Province of December 13th 1771 In the house of RepresentaNew Hampshiretives upon reading the petition within written, Voted, Rockingham that the petitioners at their own cost Serve the select men of Londonderry & Matthew Thornton Esq who was the moderator of the meeting therein mentioned with a copy of said petition and order of the house thereon by Reading the same to them Respectively or leaving a copy at their Respective dwelling houses or place of abode that they may be heard thereon to shew cause if any they have why the prayer thereof should not be granted, on thursday the 26th Day of December Instant at Portsm° aforesaid if the General assembly be then sitting & if not then on the third day of the Assembly next sitting after the said 26th of December. Jan 1, on the hearing dismist. William Parker, Clerk AssTM Petition of Londonderry West Parish. To his Excelly John Wentworth Esq. Cap Gen' and Gov' in Chief in & over his Majestys province of New Hampshire, And to the honourable his Majestys Council and house of Representatives; In General Court assembled. The humble memorial and Petition of the western Parish in Londonderry and Province afforesaid Sheweth That in the year 1739 your petitioners obtained an Act of the Legislature of this province setting off by certain bounds therein specified a parish in the Western side of Londonderry. That a number of people in each Parish, unwilling to join with or be of the Parish in which they were situated and pleading Conscience & Liberty it was provided in said Act that fourty Familys within the eastern side of the Town should have Liberty to Incorporate with and be of the western parish, and that an equal number within the Bounds of the western Parish should have the same liberty. That by the means of these vicissitudes to which in a long space of Time humane Affairs are liable some of the exempted fourty Familys or their posterity have by the transferring of property come to be liable (as is alledged by some) to pay those ministers to whom they never stood in any special Relation whose ministry they cannot in conscience attend; and who have the very same Plea with the mentioned fourty Familys exempted in the parish act as above said, That altho your petitioners have never taken any advantage of the circumstances of such Persons as judging that to do so would be contrary to the Principle of Liberty on which the above mentioned exemption in the parish Act is founded; yet the Eastern Parish cannot say so; they have (especially of late) shewed a great avidity to avail themselves of such advantages. They have rated a considerable number and made distress upon some who always belonged to the Parish of your Petitioners, some of those rated are of the exempted fourty Familys and have been born under the present Ministry insomuch that the Letter of the Parish Act is made use of by our Neighbours in such a sense as to destroy the true spirit and Intention of the said act, and also to rob people of the liberty granted in religios matters by a gratious King and by the laws of this province. That there is often a wider difference between Presbyterians and Presbyterians than there is between Presbyterians and Congregationals or between Presbyterians and Episcopals as such-Two persons may both of them be nomenally Presbyterians and yet may differ in some of the most important Doctrines of Religion whereas Presbyterians and Congregationals or Presbyterians and Episcopals as such differ only in things of a comparatively lesser Nature. That if the Law provides for people in the latter of these Cases where the ground of dissent is Lesser, much more ought it to provide in the former case where the ground of dissent is greater. That as the two congregations in Londonderry are nearly Equal: As the people of the two Societys are living promiscuous all over the Town: as the meeting houses are about equaly well situated for the accommodation of the Town in general And Finaly as the difference in religious matters between the two societys is of long standing and in the Judg of your petitioners wide and of great Importance, your petitioners are humbly of opinion that the Thing and the only Thing that will Establish Peace and good Neighbourhood between the two societys and prevent expensive Prosecutions in the Executive courts will be an act of Assembly appointing that every person in Londonderry should support the Gospel in that Congreg only where he constantly & conscienciously attends such an act (your peti's are fully persuaded) as it is most equitable in it self so it will be the most likely means to calm the spirits of people many of whom are at present much exasperated by apprehended Imposition This will be the most likely to keep the two societys nearly upon a levell; And to conclude this will make every Individual in the Town a volunteer in the support of the Gospel May it therefore please your Excelly & Hon's to take this weighty affair which so nearly concerns the peace and happiness of this large town under your wise and impartial Consideration: And under proper limitations to enact that every person shall be obliged to support the Gospel in that Congr only to which he conscientiously adheres: and where he ordinarily attends, and your petir shall ever pray. Signed at Lon this 15th day of May 1773. John Hunter George Duncan Jr Committee Province of In the House of Representatives May 18th 1773, upon New Hamp reading this petition, Voted that the petitioners Serve the selectmen or assessors of the first parish or as it is called in this petition the Eastern parish with a copy of this Petition in this manner by reading the same to the majority & leaving the copy with one of them and that the parties may be heard thereon on the third day of the sitting of the general assembly after the 15th day of June either by prorogation or adjournment if either should happen in the mean time: sent up In Council Eodem die Geo. King, D. Secry William Parker, Cler. Petition of Inhabitants of Londonderry, 1773. To his Excellency John Wentworth Esq Capt General Governor & Commander in chief in & over his Majestys Province of New Hampshire & vice admiral of the same & The Honourable His Majestys Council & House of