[It is difficult in these times to believe that any man would decline to accept an election as member of the United States Congress, on the plea of a lack of ability to fill the position.-Ed.] [5-55] [Vote of Town relative to Paper Money, 1786.] At a Legal Meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Haverhill the Eleventh Day of December 1786, Voted Unanimously, that a Paper Currency be Emitted on the following plan-Viz That One Hundred Thousand pounds be Emitted,-Twenty Thousand pounds to be in Suitable bills to defray the Charges of Government & to Exchange for such publick securities as may be offered at their current Exchange, which is to be Assertain'd, and to carry no Interest but to be receivable in Taxes & all demands of Governm and a tender in all cases equal to silver and Gold & to be called in by Taxes Annually-The residue to be made in different Bills Expressing their import & to be Loaned to individuals at five per cent on landed Security of double the value & to be paid into the Treasury at proper times which shall carry an Interest of Two & half per cent, & so receivable in all Demands of Government and a Tender in all cases as above-with the Interest due on said bills at the time of Payment A true Coppy Attest Andrew S. Crocker Town [For action of the legislature on the matter, see Vol. XI, p. 130.—ED.] [5-56] [Selectmen's Protest to the grant of a Ferry to Ezekiel Ladd.] To the Hon'ble the Senate & the Hon'ble House of Representatives of the State of New Hampshire in General Court to be convened at Exeter on the fourth Wednesday of December 1788 Humbly shew the Subscribers Selectmen of Haverhill, in behalf of said Town that they have been honored with the copy of the petition of Ezekiel Ladd Esq' for the grant of ferry in this Town & the order of Court thereon & beg leave to object to granting that privilege to an individual, when very many of the inhabitants of this town have equal pretensions to it-This town was a frontier during the late war & much exposed to & harrassed by the enemy-whereby they were obliged to expend great sums of money, as well as time & labor, for their own safety as well as for the public good, for a great part of which they have hitherto laid no claim for reward or compensation That the grant of all privileges of ferries in this Town, not already made, would be considered by the inhabitants as some compensation for said services & sufferings Wherefore your petitioners, in behalf & at the direction of said town pray your Honors that all the privileges & emoluments of ferries across Connecticut river against said town, not already chartered, may be granted & secured to & for the benefit of the Inhabitants of said Town & their successors forever And your petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray &c [5-57] [Petition for an Act of Incorporation for the Academy, 1793.] To the Honorable the Senate, and House of Representatives of the State of New Hampshire; In General Court to be Convened at Exeter on the Twenty-fifth day of December 1793 Humbly shew the Subscribers, that they have lately Erected and finished a large and Commodious Building for an Accademy In the Southwardly part of the Town of Haverhill, and have employed a Gentleman of Liberal Education every way eminently qualifyed for a Preceptor of an Accademy at their own Expence; and about thirty Pupils are already admitted there for Education, In the Usefull arts and Sciences; and the prospect is very flattering to be of great Utility to the Publick and especially to the rising Generation; and the undertakers are determined to spare no pains to make it answer every purpose that can accompany such an Institution— Wherefore they pray your Honors; to grant them an Incorporation, to enable them with more propriety and Efficacy to pursue their Object, and render Service to the Publick And your Petitioners as In duty bound shall ever pray— Charles Johnston Michael Johnston Asa Boynton Jonn Page Joshua Young Moody Bedel Joseph Bliss Chrisp B Noyes [The petition was granted Jan. 14, 1794.—ED.] [5-58] [Subscriptions towards building a Bridge over Connecticut River, 1794.] Whereas Benjamin Chamberlin of Newbury proposes building a bridge over Connecticut River betwixt Haverhill & sd Newbury at or near the place where he & his fathers have kept a ferry for more than thirty years, that is from the beginning of the first settlements in said Towns to the present time-which upon the nearest-best & oldest road for passing said river from the State of New Hampshire into the State of Vermont & to the northerly & north westerly settlements therein & to Canada-And has petitioned the General Court of the State of New Hampshire to grant him the privilege of building & tending a bridge at said place for reasonable toll is And whereas we the subscribers are of opinion that this is the best & easiest place of any betwixt said Towns to