USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Mason > History of the town of Mason, N. H. from the first grant in 1749, to the year 1858 > Part 8
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April 1, 1777. A meeting was called. The second article was, " To assist in some way and manner, as the town shall see fit, in raising fourteen "affective, able-Bodyed" men, for the term of three years, or during the war with Great Britain, as that is our proportion from orders received from Colonel
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
1777.
Moses Nicoles, [Nichols] pursuant to orders from the council and general assembly of the State." At the meeting, it was, "Voted, To raise our proportion of men as a town. Voted, To raise $1400 as Incoriageement for soldiers to enlist into the Continental service. Voted, To choose a committee to estimate the turns. Voted, Lt. Blodgett, Lt. Parker, Capt. Barrett, Mr. Abijah Allen and David Brown, be the committee aforesaid. Voted, Not to accept the report the committee made. Voted, To reconsider the vote concerning the raising the $1400. Voted, To choose a committee to join the commissioned officers to make an estimation. Voted, William Eliot, Dea. A. Dakin, David Blodgett, Joseph Merriam and Lt. Obadiah Parker, for the committee to estimate each man's proportion. Then adjourned to the next Friday." At the adjourned meeting, "Voted, To take in all above sixteen years old into the estimation. Voted, To approve of what the town had done as to the estimation of the turns done in the services and calculation of the three years forward." The proceedings of this meeting did not seem to accomplish the business. A meeting was called the 28th of April, 1777, " To see if the town will come into any other method different from what hath been already acted, with regard to raising of a sum of money, for the purpose of hiring soldiers, that is now called for into the service of the United States of Amer- ica." At this meeting it was, "Voted, To raise $1400, for the purpose," &c. Also, "To accept the estimation the committee made with regard to the prices of every campaign." "Voted, To exempt those who have done their turns from any cost of procuring said soldiers, until it properly comes to their turns. Also, chose a committee to hire men, and appointed a collector to collect the money and pay it to the committee." May 8, 1777. At an adjournment of the meet- ing, "Voted, That all those men that neglect paying their proportion for hiring soldiers for the three years' service, as was levied by a committee chosen for that purpose, are to be the persons looked upon subject to the first draft when made.
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HISTORY OF MASON.
Voted, That Benjamin Mann receive the aforesaid propor- tion. Voted, That those persons that were procured by the committee are to go for the squadrons whom they expected to go for when they engaged. Voted, To reconsider the first vote above mentioned. Adjourned to May 12." At the adjournment, "Voted, To divide the town stock of ammu- nition to individuals, as they need. Voted, That each person that received ammunition belonging to said town, and don't give a satisfactory account of said ammunition when properly requested by said town, each person so neglecting or refusing, is to pay a fine of twenty shillings, L. money. Voted, That Samuel Brown procure the aforesaid ammunition. Voted, To purchase one hundred weight of powder, two hundred weight of lead, and four hundred flints. Adjourned to May 15." At the adjournment, "Voted, That if said arms are procured and are needed by individuals, they are to have them at the cost that said town is at for them. Voted, That if Mr. Samuel Brown, who is pitched upon to purchase said arms, does procure them, he is to hire a carriage to transport them to Merrimac river. Voted, That the selectmen borrow the money to pay for the powder that is already procured, that is not paid for. Voted, To sell the meeting house lot for the sake of accommodating a blacksmith, all save about fifteen acres, around said meeting house. Voted, To allow Mr. Abijah [Allen] $12, as a town, for his time and expenses in going to Ticonderoga, in behalf of said town, in 1777. Adjourned to May 27." At the adjournment, "Voted, To reconsider the vote to allow Abijah Allen $12 for going to Ticonderoga. Voted, That the town stock of powder be brought to Benjamin Mann's, to be divided the next training day, which is in three weeks from this day." June 17. It was, "Voted, To reconsider the vote to divide the ammu- nition. Voted, To allow the three soldiers that enlisted to go to Portsmouth for one month, twenty shillings for each man, as a town charge. Voted, Not to make any return in the valuation to court, of buildings and wild land, and the
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
1777.
moderator dissolved the meeting." The reader will think it was time somebody "dissolved the meeting." The record is given as a sample of the mode in which such matters were then managed.
May 5, 1777. An order to pay David Blodgett "for making a coffin for Mr. Nathaniel Barrett." May 8, 1777. An order "To pay Capt. Miles Ward for 4 molasses Hds. and 1 Dry cask £0 18s. Od." June 26, 1777. An order, "To pay Wid. Abigail Barrett twelve shillings, for her taking care of the meeting house one year, from August, 1775."
