USA > New Hampshire > The history of New-Hampshire > Part 34
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Things being thus prepared, the complaints were brought to a hearing, before the lords of council ; who reported to the king, ' that Governor Belcher had acted with great partiality, Nov. 21. ' by proroguing the assembly of New-Hampshire, from the ' sixth of July, 1737, to the fourth of August following ; in dis- ' obedience to his majesty's order in council; which had been ' transmitted to him by the lords of trade, and which was proved ' to have been delivered to him, in due time ; and, also by farther ' proroguing the said assembly, from the second of September, ' 1737, to the thirteenth of October ; whereby the province were
(1) Belcher's letters, MS.
* [The whole number was 662. They belonged to the towns of Hampton, Hampton-Falls, Kingston, Chester, Stratham, Exeter and Kensington. A list of their names is in the Secretary's office of New-Hampshire.]
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PROVINCE. JONATHAN BELCHER.
1739.]
' deprived of the time, intended by his majesty's said order, to be ' allowed them, to prepare a proper and regular appeal ; thereby ' endeavoring to frustrate the intention of his majesty's commis- ' sion.'1 This report was approved by the king ; and from Dec. 27. this time, it may be concluded, that Mr. Belcher's removal
from the government of New-Hampshire was seriously contem- plated. The grant of Kingswood was also annulled ; and he was prohibited from making any other grants of land, till the lines should be determined.
This censure being passed on the governor, and the complaints being at an end, the way was prepared for a hearing of the ap- peals, from both provinces, respecting the lines ; which being had, the determination of this long controversy was Mar. 5.
1740. made on a plan entirely new. The special part of the decree of the commissioners was set aside, and no regard was had to their doubt, whether the new charter granted all the lands comprehended in the old. It was said, that when the first grant was made, the country was not explored. The course of the river, though unknown, was supposed to be from west to east ; therefore it was deemed equitable, that as far as the river flowed in that course, the parallel line at three miles distance should extend. But as on the one hand, if by pursuing the course of the river, up into the country, it had been found to have a south- ern bend, it would have been inequitable to have contracted the Massachusetts grant ; so, on the other hand, when it appeared to have a northern bend, it was equally inequitable to enlarge it. Therefore it was determined, 'That the northern boundary of ' the province of Massachusetts be, a similar curve line, pursuing ' the course of Merrimack river, at three miles distance, on the ' north side thereof, beginning at the Atlantic ocean, and ending ' at a point due north of Pawtucket falls ;, and a straight line ' drawn from thence due west, till it meets with his majesty's other ' governments." The other parts of the decree of the commis- sioners, respecting the northern line, and the payment of expenses, were affirmed.
This determination exceeded the utmost expectation of New- Hampshire ; as it gave them a tract of country, fourteen miles in breadth, and above fifty in length, more than they had ever claim- ed. It cut off from Massachusetts, twenty-eight new townships, between Merrimack and Connecticut rivers ; besides large tracts of vacant land, which lay intermixed ; and districts from six of their old towns, on the north side of the Merrimack ; and if, as was then supposed, the due west line were to extend, to twenty miles east of Hudson's river, the reputed boundary of New-York ; a vast tract of fertile country, on the western side of Connecticut river, was annexed to New-Hampshire; by which an ample
(1) Printed brief. (2) Council Records. 35
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HISTORY OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE. [1740.
scope was given, first for landed speculation, and afterward for cultivation, and wealth.
When this determination was known, the politicians of Massa- chusetts were chagrined and enraged. They talked loudly of injustice ; and some of the more zealous proposed trying the merits of the cause, upon the words of the charter, before the judges in Westminster hall ; who, it was expected, would upon their oath and honor reverse the judgment, and tell the king that he had mistaken the meaning of the royal charter.1 This would indeed have been a bold stroke. But a more moderate and pusillanimous scheme was adopted ; which was to send over a new agent, to petition the king, that he would re-annex to their government, the twenty-eight new townships, which had been cut off, and the dis- tricts of the six old towns. It was also thought prudent, that the whole province should not openly appear, in the affair ; but that petitions should be drawn, by the inhabitants of these towns, and that the agent should be chosen by them.2 Accordingly town meetings were held ; petitions were prepared and subscribed ; and Thomas Hutchinson was appointed their agent, and sent over to England ; where he formed those connexions, which after- wards served to raise him, to the chair of government in his na- tive province.
