Season, and tho the penalties of the law are high they are Something intricate and many innocent people who are freighters woud be principal Suffers - would not lower penalties, clearly expressed answer a good end? Two or three of the people alluded to Shew Some uneasiness about fees. When the Naval office was first orderd, by a resolve of the Gen1 Court, early in the year 1776 no fees were mentiond, and I was advised by the State committee to make out a list for the Several papers to be used, that was moderate, which I did, and first shew it to the merchants then in trade, who thot it full low - It afterwards had the Saction of the Honble committee of State. When the office was establishd by Law in Nov 1778 this list was before the Honble General court; and on account of depreciation they were pleasd to order three for one. When paper money ceas to circulate, I knew not what to do. To reduce the law fees by the Scale of depreciation brot them very low, and producd fractions that I coud never make even change Therefore I recurd to the original list which is now enclosd, & it has Since been my rule. Im far from wishing any thing unreasonable or exorbitant, but with that authority woud be pleasd by a resolve to say what shall be legally taken I have not a desire that the enclosed list should be advanced, but reducd if thot too much - but only that I may not be a judge in my own case. For much as I have Sufferd by depreciation, and the Sale of estate in consequence of it, to help make out a living, Im not averse to Suffer with the public. You will please Sir, to Judge what of these affairs is proper for the Honble General Court to know and to believe that I am with great personal regard your Dutiful & most obedt Servt Portsmouth 10th June 1782 Honble Coll Weare [Translation.] E Russell [7-13] [Letter in Regard to the Ship “Ellen," 1782.] Fort Royal, Grenada June 15th 1782 Sir I have received the letter which you have done me the honor to write me, that of the Chevalier de la Luzerne, the copy of the petition of Mr John McClintock & that of the Extract from the Minutes of Congress, which were all enclosed: If I have deferred so long to give you the Account you ask of me of the reasons which induced me not to deliver the ship Ellen and her Cargo to the revolted Crew (of whom the Sieur McClintock was one) who took possession of her & brought her on the coasts of this Island, It was because I was obliged to look over the whole of the proceedings Here is an Account of the facts upon the examination of the greatest part of the Crew of that Vessel, who agree pretty well together, & which Mr McClintock has not Candidly stated in his petition to the Council of N. Hampshire On the 17th of March 1780, appeared at the head of the Island a Vessel without a flag, it passed pretty near the land, & the battery |