Town meeting, August 19, 1777. The second article sets forth, that the vote formerly passed, "That the soldiers procured by the committee should go for the squadrons they expected to go for when they engaged, seems to appear to a number of the inhabitants very detrimental to the cause." It was proposed, "To see if the town would supereede that vote." At the meeting, it was "Voted, To go on as a town, and tax said town for all the money and cost of raising the three years' soldiers. Also, voted, that if the money that the town doth raise for the aforesaid purpose, doth not effect the purpose, that those men that are now delinquent in paying, or procuring the men, shall be the men that shall be subject to the first draft, and shall go, or procure said delinquent soldiers for three years, now called for. Voted, To choose a committee to procure the delinquent three years' soldiers now called for. Chose Joseph Barrett, Samuel Brown and Stephen Lawrence."
September 12, 1777. "Voted, That the committee that was chosen for that purpose at a former meeting, agree with Mr. Samuel Abbott for a piece of land for a graveyard." This is the same land referred to on page 68. The land finally taken and ocenpied for the graveyard, was a part of lot No. 6, Range 8, lying next to and adjoining this tract on the south.
December 15th, 1777, a meeting was called. The second article in the warrant was as follows: "Whereas, the general
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HISTORY OF MASON.
Court of said State, of late passed an act, that all said State's money is to be called in, and State notes on interest to be given for the same, which appears to many to be a grievance ; this, therefore, is to see if the said town will con- sult on some measures, that may be thought more agreable, and petition said Court for redress." It was "voted to send a petition to the Court, that the said act may be repealed, and the square money so called, to pass as specified on the face of said bills, or until the above said bills may be called in by a tax."
This vote, is the first indication of the difficulties arising from a deficient, disturbed, inadequate and unsound currency. The troubles arising from this source, were severely felt, from this time, through the whole period of the war. There was, at the commencement of the war, no national mint, or power to regulate the currency, except under the authority of each province.
The people having discarded and refused to obey the pro- vincial authorities of New Hampshire, were under the neces- sity of assuming the government of themselves; and they at once proceeded to provide, as well as their want of experi- ence in such matters would allow, for the continuance of civil government. For this purpose, a convention was called, which met at Exeter, in May, 1775, and continued, with little interruption, till November, as has been stated on page 80.
During the year, under the authority of the convention, three emissions of paper bills were made-the first of ten thousand and fifty pounds, the second of ten thousand pounds, and the third of twenty thousand pounds. For the amount of those sums, the treasurer gave his obligation in small notes, which passed for a time as current money, equal in valne to silver and gold. But as emissions were multiplied, as the redemption of the bills was put off to distant periods, and the bills themselves were counterfeited, it was impos- sible for them long to hold their value. In 1776, more paper bills were issued, to pay the expenses of the war, and
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
1778.
provision was made for redeeming some of the bills by taxes. But the depreciation, after it began, proceeded rapidly. After the year 1777, the State issued no more bills. Those that had been issued were called in, and exchanged for treasury notes on interest, in sums not less than five pounds. It was against this act that the vote of the town, just recited, was dirceted. Probably it was feared, that if the "square money," as the paper money was in common parlance ealled, should be withdrawn, there would be nothing left to serve as money and maintain a currency for exchanges. The conti- nental bills still continued to pass, but were daily and rapidly depreciating, until, in the spring of 1781, they suddenly, and by general consent, went out of eireulation, and solid coin succeeded in their place. To show the rapid depreciation of this paper money, for which the faith of the government was pledged, but for the redemption of which, no reliable means or funds were provided, it is sufficient to refer to the seale of depreciation, which was established and recognized, and according to which the people endeavored to regulate their business and payments. The seale commences in January, 1777, at which time £100 of silver was represented by £104 of paper. The same amount of coin was worth in paper, in December of 1777, by £310; 1778, £620; 1779, £2393; 1780, £7300, and in June, 1781, by £12,000, at which rate no wonder the currency ceased.