About the same time, Governor Belcher procured a petition, from his six friends, of the council of New-Hampshire, to the king ; praying that the whole province might be annexed to the government of Massachusetts.3 This matter had been long in contemplation, with these gentlemen ; but was now produced at the most unfortunate time, which could have been chosen. Their petition was at once rejected. But that from the towns was kept in suspense a long time ; till Thomlinson was prepared, to answer all the pleas, which Hutchinson could advance, and proved too hard an antagonist for him. It was finally dismissed,* because it was thought ' that it never could be for his majesty's service, to annex ' any part of his province of New-Hampshire, as an increase of ' territory, to Massachusetts ; but rather, that it would be for the ' benefit of his subjects there, to be under a distinct government.'4
Though Belcher's removal was seriously feared, by his best friends ; yet he had so much interest with some of the lords in high office, that they could not be prevailed with to give him up. The war, which had commenced between Britain and Spain, afforded him an opportunity, to signalize his zeal for the king's service ; and he determined to prove himself, a faithful servant to the crown, in every instance ; in hope that a course of time and fidel-
(1) Belcher's letters. (2) Thomlinson's observations on Massachusetts pe- tition, MS. (3) Thomlinson's MS. letters. (4) Bow brief.
* The ill success of this agency was probably the reason, that Mr. Hutchin son took no notice of it, in his history of Massachusetts.
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PROVINCE. JONATHAN BELCHER.
1740.]
ity might efface the impressions, which had been made, to his disadvantage.
It being resolved by the British court, to undertake an expedi- tion to the island of Cuba, Governor Belcher, agreeably to the orders which he had received from the Duke of Newcastle, issued a proclamation, for the encouragement of men who would enlist in the service ; " that they should be supplied Apr. 29. ' with arms and clothing ; be in the king's pay ; have a share of ' the booty which should be taken; and be sent home, at the ex- ' piration of their time of service; and that his majesty would 'order a number of blank commissions, to be filled up by the ' governor, and given to the officers, who should command the ' troops, to be raised in the provinces.' He afterwards pressed this matter, closely, in his speech to the assembly ; Aug. 1. and urged them, to make provision, for one hundred men, and a transport, to convey them to Virginia ; where all the colony troops were to rendezvous ; and thence to proceed, under the command of Colonel Gooch, to the place of their destination. The assem- bly voted, as much as they judged sufficient for this purpose ; and the governor appointed a captain, and gave him beating or- ders ; but the commissions and arms not being sent, according to the royal promise, no men could be enlisted in New-Hampshire. The governor received commissions and arms for four companies to be raised in Massachusetts ; where he could easily have enlisted ten, had he been furnished according to the engagement.1 To this failure and not to any want of exertion, on his part, in either of his governments, may be ascribed the paucity of troops raised in them ; and yet his enemies failed not of blaming him on this account. The representatives of New-Hampshire took this occasion to frame a vote, disapproving his administra- August. tion ; and upon this vote, their agent founded another battery, to attack his character.2
In conformity to the royal determination of the boundaries, orders were given to Belcher, to apply to both his govern- 1741. ments, to join in appointing surveyors, to run out, and mark the lines ; and that if either should refuse, the other should pro- ceed ex parte. The assembly of Massachusetts delayed giving an answer in season, which was construed a denial. The assem- bly of New-Hampshire appointed three surveyors, to execute the service, who were commissioned by the governor. They were directed to allow ten degrees, for the westerly variation of the needle ; and the work was performed in the months of February and March. George Mitchell surveyed and marked the similar curve line, from the ocean, three miles north of Merrimack river, to a station north of Pawtucket falls, in the township of Dracut. Rich- ard Hazzen began at that station and marked the west line, across
(1) Belcher's letters. (2) Thomlinson's letters.
