& Secondly Willm Furber thirdly Ezel Gilman Adams forthly Christopher Nutter they all Decling to Accept under Mr Ephm Pickering as Second Major the Commishons being Delivered to us we Still deny accepting them under the said Pickering [7-224] Sam' Shackford [Benjamin Adams's Communication.] To the Honourable Joshua Wentworth Esq' Sir I understand you have not thought me worthy of your Notic in appointing me a Justice of the Peace in the County, notwithstanding the Importunitise of my friends: and If my memory Serveth me Right you gave me Great Encouragement your Self but all I find is Subsided: I understand you have had the advise and Councel of Hushai: who Counceled against Ahitophel which has turned against me I understand there has been many Objections against me by my Enemies I Know them and I Shall Set a mark upon them as was Set upon Cain when he Slew his Brother Abel because his ways were Righteous and his wicked: I understand One Great Objection is that I was not friendly in the beginning of the Revolution. I Confess I Did not Step forwaid at first for many Good Reasons which I Could offer If time and paper would allow being acquainted with History both Civil and Sacred. I was afraid to act as forwardly as Some have Done Least I Should offend against God and the Dictates of my Own Concience my Estate has Done Its part or more Sir you may Remember twelve Dollers in hard money being in your hands in a Lottery way you advanced to help the troops when In distress in Canaday and I was Paid in Paper with a Considerable Loss: I understand it is Objected that there is two Justices in Newington It being a Small town two was Sifficient I may Justly Say that there is not one Properly Speeking, for Richard Downing Esq' has not Taken the Oath nor will he If he must Pay a Doller for his Commision as he told me him Self and the Other is as the Learned Observeth: Vox Et Preteria Nihil: I am afraid that you Gentlemen in authority are Runing into the Old Error In promoteing of men without Knowlage or Goodnes and Neglecting men of Learning and Religion which is a great Error When the Righteous are in authority the People Rejoice; but when the wicked bare Rule the People mourn. another Objection is the people in Newington are against me I know it what is the reason It is not against my morral Carracter nor Capasity in a Civil or Religious way for I have Served them as a Church Officer more than thirty years and Near twenty in a Civil List Sir I will Give you a Short Detail on the matter In the year 1778 the Select men Cam to Pay my father his Salary for one year which was one hundred Silver Dollers which they had Paid for A number of years and no more being onely one third of his Sallery yearly and they Brought him a hundred paper Dollers in the Lue there of which was onely Seven Pounds ten Shillings by the Scale and he Refused to Give them a Discharge in full and the town Passed a Vote Not to Pay him any more Salary till he Did Give them a Discharge in full and they Paid him no more to the time of his Death and I was In duty bound to Support him to the time of his Death; and then to burrey him without any assistance from the town and Some years Since his Death the town has Compounded with me and has Given their Security for though an Inferiour Sum which is the Cause of their Malice against me as to my being an Enemy to my Countery I Deny the Charge I always was and Ever have been Redy and willing to Defend it in Person and Estate and am Now Redy and willing to Support Government provided I am properly treeted and promoted by those in authority or Otherwise I Shall be Discouraged and Probeblly may let matters take their Course without my Intermedling in those matters I apprehend it is a poor time to mak Enemies against Government the Country is full of them alredy to my Certain Knowlage and I fear the Consequence If Šom thing Is not Done Speedily for the President and Counsel to hear the nonsensical Rabble agains Men of Influenc is Strange and Surpriseing: I Ever have Given my Vote for Cor Wentworth for a Senator and Ever Expected to Use my Influenc for him in that Office but If matters turn agains me in this way I have Done. I steped forward the Other Day to Support Government and was the Second man to Coll Brewster who Stoped the Insurgents at the Bridg till we were properly Re in forsed by General Silley and Others to the hasard of my Life and hors against their Naked bayonets, but the Poor mans Councel and assistance is Dispised as the Good old mans Councel was, that Saved the City which we have an account of in Scripture Sir by your Keeping Me out of power may prevent My Doing a Great Deel of Good to Government and my fellow men which I Should Rejoice to Serve Provided there is or may be proper Encouragement; two Justicies in Newington is too many; there is four in Greenland and two in one house and No objection against it but two in Newington is too many I remember four Coroners appointed in Newington Successively and not one of them Could Draw up an Inquisition without my help and Some in the Civil List are as Insufficient to DisCharge their office without my assistance I think these thing are an Error in those in Comand: Sir I would not have you