this is found to be attended with many difficulties, and it is feared will have little or no good effect, unless it be general. And what effect it may then have is problematical. But every method that appears to have a tendency to remedy the evils which threaten the ruin of our currency, must be attempted.

Agents were appointed from this State, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode-Island, and NewYork, who met at Hartford in October last, to consider these matters, who reported as follows, viz. "Resolved, that it is the opinion of this convention, "the circumstances of the States being duly con"sidered, that a limitation of the prices of the "principal articles of merchandize and produce, "will have a tendency to prevent the further de"preciation of our currency; that to render such "limitation permanent and salutary, it is expedient "that all the States, or all of them as far westward "as Virginia inclusive, should agree thereto. That 46 a convention of commissioners, from the States of "New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode-Island, "Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsyl"vania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, be requested to meet at Philadelphia, on the first "Wednesday of January next, for the purpose of considering the expediency of limiting the prices "of merchandize and produce, and if they judge "such a measure to be expedient, then to proceed "to limit the prices of such of said articles as they "think proper, in their several States, in such man "ner as shall be best adapted to their respective "situations and circumstances, and to report their "proceedings to their respective legislatures."

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66

The General Court here, upon considering said report, passed the vote empowering you to appear and act in said convention, copy of which I herein inclose. I doubt not you will, in every thing,

exert yourselves, that may appear likely to reme dy our perplexing difficulties: And wish the convention may be directed to such measures as may have a tendency to so desirable an end.

I am, Gentlemen, with much respect,

your humble servant,

M. WEARE.

Hon. Woodbury Langdon, Hon. Nath'l Peabody, Esq'rs.

Letter from President Weare to Col. Peabody. HAMPTONFALLS, March 28, 1780.

MY DEAR SIR,

* *

I am in pain when I consider at what an enormous rate every thing has now got, 12 or 1300 dollars for a cow, 40 dollars per bushel for corn, 80 for rye, £100 per yard for common broadcloth, from 50 to 100 dollars per yard for linen, &c. &c. and still daily increasing.This being the case, scarce any body will put money into the Loan Office, and the money we raised last year for the use of the State was not a quarter part sufficient to provide for our officers and soldiers. We have been under a necessity of taking what was raised for the continent, and all that, is no ways sufficient for the demands, so rapid has been the depreciation. The Assembly have ordered a tax, for the ensuing year, of 2,160,000 dollars, one half in compliance with the order of Congress, and the other half for the use of the State. But whether this prodigious sum will be sufficient to answer the demands, and pay what we are in arrears, I know not.

Col. PEABODY.

* * *

*

I am, Sir, your humble servant,
M. WEARE.

ANNALS OF THE TOWN OF KEENE, FROM IT'S FIRST SETTLEMENT, IN 1734, TO THE YEAR 1790.

BY SALMA HALE.

KEENE, which is one of the shire towns in the county of Cheshire, was first settled under the authority of Massachusetts. At the time of its settlement, the line between that colony and NewHampshire had not been surveyed, nor its direction ascertained, and it was generally supposed that the valley of the Ashuelot* would fall within the boundaries of the former.

1732.

In June, Gov. Belcher, in his speech to the "Great and General Court" of Massachusetts, recommended, that " care be taken to settle the ungranted land." In the House of Representatives, it was thereupon voted, "that there be seven towns opened, of the contents of six miles square; one west of the Narraganset town, that is near Wachusett Hill; one between the equivalent lands and Rutland, on or near the road lately laid out from Swift River to Rutland; one at Poquaig, (Athol) on Miller's river; one west of the town called Northtown; two on Ashuelot river, above Northfield; and the other in the eastern country, at the head of Berwick that committees be appointed to admit settlers and lay out house lots, so that the settlements may be made in a defensible manner, and to direct in the drawing thereof, but not to lay out any further division without directions from this court; that there shall be sixty-three house lots, laid out in each township, one for the first settled minister, one for the ministry, one for the school, and one for each of the sixty settlers, who shall set

* In the Indian language, the word Ashuelot is said to mean a collection of many waters.

tle thereon, in his own person, or by any of his children; the rest of the land to be allotted or divided equally into sixty-three parts; that one year from the survey be allowed for the admission of settlers, and that the committee be directed to demand and receive, from each settler, at his admission, five pounds,* part of which shall be employed for reimbursing the province the money to be advanced for paying the committees, and the charges of the survey, the remainder to be employed for building houses of publick worship, or otherwise, as the General Court shall order; that each settler actually live on his land within three years after his admission, and continue there for the space of two years after, in person and with his family, if such he have; that he do, within five years from his admission, build a house on his land, of eighteen feet square and seven feet stud, at the least, and within the same time do sufficiently fence and till, or fit for mowing, eight acres of land; and in case any settler fail of performance, his right to be forfeited; and the committee for admitting settlers are directed to take of each, at the time of admission, a bond for twenty pounds for the use and benefit of the settlers, in case he fail of performing the conditions mentioned; and the settlers, in each town, shall be obliged to build a suitable

*This was probably of the paper money then current in Massachusetts Like the continental money of later times, it was at par when the first issues were made, but afterwards depreciated greatly. The following table, shewing its value at different periods, will enable the reader to calculate the value of the sums hereafter mentioned in this history. The second and fourth columns shew the value, in paper, (old times) of an ounce of silver, which was equal to six shillings and eight pence, lawful money.

S. d. q.

s. d. q.

Soon after 1749, old tenor rose to fifty shillings the ounce, the General Court of Massachusetts having engaged to redeem it at that rate with the money received from the British parliament, as a reimbursement for the expenses incurred in taking Louisbourg. At 50s. the ounce, 100 pounds were equal to £13, 6s. 8d. lawful; and 45 shillings were equal to one dollar.

meeting house, and settle a learned and orthodox minister, in such town, within five years from their admission."

1733.

On the first of July, this vote was concurred by the Council, and "consented to" by the Governor; but the committee appointed to make the survey not attending to their duty, it was, Oct. 19, 1733, voted, that another committee, consisting of Joseph Kellog, Timothy Dwight, and William Chandler, be appointed, with directions, forthwith to lay out the townships at Poquaig and on Ashuelot river, "unless they find that, by reason of laying out the township granted to Col. Willard and others, (Winchester,) the land remaining at Ashuelot river will not well serve for two townships, in which case, they are directed to lay out only one on that river."

1734.

In February, the committee made a return to the General Court of a "Plat of two townships, each of the contents of six miles square, situated on each side of Ashuelot river above the tract of land lately granted to Col. Josiah Willard and others, beginning at a spruce or white pine tree, standing about midway between the south and east branches of said river, about five perch east of the bank of the main river, and thence running each way as described on the plat." This is the dividing line between the upper and lower townships. The plat was accepted, and the lands contained in said townships were declared to lie in, and constitute a part of, the county of Hampshire.

In March, a committee was appointed to lay out house lots, in the townships mentioned, who, in June, made a report of a plat of the house lots in the upper township on Ashuelot river. Of these lots, fifty-four were laid out on the village plain,