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HISTORY OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
[1741.
Connecticut river, to the supposed boundary line of New-Hamp- shire. Walter Bryent began the line, from the head of Salmon- falls river, and marked it about thirty miles ; but was prevented from proceeding farther, partly by the breaking up of the rivers, which rendered travelling impracticable ; and partly by meeting a company of Indians who were hunting, and took his men for a scouting party. In their return, they found on one of the trees, which they had marked, ' the figure of a man's hand grasping a ' sword ;' which they interpreted, as a signal of defiance, from the Indians.1
The return of these lines to the board of trade was one of the last acts of Mr. Belcher's administration. His enemies in both governments were indefatigable in their endeavors to remove him ; and by their incessant applications to the ministry ; by taking every advantage of his mistakes ; by falsehood and misrepresent- ation ; and finally, by the diabolical arts of forgery and perjury, they accomplished their views." He was succeeded in the gov- ernment of Massachusetts, by William Shirley ; and in New- Hampshire, by Benning Wentworth.
At this distance of time, when all these parties are extinct, and every reader may be supposed impartial; it may seem rather strange, that Governor Belcher should meet with such treatment, from the British court, in the reign of so mild and just a prince, as George the Second. That Mr. Belcher was imprudent and unguarded, in some instances, cannot be denied. He was indeed zealous to serve his friends, and hearken to their advice ; but, by this means, he laid himself open, to the attacks of his enemies ; to whom he paid no court, but openly treated them with contempt. His language to them was severe and reproachful, and he never spared to tell the world, what he thought of them.
This provoked them ; but they had the art to conceal their re- sentment, and carry on their designs, in silence, till they were ripe for execution. He had by far too mean an opinion of their abili- ties, and the interest which they had at court ; and when he knew that they had the ear of the lords of trade, he affected to think them, 'not very mighty lords, nor able to administer life and death.' He had a consciousness of the general integrity of his own inten- tions ; and appears to have been influenced, by motives of honor and justice ; but he was not aware of the force of his own preju- dices. It may admit of doubt, whether, considering the extreme delicacy of his situation, it were within the compass of human policy, to have conducted so as to give offence to neither of his provinces, in the management of such a controversy ; but it is certain, that his antagonists could not fairly fix but one real stigma, on his character ; and that when impartially examined, can
(1) MS. returns in the files. Bryent's Journal. (2) Douglass, i. 481 .- Hutch. ii. 397.
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PROVINCE. BENNING WENTWORTH.
1741 ]
amount to no more than an imprudent step, at a critical time, grounded on an undue resentment of an affront; for to suppose that his intention was to frustrate the commission, is inconsistent with the whole tenor of his public declarations, and private cor- respondence. When his enemies met him on fair and open ground, he was always prepared to answer ; but it was impossible to guard against their secret attacks. If the cause which they meant to serve was a good one, why did they employ the basest means to effect it ?
The cruelty and hardship of his case may appear from the fol- lowing considerations. He had been one of the principal mer- chants of New-England ; but, on his appointment, to the chair of government, quitted every other kind of business, that he might attend with punctuality, and dignity to the duties of his station. 1 By the royal instructions, he was restrained from giving his assent, to any grant of money, to himself ; unless it should be a perman- ent salary. What he received from New-Hampshire was fixed, and paid out of the excise ; but the assembly of Massachusetts could not be persuaded, to settle any salary upon him. They made him a grant of three thousand pounds, (worth about seven or eight hundred sterling) generally once in a year, at their ses- sion in May. He was then obliged to solicit leave from the king, to accept the grant, and sign the bill ; and sometimes could not obtain this leave till the end of the year ; once not till five days before the dissolution of the assembly. In the mean time, he was obliged to subsist on his own estate ; and had he died within the year, the grant would have been wholly lost, to his family. He was earnest to obtain a general permission to sign these grants ; but in that case, the clerks of offices, in England, through whose hands the permission must have passed, would have lost their fees. He was now in the sixtieth year of his age ; he had a family of children and grand children, whose sole dependence was on him; and he thought with reason, that if his course of faithful service, and the unworthy arts of his enemies had been duly considered ; the censure of his superiors would have been less severe, than ' to deprive him of his bread and honor.'