think I am Set up for a Dictator to those in Government I onely wist to show Matters in a Clear light Strictly Speeking I Do not want [torn off] to any Set of men Onely I wish to be properly Respected by those in authority I am a free Citizen and am Dependent [torn] I Should think that the recommendation of John Pickering Esqr and Other Gentle men in the Neighbouring towns of my acquaintanc migt have more Influence in the Councel than the Rabble party in Newington I fear Government may be Called on again to Disperse the Insurgent and If that Should be the Caise I believe I Shal Endevour to Sleep in a whole Skin and not medle where I have no authority but I hope matters will be to my Satisfaction I Subscribe My Self a true friend to Government and would Recommend to my Self and all under my Influence to Remember the words of the aPostle Paul in 13th Chapter of Romans Let Every Soul be Subject to the higher Powers for the Powers that be are ordained of God and So onwards. Benjamin Adams PS Sir If you Please you may Communicate these Lines to the President and Counce when you See them if you think best or otherwise. [7-225] [Relative to the election of Representative, 1782.] To the Honorable House of Representatives for the State of New Hampshire in General Assembly Convean'd The Petition of the Subscribers Inhabitants & Freeholders of Newington in the County of Rockingham and State aforesaidqualified by the law of Said State to Vote in Electing Representative Humbly Shews that Your Petitioners togather with Other Inhabitants & freeholders of Said Newington aforesaid Qualified as aforesaid being Notified Agreeable to the Preceipt to the Selectmen of Said Newington Directed & Agreeable to the Common Custom Met in Said Newington on Monday the Ninth Day of December Instant One O'Clock afternoon Two of the Selectmen being Present Read the Preceipt & then the Notification & Desired the People to bring in their Votes for a Moderator to Govern Said Meeting Capt Ephraim Pickering Came forward & Said no man had any Right to Vote in any Matter or thing but such as had Taken a Certain Oath which he then Produced Said Oath Being Read Many of the People had Taken the Same Oath-Others Said they had no Objection Against Taking Said Oath-But to be Deprived of the Priviledge of Voting in Town Meeting Because they Could not Swallow an Oath at first Sight without Consideration was Depriving them of One of their Most Valueable Rights that a free People Ought to Enjoy then the People Proceeded to the Choice of a Moderator & Voted for Benja Adams Esq' & Cap Ephraim Pickering Equal Votes but by a Despute arising about a Moderator-Benja Adams Esq' Refused Taking the Seat But Cap Eph Pickering took the Seat & then Proceeded to the Choice of a Representative Cap' EphTM Pickering Being Moderator alow'd on his part any Person to Vote whither Under Oath or Not-But the Oppersite Party was Denyed Voteing without Taking Said Oath by which Means Cap' Eph Pickering was Declared Chosen Representative in Newington On which Declaration Benja Adams Esq' Came Forward & Requested the favour of Entering a Dissent against the Proceedings of Said Meeting as being Conterary to Law & the Constitution which we are now under Said Dicent Being Enter'd by fourteen or More of the Inhabitants then present therefore we the Subscribers are humbly of the Opinion that the Said Capt EphTM Pickering is not Legally Chosen to Represent them in General Assembly & Ought not to have a Seat in Your Honourable House & Ought to be Dismised from Said House and we Request that You Send Out to Said Newington a New Preceipt to Chuse a Representative to Represent them in General Assembly Your Petitioners wait Your Honourable Decision on Said Petition as in Duty Bound will Ever Pray Newington December y 12th 1782 [7-226] [Petition for authority to send a Representative, 1784.] State of New-Hampshire To the honble the Councel and House of Representatives for said State in General Assembly conven'd on the 30th day of March 1784 Humbly shew the subscribers being more than a majority of legal voters in the Town of Newington in the County of Rockingham and State afores, that, the Inhabitants have had and exercised the Right and privilege of sending a Representative to the General Court for more than sixty years past-that tho' the number of voters for the choice of a Representative is short of what the new constitution of government requires in order to send a Representative yet the said Town is so situated as renders their being classed with any other Town, Parish or Place very inconvenient Wherefore your Petit's pray that a Writ may issue to sd Town to elect and send a Representative to the General Court and your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray &c Benja Hodgdon Christopher Nutter Valintine Pickering Epheraim Pickering William Brassbridge Sam" Fabyan Juner [In H. of Rep., March 31, 1784, the petition was granted, and a precept ordered to be issued.-ED.] [7-229] [Communication from Benjamin Adams, 1786.] Newington Dec' 28: 1786 Sir I Have been Informed that Some Expressions in the Letter I Wrote to you some time past when Laid before the President and Counsel has Given some Umbrace to Some Gen |