build a bridge & the place where it is most likely for a bridge to stand-& best situated to serve the public Therefore We are desirous of becoming adventurers & undertakers in promoting a plan so beneficial to the public good & as we conceive, advantagious to our own interest And do hereby agree & promise severally to advance & pay towards building a bridge at the place aforesaid the sums annexed to our respective names-upon condition that the said Chamberlin shall obtain such grant, & of our receiving our several proportions of the profits arising therefrom, agreeably to the sums by us respectively subscribed-Witness our hands Dec 30th 1794 Moses Dow four hundred dollars Josiah Little 100 dollars Nath' Chamberlin 100 dollars Benjamin Chamberlin 100 dollars John Montgomery 100 dollars Samuel Ladd-50 dollars Stephen Couch-40 d° Martin Phelps-20 d° Joseph Pearson-20 d° Ezekiel Ladd jun'-20 d° N. B. There is one more subscription paper in Newbury which could not be procured, on account of the river being impassable at this time-which may contain as large a sum as this, tho not known Copy per Moses Dow [5-59] [Asa Porter for a Ferry.] Province of New Hampshire— To His Excellency John Wentworth Esq' Governor & Comdr in Chief of sd Province in Council The Petition of Asa Porter of Haverhill in the County of Rockingham Esq' humbly sheweth That in behalf of the Towns of Haverhill & Newbury on Connecticut River He would represent the Necessity of an establish Ferry over s River to be kept at a convenient Place near the Center of the aforsd Towns to accommodate the Inhabitants and many Others that occasionally travel that way, which He the s Porter would willingly undertake to do having a large Boat well suited to the Purpose, Therefore prays your Excellency would be pleas to favour Him with a Grant of such a Ferry to be established at certain Rates & with a Privilege including sd River within the Compass of five Miles from the Place where s Ferry shall be kept, or otherwise under such Limits & Directions as to your Excellency may seem meetAnd your Petitioner as in Duty bound shall ever pray— [5-60] Asa Porter [John Hurd relative to Roads, 1774.] Province of New Hampshire To His Excellency John Wentworth Esq' Captain General, Governor & Commander in Chief-The Honble His Majesty's Council, and The Honble House of Representatives in in General Assembly convened The Memorial of John Hurd of Haverhill in the County of Grafton Esq' humbly Sheweth-That the late Act of the General Assembly made for the purpose of opening a Road thro' the new settling Towns Westward, to Haverhill, or Coho'os, on Connecticut River, being expired-but a considerable part of the said Road remaining yet unfinish'd, and that thro' the most difficult & mountainous Tracts of the Country to the great Detriment & Discouragement of the New Settlers; as the Transportation of all Their necessary Stores thro' this Road in its present Situation is not only very expensive but dangerous for Man & Beast, being miry, rooty, rocky, & narrow with bad pitches in many places-And whenever it may be necessary for the Honble Judges of the Superior Court to attend their Business at Haverhill, unless something is speedily done upon the Road, will render their Journey very tedious & hazardous— But as the Expence of immediately making the said Road good, & safely passable, will be a peculiar Hardship on those particular Towns lying on the Highth of Land in their now infant State, without the public Aid, tho' if once completed would be greatly advantageous not only to the Upper Settlements, but to this lower part of the province to wch all their spare produce may then with Ease be conveyed-Your Memorialist humbly prays in behalf of all the Settlers on that part of Connecticut River, & the Towns adjacent-Your Excellency & Honors woud take this Matter into Consideration-that the aforesaid Act may be revivd with the addition of a New Committee to prosecute the Business, and such Alteration or Amendment & such public Assistance as to your Wisdom may seem meet. And Your Memorialist as in Duty bound will ever pray &c. &c. Portsmouth 26th May 1774 John Hurd [5-62] [Representation of Services done by the Town during the War, and its Present Condition, 1798.] To the Hon'ble Senate & Hon'ble House of Representatives in General Court now convened at Concord Humbly shew the Subscribers That in the year 1776, James Bayley, Ephraim Wesson, Charles Johnston, Joseph Hutchins Joshua Howard & Simeon Goodwin, were appointed a Committee of safety for the Town of Haverhill,-In which year, this western frontier, was much exposed to & in eminent danger of being ravaged, by the enemies from Canada-Insomuch that many of the inhabitants of this town removed, to more safe & central parts of the StateThose that stood by the shipp spent a great part of their time, & considerable part of their property in building forts, that is |