Assembled (when we find that by the Resolves of Congress the Officers of the Army are Intitled to half pay for life or five Years full pay; as a Reward for their Sufferings—while those who (to say the least) have as Greatly Suffered are liable to be Taxed for the payment thereof) and Also to Expostulate a little on the Injustice of adding Unnecessarily to the Miseries of the Distressed And wherein doth it appear necessary that this Additional grant, should have been made to the Officers-were their Sufferings Greater than of those Already Enumeratedwhy then should they be thus Distinguished by the particular favours of Congress hath not their pay been Doubled since the Commencement of the War-and had the Soldier a propor tional Allowance If it be said the Grant was necessary to prevent their leaving the Army-were they not under Equal or Greater obligations to Continue in the Service than the Soldier (if their Obligations Rose in proportion to their important trust) or why Doth the Deranged officers participate the Boon; while those whose impared health Caused them to Resign are excluded-Can it be supposed that the murmerings of the Soldier would have so Readily procured him a Pension as a place in a Gaurd-houseCan it then be Just to Raise the Officers to a State of Opulence at the Expence of the happiness of those full as Deserving— Will the State of Qur Finances Admit of such liberal Donations and Amidst the Acclamations of Joy at the Establishment of a happy Peace-how Dissonant must be the Groans of a Distressed multitude Sinking under the weight of an Accumulated Debt—and we are Confident that the most Deserving among the Officers of the Army Do not desire any Emolument which will so grievously Affect their Distreesed Brethren-nor can your petitioners suppose the afore S Resolves of the Nature of an irreversible Decree-Therefore in the most Humble and Importunate manner We Implore the interposition of Our Legislature that by a Remonstrance and Petition to CongressAccompanied with particular Instructions to our Members they Endeavour that Congress Recind the afore S Resolves and that such measures be taken as will be most Eligible for the Speedy payment of our Wages and for Discharging the Interest on the publick Debt and finally to preserve the States from Bankruptcy-Or that such other methods be taken as You in your Wisdom shall think most Effectual for the Accomplishing those Important purposes, and securing the peace and happiness of the State-And your Petitioners as in Duty Bound Shall Ever pray Ebenezer Drury Bunker Clark Ichabod Perry Michael George Henary [12-49] [Address from aforenamed Convention, 1783.] To the the Honble Council & house of Representatives of the state of New Hampshire, to be conven'd at Concord on the Third wednesday of December next— May it please your Honours We the delegates of Twenty Three Towns in said state having met, beg leave to address & remonstrate to your honors & say, that the Convention being deeply impress with the importance of the subject wou'd lay the same before your Honors & permit us to be humbly importunate on the subject-The Convention at their last meeting remonstrated, and laid before the Late Honble Court (in part) their matters of grievance but the Close of the year & other causes enduced that Honble body to dissolve earlier than was Thought they wou'd have done, so that our desir'd redress cou'd not be Effected in any part. The Convention assur'd that Honble body of their firm intention to keep that good order & discipline, which all good government most necessarily require-The Convention beg leave again to assure your Honors of their same disposition & intention of doing all in their power to keep up that same good order-And be assur'd the Convention has the greatest abhorence of a state of anarchy (so much to be dreaded) & that they will be as careful as in them lies, to shun every act that may tend that way— The many Grievances which was laid before the late Honble House, were, the multiplicity of Lawsuits, the Enormous gratuitys to be given to the officers who serv'd in the late war, the Tax on money at interest & the not laying the duty of 5 per Cent. on all imported Articles so strongly Urg'd & recommended by Congress The people, in the late war, have accumulated a learge Debt, a great part of the people Contracted the Debts they are now distriss'd for to support the war & many not having the least idea of the smallness of our finances, lent the Public learge sums, which the public pledged their faith that the same shoud be immediately paid on the expectation of which, they contracted Debts with their neighbours, the Public still withholds payment whereby individuals are Cruelly sued perplex'd Harrass'd & Brot almost to desparation-The war with all its Calamitys did not seem near so distressing as the present times -nothing but gold & silver, (which your honors are sensible are not to be had) will satisfy the gentleman who laid his plan to disconcert every measure that the states were taking to gain the independence they so much desird & which they have gain'd notwithstanding the many obstacles thrown in the way The Convention apprehend that still those very men woud wish to do every thing that wou'd overturne the government & bring it into a state of anarchy & Distress (so much to be dreaded) & it seems, they embrace the opportunity to call for private debts which was contracted before & during the war for the Convention are really sensible those gen' wou'd not lend the Government one shilling in their distress, nor pay One shilling any otherways, than was extorted from them-Your Honors will be pleas'd to take into your wise consideration & adopt some measure that a medium of trade may be had or that a stop may be put to distressing Suits that is or may be Bro'tThe Convention Humbly presume a new proportion will soon be made to levy future taxes by, beg leave to Hint