are therefore less necessary but as the Legislature of our State will be in Session at the Receipt of this it may be of use to in form your Excellency and Both Houses, of Several Bills which are now before Congress; one for a duty on Imported Spirits, and that which is distilled within the States, or rather a general Excise; another for the Establishment of a National Bank; the first of these will no doubt Affect the Excise of New Hampshire and perhaps make it Necessary to Repeal our Law, the excise Laws of all the States (except New Hampshire) are Repealed as I am informed. It is very generally Agreed that there must be a National Bank, the General principals of which are containd in the Inclosed Bill, which may undergo some Alteration, tho' I dare say the Principals will be preserved - the great Utility of Bank Bills which will be Recd in all the States, for imposts, Excises &c will easily be perceived; to go into a particular detail of the many Advantages Ariseing from a Bank, in which the General Government will be the greatest Stock holders, would far exceed the limits of a letter, and perhaps would be improper If this Act for Establishing a Bank should pass this Session of Congress (which I have no doubt but it will) I would beg leave to Submit it to the Wisdom of our Legislature, whether it would not be greatly to our Advantage if the State should become Stock Holders If my memory serves me there is now in the Treasury of New Hampshire, between thirty and forty thousand Dollars of Continental debt, also from twenty to thirty thousand dollars in Specie; these with any little Addition that might be made from Monies that may Come into the Treasury from outstanding Taxes; would make a handsome Stock to be subscribed to the Bank the Devidend of which would be paid half yearly; and would in all probability Yeild from Eight to Nine Cent Annum Advantage; the Original Stock would always be at the disposal of the State and would undoubtedly sell for Specie at par, at any time when our Government should think proper to part with it; and in all probability it would soon sell above par, the State therefore can run no Risque of looseing In my Opinion it would be a happy Circumstance, if the General Government - the Several States and Individual Citizens of the United States, could hold the principal part or the whole of the Stock of this Bank, rather than let foreigners step in and Reap the Advantage should the Bank in this City conclude to place their Capital in this National Bank the whole Subscription would be soon Compleated, as three quarters of it is to be in the funded debt of the Union; It is of great importance to our State, that we endeavour by every means in our power to bring back from the Seat of General Government as much money as we can; the State being Stock hold ers in the Bank will Assist in this Business, this together with the Interest paid to our Citizens by the General Government, and some other Advantages which may Turn up in the Course of the proceedings of Congress, would Counter-ballance the Monies Raised by Imposts and excises and sent out of the State I trust your Excellency and the Honble Legislature will not think me impertinent If I take the liberty of Indulging a hope that the light House at Newcastle will be Ceded to the United States during the present Session, and Indeed I could wish that the point of land, where the old fort Stood would be also Ceded, as a Battery might be placed there to protect our harbour, and Commerce at the Expence of the Union, which would be of Advantage to the State, and no Possable danger can Arise from it. If these hints Sr should be thought of any importance they will be Attended to in the Course of the Session, if not they will be passed over - I am sensiable I shall be Excused for the liberty I have taken, as it proceeds from the Sincere desire I have to Serve my State I have the Honour to be very Respectfully your Excellency's Most Obed' Servt. John Langdon The President of the State of New Hampshire [8-28] [Petition for New County, 1791.] To the Honorable, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of New Hampshire in General Court convened - Humbly shew the Subscribers that, the towns hereafter mentioned are situate in the extremities of the several Counties of Rockingham, Hillsborough, Strafford and Grafton; and all public records kept, and Courts of law held at so great distance from them that the Inhabitants thereof are deprived of many privileges, which other Citizens of the State enjoy viz. The important privilege of trial by a Jury of the vicinage, which in their present situation they must altogether forego or the otherwise so great privilege be rendered very burthensome; and the records being kept at so great a distance makes the necessary resort to them very expensive and grievous; likewise all probate matters, as proving wills, taking letters of Administration &c. the expence of carrying Witnesses so far to try causes, not to mention the exorbitant fees for travil tax'd by Sheriffs and parties in their bills of cost, are accumulated sources of complaint. Wherefore the aforesaid Inhabitants having a proper sense of their grievances and considering that it is in the power of your Honors to relieve them, to whose justice they appeal, have duly impowered your petitioners to make their complaints known to your honors, humbly conceiving that as "Government