Representatives in general Assembly Convened. The subscribers inhabitants in the East & West Parishes in Londonderry in s Province humbly shews, That in the year A. D. 1739, said Londonderry, by an act of the Legislature of s Province was divided into two grants called the East & west Parishes, with liberty for a number not exceeding forty Families in Each Parrish to Poll to the other the forty families in the east that Poll'd to the west by the assistance of those in the west that lived near the East line of said Parrish obtained a vote to Build & did build a meeting house for said Parrish near the east line thereof when sd Parish then had a meeting house near the center newly Built & is now Rotten for want of use as the number of Inhabitants in the west Parrish increase the forty families in the East that Polled to the West multiply & now are near (if not above) seventy families & by the abovesaid assistance have from the time of passing s act to this day obliged all the rest of sd West Parish to travil to the meeting house near the east line except a few days in great condescention they lately have had preaching in a third New meeting House Built by said West Parrish near the center which must suffer the fate of their first in case their minis ter continues to live near the center of the east Parrish & all that Proceed from the forty families in the east that Poll'd to the west be the number ever so great belong to & vote with the west Parrish as they yet have done which two causes in our opinion begun the flam of contention in Londonderry & as they have they will keep it alive while they continue when we are Distinct Parrishes without Pollers & not till then Londonderry may reasonably expect peace take the cause & the effect will cease: relative to a petition lately Exhibited to your Excellency & Honours by a committee from the West Parish & now under your consideration Shewing first the great difference between Presbyterians & Presbyterians: 2d the promiscuous situation of the Parishioners of each Parrish. the great difference in opinion between the people of the two Parrishes in the Important Doctrines of the Gospel. 4 that The meeting Houses are Equally well situated to accommodate the people of each Parrish; Finally praying for what they call by the name of liberty for each Individual to joine where he or they Please & pay where they joine. 315 We answer first as to the great differance between Presbyterians & Presbyterians, we take it to be a Theological Distinction when there is no difference; that there is a wide difference between Real & nominal Presbyterians we are very sensible & leave it to the Impartial which they will call the first. Secondly that the Parishioners are Promiscuously situated is true which is owing to the forty pollers & their ofspring: 3d if there is that great difference in opinion set forth in said petition between the People of the two parrishes respecting the Important doctrines of the Gospel it must be in the minds only or some private disputes between enthusiasticks unless they call disputes about the Irregular conduct of some members of Presbyterys Important Doctrines of the gospel. 4thly If by the Meeting Houses in each Parrish being equally well situated to accommodate the inhabitants they mean the new meeting House in the East Parrish and the last built meeting House in the west it is true But if they mean the meeting house in the west Parrish near the east line where the Publick Worship now is & has been ever since they were a Parrish (Except as above excepted) we leave it to your Excellency & Honours how well the inhabitants of the west Parish are accommodated & what Justice is done them in General; Finally the Liberty prayed for in said petition if granted we humbly apprehend will be productive of greater evils than the Polling act Because in that case in all future time that Parrish which has the most Popular Preacher who is not the wisest man the best scholar nor the best christian will leave the other Parish unable to support the Gospel & we dont desire to give or take such unjust advantage it is evident that every Individual of mankind in our present state & circumstances are not to be free in every respect, Because that would destroy the publick good. In all Bodys Politick Individuals give up part of their Liberty & Properties to the Publick to secure the remainder. In all societies Religious civil or Political Individuals are to enjoy private liberty & property as far as is consistant with the good of the community of which they are a part & no further, from which it is evident that whatsoever liberty one of any number desire or pray for inconsistant with the good of the community of which they are a part, should be refused And as the prayer of their Petition is evidently calculated to destroy the future peace and good order of both the above sd Parrishes in Londonderry, Therefore your Petitioners Humbly pray first that the prayers of said Petition may not be granted. 2 that the present dividing line between the two Parrishes in said Londonderry may be examined by a committee appointed by your Excellency & honours and if Just, established & if not that s committee may fix it so as to doe Equal Justice to both Parrishes. And that an act may be made that will oblige Every Individual Presbyterian in all future time to pay his proportion according to law of the Ministers Salary in the Parrish where he dwells & Joine & Worship where he or they please which we believe would produce peace & good agreement between the Inhabitants of both Parrishes in general or reduce the forty pollers to their primitive number & fix it so that they never shall exceed that number & impower the west Parish to meet for Publick worship where it will be most Just & Convenient for the Inhabitants of s Parish for the future the latter will better our circumstances, the first will cause our distructions. But we humbly submit all to your Excellency & Honours & as in duty bound will ever pray &* Matthew Thornton Samuel Anderson Samuel Anderson Jr James Eayrs James Ramsey Londonderry May 27, A D. 1773. In Council Jan. 13, 1774. Read and ordered to be sent down to the Honble Assembly. Geo. King, D. Secry. |