to your honors the great inequality of the present Tax on money at interest and stock in trade and that those articles may have due Consideration with you in your new proportion-the Commutation to be giv'n the Gen' Officers who have serv'd in the late war is extremely heavy on the people who are to pay it-The people at home have labor'd hard, have had the war to support in its other branches, & are now reduc'd almost to an alternative of giving their all, & flying to some Howling wilderness & there to begin anew. The Convention woud be exceeding glad to do every thing in their power to compensate those gent who have serv'd in the field & at the same time woud beg you woud not extort the whole of what is conquered. The war is now clos'd and they cannot, nay they must not expect to be the only gainers therefore the Convention beg your honors to remonstrate, & if any remedy is to be had, that the same may be effected which the Convention still hope & trust will be done-The duty which has been so strongly urged by Congress to be laid on all imported articles the Convention being fully sensible had it been done long before this it woud have been a great step towards raising a revenue and that the States woud by this time have rec" great benifit from it as it woud have put it in their power at least to have paid part of the interest of the national Debt, and that Other nations woud have lent us money in our Distress if they cou'd be assur'd even of their interest when due-Other nations raise learge sums in this way, therefore the Convention prays your honors to take this matter into your wise Consideration and grant the same as our other states have done the present method of collecting the excise the Convention humbly conceive might be collected in some other way less disagreable and of greater utility to the government The Convention wou'd beg leave to suggest to your honors that they think some person in each Town might be appointed to collect the excise and be accountable in the same manner as other Taxes are accounted for-The Convention make no doubt but your honors will adopt the measure that will conduce to the good of the whole-The fee-table, the Convention woud beg leave to remonstrate to your honors that they think a regulation Ought to take place in many parts of it. Bills of Cost are mounted at this day to an Enormous sum. Nay, without being justly due in our humble opinion, therefore beg your honors to take into your wise Consideration and make such alterations as may seem to be more equitable and just-The Convention are Deeply sensible of the great embarrasments the government is in for want of regular payment of the Taxes call'd for. But the people have not the money Neither can they get it to pay. The Convention wou'd beg if it is consistant that those Extents for moneys due to the government for the Hier of Soldiers may be postpon'd from being extended, at present-Till the average can be made the test Act, so call'd, has caus'd much disturb ance with numbers of scrupulous minds, therefore beg your Honours to repeal so much of the clause of that act as relates to voters in town meeting-The confession act, so call'd seems to strike the minds of the people that the same if properly made will be very salutary and of great utility to the Public; therefore the Convention beg your hon' the same may be done -And that the Debtor have liberty to confess any sum that may be due and that a reasonable time (giving security for the personal appearance of the debtor or otherwise payment of the dept) be allow'd the debtor to make payment before Execution be issued To all which we pray your honors to give that attention that the necessity of the Case requires, & as in duty bound will ever pray In behalf of Convention— Nov 27th 1783 Amos Dakin Charman [12-50] [Another Address from the Chairman of the aforenamed Convention.] To the Honble Council & House of Representatives in General Assembly Convened at Concord in the State of New Hampshire May it Please Your Honours The delegates of the Towns of Wilton New Boston Raby Mason New Ipswich Peterborough Rindge Jaffrey Dublin Packerfeild Marlborough Keen Surrey Chesterfield Marlow Lyndsborough and Richmond, Beg leave to remonstrate and lay before your Honors the distressing situation of the good people of this State, we wou'd Sincerely Wish the greatest good Order, and beleive us when we say we are determined (as far as in us lies) to maintain Our Government to the fullest extent, as we are Sensible Our All depends, On it. We are fully Sensible of the great embarrasment, and difficultys this State labours Under, and More especially, Our Honble General Court and are well assured they would be glad to do every thing in their power, But the many Objections that Arises to every method proposed by individuals of the General Court, is Augmented & therefore every part is laid Aside-we take the liberty to inform Your Honours we have Addressed and instructed the Honble Councilors and Representatives for the Several Towns before mentioned that they lay before your Honours the greivances, we labour Under-Therefore we must pray Your Honours to give Some Attention, and that we be redressed. The greivances which the good People that have Constituted us to Make Known, is the great Multiplicity of law Suits the Enormous Gratuitys to be given to the Officers who Served in the late war, The Tax on Money at interest and The not laying the duty of five perct on all imported Articles as Recommended by Congress and has been so Strongly Urged Therefore confiding in Your great Wisdom we rest Asured of Relief, and as in duty Bound Will Ever pray Amos Dakin by Order & in Behalf of the Convention [12-51] [Action of the Legislature in the matter.] State of Newhamps' In house of Representatives Nov 6th 1783 Voted that D' Preston, Maj' White Col° Peabody M' Shannon, Col° McDuffee, Esq' Blood Capt Clement Mr Barker and |