[8-6] [Resolve of the House that the acceptance of a commission as chief justice of the superior court, by John Pickering, renders him incapable of holding a seat in the Council or Senate. — ED.] [8-7] [Memorial of Samuel Hobart of Exeter.] To the Honorable the Senate, and House of Representatives for the State of New Hampshire The Memorial of Samuel Hobart of Exeter humbly sheweth, that he lately erected a Furnace & Slitting mill in said Town, that when he began said works there was due to him from this State upwards of £500-in Speice, on which he chiefly depended to enable him to Compleat said works, but to his great misfortune, he could not get his money out of the Treasury, & therefore must either dropt his works or Sell his orders on the Treasurer at a very great discount in order to raise Money, in this Situation he thot it wod be more for the public good to pursue & compleat the works, & trust to the Candour & Justice of the Gen' Court to make it up to him, & so proceeded, & in Selling his orders he lost £159- by which he is much imbarrassed He begs leave further to shew, that he has got works almost compleated to make refined Iron, & is erecting another large Air Furnace, both he expects will be compleated within Six months, provided he can have his loss aforesaid made up to him - he also begs leave to shew that it is reasonable that all the hands that is necessarily employed, in his Slitting Mill & Furnace, when they are at work, Should be excused from Military duty & attending as Jurors wherefore he begs the attention of the Honorable Court, that they would take his case under their wise consideration, & grant him such relief as they shall think reasonable & Just, & he as in Duty bound praysJan 14th 1790 State of N Hamp Sam' Hobart In the House of Representatives Jan' 15th 1790 upon reading & Considering the foregoing Petition voted that it be refered to the Committee on encouragement of manufacturers & that they report thereon Sent up for Concurrence Thos Bartlett Speaker J Pearson Secy In Senate the same day read & Concurred The Committee on the petition of Col° Hobart agree to report that, that part of his Petition which respects his hands employ'd in his Slitting Mill & Furnace being excused from Military duty & Attending as Jurors be granted State of New Hamp Christor Toppan for the Committee. In the House of Representatives Jan 22d 1790 The foregoing report having been read and considered voted that it be received and accepted Sent up for Concurrence In Senate the same day read & concurred Thos Bartlett Speaker J Pearson Sec [8-8] [Memorial of Joseph Whipple, 1790.] State of New Hampshire To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened at Portsmouth The Memorial of Joseph Whipple of Portsmouth in the County of Rockingham in said State Humbly Shews-that in the Year 1786 Your Memorialist was appointed by the Legislature Import officer for the State, and empowered to Collect Impost Duties on all goods & Merchandise Subject by Law to Such Duties - that he undertook the charge and executed it to the best of his power and ability that at the time of passing the Act laying such Duties there was no Sum Stipulated as a Compensation for the Services of collecting said Duties that your Memorialist has at several times requested such allowance should be fixed by Law. that a vote passed the House of Representatives in January 1789 directing a Committee to "Consider of the propriety of calling on the Impost officer"-that no Committee ever called on your Memorialist, but without information decided on an inconsiderable and inadequate recompence & reported the Same, as your Memorialist has been informed that the operation of the Impost Laws on any future importations of Goods having ceased by the Organization of the Federal establishment for collecting Impost Duties it becomes necessary for the Settlement of said Impost Officers Accounts & making suitable allowance for his Services that the Legislature should give directions for that purpose. Your Memorialist therefore requests that the Honble Legislature would take such order in the premises as they shall think proper for settling said Accounts & determining on such recompence as shall be just and reasonable. Joseph Whipple [8-9] Sir [Letter from Joseph Whipple.] Portsmouth Jano 25, 1790 Last week I presented a Memorial to the Legislature requesting that they would be pleased to direct the proper Measures for Settling my Accounts with the State & deciding on the pay for my Services as Collector of Duties on goods Imported-a Committee was appointed & I am informed reported, And that the report now lays before the Honble House. I beg leave Sir through you to request the attention of the House to said Memorial & report, as it will be attended with great inconveniency to me to attend the Court in future Session and it must also add to the embarrasment of the public Accounts to procrastinate the settlement of any that are ready for it — any I must remark on the report as it has been stated to me, that the sum reported is by no means a recompence for the Services, which must be imputed to the hurry in which the Committee reported without being duely informed of the Services incident to the office, some of which I will ask permission to describe, The Duties of my office required that I should review the Manifests of the Cargoes of all Vessels arriving in the port-receive or Secure the duties on all goods imported by Water or by Land- that I should appoint