January 5, 1778. The selectmen abated the poll taxes of Joseph Lowell, Timothy Lowell and Joseph Hodgman, Jr., for the year 1776, "they being excepted by the act of the General Court, from paying any poll tax, by reason of their engaging in the continental service for the year 1776." At the town meeting, February 4, the town voted to abate Joshua Smith's rates for 1776, and Christopher Mann's rates for 1775, probably for a like reason, and February 26, by order of the selectmen, the poll taxes of Joseph Lowell and of Jacob Blodgett, for 1775, were abated, "being excused by vote of Congress." Also, an order was issued, "to pay
13
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HISTORY OF MASON.
Joseph Hurlbut one pound, being voted to him for going to Portsmouth one month last May." Also, one pound to Joseph Hodgman, "for his son Nathan going to Portsmouth, &c., one month."
At the annual meeting, March 9, 1778, "Chose Samuel Brown, Lemuel Spalding, David Blodgett, William Eliot and Zachariah Davis, Committee of Safety."
March 27, 1778. An order issued to pay Samuel Brown £8 10s. 8d. Oq., "it being for his going to Exeter, for ammu- nition, and time spent in getting the continental men, and service as treasurer."
April 20, 1778. "Chose David Blodgett, a representative in the convention for forming a constitution to meet at Con- cord, June 10th."
April 20, 1778. An order "to pay Lt. Obadiah Parker £1 17s. 8d. Oq., for sugar and rice he sent to our militia that went on the Elerum at the evacuation of Ticonderoga."
December 8, 1778. Chose Dea. Amos Dakin representa- tive, and the meeting was adjourned to Tuesday next. "The meeting at the adjournment not attended by reason of the badness of the weather, was Naterly disolved."
Town meeting, March 30, 1779. The selectmen were appointed "a committee to make a proportion of the several campaigns, and to call all former committees that were chosen to procure continental soldiers, to account, and take the money that may be found in said committees' hands. Voted, That each person that shall neglect or refuse to bring in his receipts for men hired and turns done, in service and term of time in actual service, since last estimation, their money and term of actual service shall be forfeited to the town. Voted, That the inhabitants shall bring in their invoice in the month of April, or be doomed."
April 22, 1779. Town meeting. The third article of the warrant was, "To see what measures the town will pursue to procure our quoto of men during the present war, now called for. 5th. To put out Asa Fish, by vendue, to the lowest
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
1779.
bidder, till he is one and twenty years of age." The meeting "Voted, To raise 2000 dollars as a State and Continental bounty, to procure four men to enlist during the war." What was done with Asa Fish is not stated, but May 7th, an order passed "to pay James Mann £3 19s. 11d., for keeping Asa Fish 3 weeks," being 22s. 6d. per week, equal to $3,75 a week for keeping a child about six years old.
July 6th, 1779, at the town meeting, "Voted, to raise our quoto of continental and Rhode Island men as a town ;" and further details are recorded of the arrangements made about "estimating campaigns, hiring men, &c." A meeting was called August 17th, 1779. Article 2nd, "to see if the town will approve or disapprove of the bill of rights and plan of government, formed by a convention chosen for that purpose, or alter the whole, or any part of said bill of rights, or plan of government as they may think fit. Voted to approve of the proceedings of the town of Portsmouth, and appointed David Blodgett to meet said Portsmouth with other towns at Concord, to take into consideration our sinking currency." At an adjournment of this meeting held October 25th, "Voted and Improved [approved] of the proceedings of the conven- tion at Concord, for stipolating prices, for sundry articles of the necessaries of life. Voted that Mr. Elias Eliot, Benjamin Mann, Benjamin Hodgman, Joseph Merriam, Joseph Ball, David Blodgett, Jacob Blodgett, William Chambers and John Wood be a committee to "Stipolate" prices among us, seven of whom are a "corum."
What was the action of the town on the bill of rights and plan of government, the record does not show. At the meet- ing, this subject was postponed. The meeting was adjourned sundry times, through the months of August, September and October ; the great and absorbing subject before the town, being the controversy with the Rev. Jonathan Searle. If any vote was passed upon the subject of the bill of rights, and plan of government, it was not recorded. A convention was held in 1779, to propose a plan of government, by which a
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HISTORY OF MASON.