was instituted for the public good" they have an equal right with other Citizens of the State to all advantages and benefits resulting from Society - Wherefore the Subscribers, in behalf and by the authority of their several and respective towns, humbly pray your honors that, the towns of Concord, Canterbury, Chichester, Bow, Loudon Pembroke, Pittsfield, Northfield in the County of Rockingham - the towns of Andover, Boscawen, Hopkinton, salisbury, in the County of Hillsborough-the towns of Sanborntown in the County of Strafford and the town of New Chester in the County of Grafton be severed from the aforesaid Counties and, with any other towns your honors may think fit to join be erected into a new County with all the privileges enjoyed by other Counties in this State; and that the County Courts may be held at such place as a Majority of the County may think proper and have leave to Bring in a Bill to this Session or Some other accordingly—or to relieve us in Some other way as you Your honors in Your Great Wisdom shall Seem meat and we as in duty bound will Ever pray — Sir I had the Honor to receive you letter of the 17th instant enclosing the Act for Ceding the Lighthouse Fort &c to the United States You request to be informed of the purpose of my Agreement with Capt Salter for the Care of the Lighthouse & the directions I have received from the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States on that Subject. For your information I have now enclosed you the Copy of my agreement with Capt Salter. My directions from the Secretary are contained in Several letters from him which being too lengthy to admit of Copying at present, they shall be communicated to your Excellency at any convenient time-the extracts from them which I now enclose I apprehend will be Satisfactory. I do not conceive that by the Acts for supporting Lighthouses, & the Several letters which I have received relating to that in this State, any other mode could be adopted to secure past expences, than by Contract; In order therefore that the State should have the benefit of the reimbursement of the expences that had accrued for its Support from the 15th of August 1789, I included in the Contract the whole expence from that period, stating the estimate, so, as to admit of a ready discrimination between the expences advanced by the State & those to be defrayed by Capt Salter. In conformity with the law I have transmitted the Contract, that it may be laid before the President of the United States for his approbation - which If not approved will be void, this approbation has not been signified to me, - it cannot therefore be considered at present in force, though I have no reason to doubt of its being approved, when business shall admit of attention to it. — Any further information that my be desired on this matter, in my power to give, shall be communicated with pleasure. Sir I have lately received notice that the President of the United States has confirmed my Contract with Titus Salter for the Support of the Lighthouse, and as in my agreement with Capt Salter, a reserve was made of Such part the Amount of Supplies as had Accrued prior to his Contract, I conceive that it would be proper, some person should be appointed in behalf of the State to attend my Settlement with him & receive such part as shall appear due to the State According to the terms of my agreement My Contract with Cap Salter was retrospective the term commencing the 15th of August 1789, tho' the Contract was dated in Nov. 1790, & is founded on a Minute calculation of every expence on the Lighthouse from the first mentioned day, exclusive of any charge arizing for his care of the Fort, so that the State will receive every Shilling of expence advanced for the Lighthouse, - but the contract being made with Capt Salter it is necessary that he should give the proper Receipts on the payment. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your Excellencys Most Obed' Servt His Excellency the President. Joseph Whipple [8-35] [Petition for a "half-shire," 1791.] To the Honourable Senate & House of Representatives for the State of New Hampshire Now held at Concord this first Day of June 1791. We the subscribers of the Town of Hopkinton Henniker Dunbarton Bradford Fishersfield And Elsewhere Humbly wish to Represent to your Honours that it is our desire that we might have the half shire in the westerly part of Hopkinton or in Henniker we think in Justis it belongs to us and we are sensible that it will accommodate the people at Large Better than any other place in the County of Hillsborough and that it will be a great Saving of Expense to the people at large If your Honours think fitt to order the Court House and prison to be in the westerly part of Hopkinton they can be well acomodated with such Necessaries as are Requisite this is Conspicuous to Every Disinterested person that Either of the above places is proper for the seat of the County from this principle we are further Stimulated to pray and intreat your Honours that you would once more Take the matter into your wise Considderation when on doubt the result of your Deliberation will be that the westerly part of Hopkinton is the Spott most Elligible for the Seat of the Court House as well as most For the Honour of the County for whose Benefitt it is Erected Joseph Gibson John Gail Gideon Wood Jacob Straw Robert Rogers Jonathan Gordin |