Deputies in every part of the State where goods are imported— that I should examine & search for suspected concealments of goods - that I should seize all goods illegally imported & prevent every kind of fraud attempted on the Revenue-this was a task more Arduous than was annexed to any office in the State. In the execution of it I had to contend with the adverse humour of every anti-Revenue, anti-patriotic & selfish person in the State who imported goods I appointed nearly 30 Deputies with whom I had to corrispond and to instruct in every particular in the execution of a Law which was deficient in its energetic principles - and defective in the most. essential qualities - In obedience to the Law and in the faithful discharge of the duties incumbent on me- I had to contend with some of my Townsmen & those who I esteemd my friends- & to inforce obedience to the Laws at the risque & loss of their Friendship & good will And in spite of my endeavors to consiliate the dispositions of every importer to a Law that was held necessary & proper by the Legislature Actually made many of those my enemies because I would not suffer the Laws to be trampled upon & the Revenue deprived of its dues Under these circumstances I beg the indulgence of the Hone House in the short time of their session, & that they will direct a recommitment of the report & descide thereon. I have only to add that I undertook & executed the office without a previous Stipend for the Services, in the fullest confidence that the Legislature would not avail itself of an uncontrouled power in affixing such reward for Service after the performance of them as should be unreasonably inadequate & unsatisfactory to the party who had no power to oppose tho' equally interested in the decision-I am with great respect to you & the Honble House Extracts from a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury to J. Whipple. "Herewith you have Copy of the Act for the establishment & support of Lighthouses, Beacons, Buoys and public Piers - Amongst other things contained in it, you will perceive that it is made the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to provide by Contracts to be approved by the President of the United States, for rebuilding when necessary & keeping in repair the Lighthouses, Beacons Buoys & public Piers in the several States, and for furnishing the same with all necessary supplies; and also to agree for the Wages, or hire of the persons appointed for the superintendance & care of the same.”— "It is only necessary for me to remark that the Law Contemplates the providing for keeping in repair those establishments; by which were probably intended agreements for certain fixed periods of time at determinate rates. This with regard to S it is presumed will be easy and proper; but it will not I apprehend be practicable with regard to repairs" "The officer who had the Command of the Fort being no longer continued by your State in that Situation you will appoint any other person whom you may Judge proper to take immediate charge of the Lighthouse, the Compensation to him you will Settle, and I have no doubt you will agree upon moderate terms. The rate formerly allowed by the State ought not I conceive to be exceeded, but it will be well to attend to such reduction of them as may be reasonably made " "I must observe that as the expences of the Lighthouse establishment are only to be defrayed by the United States to the 15th of August next* (1790) if the respectives do not in the meantime make cessions of them to the United States; your Contracts for the present must not extend beyond the above mentioned day." "You will notice the clause in the Law which renders necessary the transmission of the Contracts made, they are to be enclosed to me that I may lay them before the President of the United [States] for his approbation." [8-11] [Resolve of the House in Regard to Pensions.] In the House of Representatives January 25th 1790 Whereas Justice requires that the Invalids in this State should be paid agreeably to the Resolve of Congress of the 11th of June 1788. And that those who have received in payment of Sums due to them as Invalids Notes and Certificates of this State should have some allowance therefor: And whereas it would facilitate the payment of the outstanding specie Taxes if the Orders for such arrears and allowance should be received in payment of said Taxes therefore Resolved by the Senate & House of Representatives in General Court convened that the arrears of pension due to Invalids in this State be paid agreeably to said Resolution of Congress And that the paymaster of the Invalids in this State give Certificates for such arrears in such sums as may be convenient to those concerned And the Treasurer and the several Constables and Collectors in this State shall receive such Certificates in payment of any Specie Tax outstanding. And those who may have received State Notes or Certificates of this State in payment of the sums due to them as Invalids shall have the following allowance or additional Grant to be paid as the arrears before mentioned namely on all sums paid them for pension between the last day of July one thousand seven hundred and eighty five and the last day of July 1786 five Shillings on the pound And on all sums paid them for the two years next following Six Shillings and eight pence on the pound and on any payment that The Act for the Support of Lighthouses &c was afterward extended to the 1st of July 1791. |