system of government was drawn up, and submitted to the people, which was undoubtedly that referred to in this article. It was so deficient in its principles, and inadequate in its provisions, that it was by the people, in their town meetings, rejected. Another convention was appointed. It continued more than two years, from June 1781, to October 1783. A system was by this convention submitted to the people, pro- viding for a senate of twelve, and a house of fifty members ; apportioned twenty to Rockingham, cight to Strafford, ten to Hillsborough, eight to Cheshire and four to Grafton, to be chosen in county conventions, consisting of one delegate for every fifty rateable polls. The plan was printed, and sent to every town. The inhabitants were requested to state their objections distinctly, to any particular part, and return them at a fixed time. The objections were so many and various, that it was found necessary to alter the form, and send it out a second time. In the amended form, the representatives were to be chosen by the towns; each town of one hundred and fifty polls, choosing one, and of four hundred and fifty, two. This plan was generally approved, but it was not laid before the people in season to be adopted, before the close of the war. The old form of government having expired with the war, was, by the order of the people, continued a year longer ; in the mean time, the new form was perfected, and adopted, and went into operation in 1784.
It will be recollected, that the town approved of the pro- ceedings of the town of Portsmouth, &c. This was a propo- sal for a convention, to take into consideration "our sinking currency," or in other words, the financial difficulties of the times. David Blodgett was chosen a delegate to this conven- tion. He attended, and shared in the labors of the conven- tion, and, what is very remarkable, and perhaps without a parallel in history, he returned after the close of the conven- tion, and brought the report of their proceedings, and sub- mitted it to the same town meeting by which he was chosen, it having continued by adjournments till the 25th of October.
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
1779.
The report of the committee, appointed in pursuance of the recommendation of this convention "to Stipolate prices," is not recorded. It was a very common notion in those days, that the evils of a depreciated currency, could be alleviated, and perhaps wholly cured, by regulations establishing prices, which would compel persons in buying and selling, to conform to the prices established by law, and that thus, the nominal rates of the currency would be maintained. But the remedy was never resorted to, until the disease had assumed a des- perate type. Its tendency when applied, was rather to hasten, than to retard the catastrophe. It is vain by legisla- tion, to attempt to bolster up a paper currency. Its only value is its credit. When that has no basis, the paper becomes mere rags. Neither laws, nor regulations can give it value. As well may the laws require a man to breathe a corrupted atmosphere, and derive from it health and vigor, as require a community to use for a currency, an irredeemable and worthless paper, at its par value, and derive from it the benefits and efficiency of a sound currency, founded on intrin- sic value. The complaints of a depreciated currency were general, and the remedy by "Stipulating prices," was generally resorted to. The town records of Townsend, under date of Febuary 20th, 1777, show, that after a meeting of the com- mittees of Groton, Lunenburg, Fitchburg and Shirley, on this subject, "the Selectmen and town of Townsend agreed that the following articles shall not exceed the following prices.
s. d. 6 8
Wheat per bushel,
Rye per bushel,
4 4
Corn per bushel,
3 4
Sheep's wool, per pound,
20
Fresh pork,
4
A mug of West India Phlip, 11
Salt pork,
" New. Eng. do., 9
Salt per bushel,
8 14 0
s. d.
Dinner at tavern of boiled and roast victuals, 1 0
Dinner at tavern, for either boiled or roast only, 10
But these prices, although "Stipolated" and agreed to, did not remain firm and unchanged. They rapidly increased, so that in 1779, August 17, a committee of that town, chosen
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HISTORY OF MASON.
" to state the price of the several articles necessary for the support of life and trade in the town," made a report, which was accepted, in which they established the price of the following articles, as below :
£ s.
& s. d.
West India rum, per gallon, 6 11
Beef, per lb.
4 6
New England rum,
4 18
Mutton,
3 6
Molasses,
4 15
Butter,
11 0
Coffee, per lb.,
18
Salt pork,
11 0
Tea,
6
0
Cheese,
5 6
Brown sugar, from 12s. to
15
Oats, per bushel,
1 16 0
Cotton wool,
1 18
Eng. hay, per cwt,
1 15 0
Salt, per bushel,
12 00
Cyder, per bbl.,
20
German steel, per lb.,
1 17
Sheep's wool,
1 40
Refined iron,
10
Flax,
12 0
Wheat, per bushel,
7 13
Men's shoes,
6 00
Rye,
5
2
Women's do.,
4 00
Corn,
3 14
Shoeing a horse,
4 16 0
Beans,
5
2
Common boards,
18 00
Potatoes,
1
0
W. I. Phlip,
15 0
Turnips,
1
0 |N. E. Phlip,
12 0
This table shows a pretty rapid appreciation of prices. In the same town, at this town meeting, the town " Voted, To give to each soldier, of our quota, of the nine months continental service, 1000 dollars, or 90 bushels of rye," by which it appears that rye was worth more than ten dollars a bushel. No record was made of prices in Mason " stipo- lated" by the committee appointed for that purpose.
