[7-47] [Joseph Gilman to President Weare, 1784.] Exeter Octo 19th 1784 Sir Stephen Gorham Esqe Commission from Congress for settling the Accounts between the United States & the State of New Hampshire, not thinking himself authorized to allow some of the Charges made by the Committee appointed by this State, (either by his Instructions or Resolves of Congress), the Committee think it their duty to lay the same before your Excellency - The Charges referred to are Bounties or additional Wages paid to General Starks Brigade in the year 1777. Pay allowed Volunteers to Rhode Island in the year 1778, for their Horses Interest charg'd on depreciation paid the Continental Troops in the years 1777 & 1778, which Interest, the Committee are of opinion ought to commence at the end of said Years, instead of which the Commissioner insists, that Interest on those years service ought not to commence till the beginning of the year 1780, the time when depreciation was ordered to be made up. In behalf of the Committee, I am your Excellency's most obedient Servant To His Excellency M. Weare Esq' President. Joseph Gilman [7-48] [Letter from Loan-Officer Gilman, 1784] Continental Loan Office 1 State of New Hampshire Exeter Oct 20th 1784 Sir By a Resolve of the General Court of the 7th Nov 1783 the Cont' Loan Officer in this State (for the time being) is Directed "to Issue Certificates for the payment of Monies Loaned at his Office & owned by the Citizens of this State computing the same for as many full years as may be due on each respective Čertificate prior to the 28th Day of February 1783, first Liquidating the Interest due on those securities by the Contle Scale of Depreciation - and by an Act of the General Court passed June 11th 1784 the Loan Officer is directed to issue Certificates for the Interest due on all Monies Loaned at said Office in this State, belonging to the Inhabitants thereof calculating the Interest due on said Loan Office Certificates until the 28th Day of Feby last according to the Conlle Scale of Depreciation. The United States in Congress by their Act of the 15th of January 1784 Resolved that the Interest which has or may become due on Loan Office Certificates bearing Date between the first Day of September 1777. & the first Day of March 1778 is not is not Subjected to any Depreciation" and by another Act of Congress of the 28th April 1784, It is (among other things) Resolved "That the Holders of Loan Office Certificates shall be at liberty to carry them to the Office from which they Issued and the Holders of Certificates of other Liquidated Debts to cary the same to the Loan Office of that State wherein the Debt was Contracted and to have the Interest due thereon Settled and Certified to the last Day of the Year 1782. for which Interest the Loan Officer shall give a Certificate in such form & under such Cautions & Instructions as the Superintendent of Finance shall transmit to him"- It will be readily perceived that these Resolutions of the General Court & those of Congress cannot both be complied with, by the first provision is made only for those Loan Office Certificates which are Owned by the Inhabitants of this State & the Interest of Certificates Issued between the first Day of Sept 1777 & the first Day of March 1778, are subjected to the Scale of Depreciation - By the Resolutions of Congress no distinction is made between Certificates whether owned by Inhabitants of this State or not; the holders of Certificates of other Liquidated Debts are intitled to Interest, & the Interest on Loan Office Certificates Issued between the first of Sept 1777 & the first of March 1778 are not subjected to Depreciation. I would not presume to Dictate in this matter but, (perhaps) it might be best the Resolutions before mentioned should be so far altered as that the Loan Officer should follow the Directions of the United States (as this appears to be the intention by the Original institution of those Offices and is the case in all other States as far as I am informed) excepting as to the time to which Interest shall be paid as many persons have already Receiv'd pay up to the time affixed by the State. It might be attended with difficulty to Refuse those who are yet behind I inclose your Excellency a Letter which I lately Reciev'd from the Superintendant of Finance to which I have delayed giving an answer untill I am informed whether the Honble Court make any alterations in their Resolutions or not. — with the greatest Respect I have the Honor to be His Excellency Meshech Weare Esq' Nat. Gilman [7-49] [Elisha Payne Accepts Election to Congress.] State of New Hampshire Portsmouth 8th Nov 1784 Sir by your Excellency's direction am informed, that the Honble Legislature of this State have ben plesed to Hon' Me with an appointment of one of the Deligates to Represent this State in Congress, for which I beg leive to present them My Most gratefull and sincere acknowledgments from a consciousness of My inability to serve, and other imbarisments in the way, could redily excuse Myself from undertaking: and only from a consideration of the importence of the States being represented in Congress, and the dificalty of obtaining it by Gentl" of More distinguished abilitys, am persuaded by any Meens to accept of the appointment. — Relying on the candor and kinde assistance of the Citizens of the State, whom I have the Hon' to represent, with difidence do undertake to discharge the important Trusts, so far as My previous engagements and unequal ability will admit of with due regards am Sir Your Excellency' His Excellency Mb Weare Esquire Elisha Payne [7-50] [Extract of Letter From Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson, 1784.] Extract of a Letter from the Honble John Adams, Benjamin Franklin & Thomas Jefferson dated at Paris November 11th 1784. "A Letter received from the Count de Vergennes & another from Mons' Grand to Doctor Franklin of which No 21 & 22 are Copies give us reason to apprehend an uneasiness in this Court lest we should fail not only in the punctual payment of the interest on their particular Loans, but should permit the payment on the Dutch Loan which this Court guarantied, to fall in the first instance upon them. This circumstance under the present probability of a War in Europe might be really inconvenient to them and give unfavourable ideas of the sense we entertain of their past favours. Congress will know whether measures have been taken to make timely payments here, and they can best judge of what exertions the States are capable for reducing their foreign debt even faster than their stipulations require. A hearty disposition in the people goes far towards making them equal to whatever it is their duty and interest to do; and we cannot help supposing that if our Countrymen would boldly look that part of their foreign Debt in the face, which they have a right to discharge, if they would view it and view themselves they would find they could master it, perhaps with a single effort. Of this we can assure them that nothing would produce such a revolution in the opinion entertained in Europe of their powers, of their justice and of the tone of their Government. If a reputation for equity and gratitude, if a demonstration of our resources and of our resolution, if the subjection of the riches of Europe to our wishes on any future emergency may be bought at half a Guinea a head cannot our Countrymen be roused to make the purchase? Add to this that it would command for us a respect which might save us in the end millions of money and torrents of blood. Congress we hope will pardon us these reflections we are on a field where every circumstance tends of produce them. Our instruction as to a gratification and indemnification to John Baptist Pequet has not yet been complied with Mr Grand's Letter will assign the reason The honor of our Country as well as our own feelings will not permit us to pass unnoticed that we are now depending for daily subsistance on the bounty of a Subject of this Kingdom: A bounty which he tells us in his Letter "qu'il sera forcé mettre des bornes" (he will be forced to set bounds)". We trust that Congress will be so good as to order us effectual and instantaneous relief from this situation [7-51] [Recommendations for Officers of a Regiment.] State of New Hampshire 1 To his Excellency and the HonouraWestmorland Nov 23d 1784 ) ble Councill of Sd State Sirs Wee the Subscribers understanding your honours for the wellfair of the State would wish to have the Best Inteligence from the Several Remote parts of the State who is Best Qualified & will give the best Sattisfaction to the Community for Officers in the New arandgment we therefore wish to be Indulgd to Inform your Honours of our Opinions Respecting a New Regiment Taken off the Sixth Regit Now Consisting of Chesterfield Westmorland Surry and Hindsdale Wee therefore after Due Consideration for the Pollicy of the State the peace and Sattisfaction of the Regit in General and by What we Can find out for the Sattisfaction of the persons hearafter named would Wish to Recommend to your Honours the Following persons for Field Officers Viz Colo Sam' King of Chesterfield Commander Cap' George Aldrich of Westmorland Lt Colo Capt Joseph Burt of Westmorland First Maj' and Capt Johnathan Smith of Surry Second Maj all which we humbly Submit to your Excellency and Honours Wisdom not Doughting your herty Dissirs to Do Honour to the State & give Sattisfaction to the Subjects thereof Wee therefore Do beg Leve to Subscribe our Selves your most Obedient Humble Ser The Chevalier de la Luzerne & since his departure the Undersigned Chargé des affaires of his Majesty have received frequent Orders to press the Officers Agents & other Accountants employed for the service of the Land & Sea forces on this Continent during the late war, to render their Accounts. These Agents and others delay rendering their Accounts for divers causes; but most of them alledge the difficulty they meet with in bringing to account the Agents or Correspondents in America whom they have employed. They add that when process is commenced for settling the Accounts between them and the Americans, the latter avail themselves of the slowness in the usual forms of Justice in order to gain time, and fatigue their adversaries with all sorts of delays, until their affairs indispensibly call them to France & force them to submit to an unjust accommodation Whatever may be the grounds of these allegations the Undersigned has the honor to inform Congress that the French Agents employed on this Continent by refusing to render their Accounts put it out of the power of the Treasurers General of the Departments of War & Marine to settle theirs, and of consequence that the distribution of prizes cannot be made to the Officers & Seamen of the different Squadrons. To remove every pretext or excuse from the Agents, the Undersigned entreats that Congress would be pleased to consider, whether it might not be proper for them to recommend to the several States, the passing of Laws for determining in a summary way in their supreme Courts, the differences of this nature which exist, or may arise on Account of the Fleet and Army of his Majesty, during the late war. If Congress shall think proper to adopt this measure |