October 1, 1779, the town of Townsend voted to "raise 1000 pounds for the support of the Rev. Samuel Dix and his family, the present year, including his salary." His salary, by the contract, was £66 13s. 4d. At the town meeting, March 6, 1780, the town voted that "labor on the highways be £6 a day till the first of September, after that, £4 10s., and July 4, "Voted, £6000 to make up Mr. Dix's salary to 4th of September next." At the town meeting, March 5, 1781, "Voted, That labor on the highway be 40 dollars a day till the first of September, oxen 30, and carts 10 dollars a day. These facts show how little success attended the
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
1781.
stipulating of prices, in that town ; some of the same character appear in the records of Mason. For example, April 20, 1780, an assessment was made of "the Continental and State tax for the present year," the amount being £13,948 10s. 9d. 1q. Of this tax, the assessment to Deacon Amos Dakin was £110 6s. 1d. 2q. August 4, 1780, a tax was assessed "to purchase beef for the continental army" of £15,000. September 12, 1780, "Voted, To raise £14,000 to pay the soldiers that were hired in July last, making in all £42,948 10s. 9d. 1q. assessed in one year, for State and Continental purposes. A committee was appointed to purchase the beef. At a meeting December 6, 1780, Capt. Joseph Barrett, for that Committee, made a report, that "the prime cost of the beef which the committee purchased for the town, was £11,750." February 6, 1781, an order "to pay Nathan Wood £25 10s. for a pair of overhals delivered to Deacon Amos Dakin, for one of the soldiers." March 26, 1781, an order "to pay Oliver Scripture £90 for two sheep delivered to one of the three months' men, for the year 1780. May 25, 1781, an order to pay "Richard Lawrence £470 for a cow which he delivered to the selectmen, for the purpose of paying Abraham Merriam part of his hire for three years' service." June 8, 1781. In a warrant committing a "rate of £528 3s. 5d. 1q., it being our State tax for the present year," are set forth the various currencies then afloat, and the rate of allowance in each, as follows: "The whole to be paid in bills of the new Emition, or in notes of ten pounds, or of five pounds issued by the authority of the State, commonly called soldiers' bounty notes, which were dated before the last day of April, 1777, estimating one pound of said notes equal to one pound of said bills, or in such of the notes issued by the authority of said [State], commonly called depreciation notes, as were due on the 31st day of December, 1780, with compound interest on said bounty and depreciation notes, estimating one pound of said depreciation notes equal to one pound sixteen shillings and sixpence of said new bills, pro-
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HISTORY OF MASON.
vided that the same are paid into the treasury by the last day of June instant ; or in the old bills emitted by the State or by Congress, estimating £40 of said bills equal to one pound of the bills last emitted."
The faster prices were raised, the faster the currency went down. Here are four kinds of paper money, differing in value as compared with each other, at rates ranging from par, up to forty for one. In short, so worthless was the cur- rency, that it would take a sack full of paper notes, to pay for a pipe full of tobacco. The evil became intolerable, and a resort was had to silver money. September 13th, 1781, "Voted, To raise £40 silver in lue of £3000, raised at the last annual meeting, to defray town charges." For State and Continental taxes, the State treasurer was bound to receive the paper money at the rates above specified ; but to defray the town charges with £3000 of that currency, was found impracticable, and so its place was supplied with the very modest tax of £40 silver. The bubble burst, and prices resumed their former moderate and reasonable rates.
December 6th, 1779. At town meeting of Mason and Raby, Dea. Amos Dakin was chosen representative.
April 10th, 1780. The main purpose of the meeting was, to procure and forward to the state government, the evidence of the services, and payments by the town, for services of sol- diers. David Blodgett, Joseph Barrett, and Obadiah Parker, were chosen a committee "for the matter about the services of the soldiers, &c .; and to petition the general court, for liberty to tax wild land." "Put to vote, to see who would carry the receipts the continental soldiers gave, to Exeter, the cheapest, with the accounts of the same; Mr. Joshua Davis bid it off, for two hundred dollars." The object in asking for liberty to tax wild land, probably was, to enable the town to tax the unimproved lands, of the original grantees of the town, which, by the terms of the grant, were exempted from taxation, until improved. For many years, the assess- ments and tax bills after this period, had a list of rates
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