Whilst he entertained the worst opinion possible of the charac- ters of his enemies, he had a strong confidence, in the justice of the government, before which he was accused. In one of his letters to his son, he says, ' I must expect no favor while Bladen ' is at the board of trade ; but where the devil there, I should ex- ' pect justice, under the British constitution, corroborated by the ' Hanover succession.' The event proved, that his confidence was not ill founded. For, on being superseded, he repaired to court ; where, though his presence was unwelcome to some, yet he had opportunity to bring the most convincing evidence of his
(1) Belcher's letter to Doddington, MS.
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HISTORY OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
[1741.
integrity, and of the base designs of his enemies. He was so far restored to the royal favor, that he obtained a promise, of the first vacant government in America, which would be worthy of his ac- ceptance. This proved to be the province of New-Jersey ; where he spent the remaining years of his life ; and where his memory has been treated with deserved respect .*
CHAPTER XIX.
The beginning of Benning Wentworth's administration. War opened in Nova Scotia. Expedition to Cape-Breton ; its plan, conduct and success, with a description of the island, and of the city of Louisburg.
BENNING WENTWORTH, Esquire, son of the deceased lieuten- ant governor, was a merchant of good reputation in Portsmouth, and well beloved by the people. He had represented his native town in the assembly for several years, where he distinguished himself in the opposition to Belcher. He afterward obtained a seat in council ; where, sensible of the popularity of his family, and feeling the pride of elevation, he continued the opposition, and joined in the measures which were pursued for obtaining a distinct governor, without any apprehension that himself would be the person ; till a series of incidents, at first view unfortunate, prepared the way for his advancement to the chair.
In the course of his mercantile dealings, he had entered into a contract with an agent of the court of Spain, and supplied himn with a large quantity of the best oak timber ; to procure which, he borrowed money in London. When he delivered the timber at Cadiz, the agent with whom he had contracted, was out of place, and the new officer declined payment. In returning to America, the ship foundered, and he was saved with the crew in
4 [JONATHAN BELCHER died at Elizabeth-Town, 31 August. 1757. In a letter to Secretary Waldron, dated 7 January, 1740, he says, " This day en- tered the fifty-ninth year of my age." He was therefore at the time of his death in his 76th year. His father Andrew Belcher was born at Cambridge, 1 January, 1647, and removed to Boston about 1707. He was one of the council of safety on the deposition of Andros in 1689, and a member of the council of the province of Massachusetts, from May, 1702, to the time of his death, 31 October, 1717, at the age of 70. The grandfather of Governor Bel- cher was Andrew Belcher, who came from England as early as 1640, and set- tled at Cambridge. He married a sister of Deputy Gov. Thomas Danforth, of Cambridge, and died as early as 1680. Two sons of Gov. Belcher were educated at Harvard college, viz. Andrew, who graduated in 1724, and died at Milton, Massachusetts, 24 January, 1771, aged 65, and Jonathan, who graduated in 1728, chief justice and governor of Nova Scotia, and died 29 March, 1776, aged 65, leaving an only son, Andrew, who resides in England, and one daughter, who lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.]
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PROVINCE. BENNING WENTWORTH.
1741.]
a boat. These misfortunes deranged his affairs and reduced him to a state of bankruptcy. Afterward, he went again to Spain, hoping by the interest of Sir Benjamin Keene, the British minis- ter, to obtain his due, but his suit was ineffectual. About that time, Thomlinson, despairing of Dunbar's advancement to the govern- ment of New-Hampshire, turned his thoughts toward Wentworth ; and having procured him a letter of license from his creditors in London, invited him thither.1 Wentworth represented his case to the British court, complained of the injustice of Spain, and peti- tioned for redress. Many British merchants, who had suffered by the insolence of the Spaniards, were, at the same time, clam- orous for reparation. The ministry were studious to avoid a war. A negociation was begun, and the court of Spain promised resti- tution ; but failed in the performance.2 War was then determined on, and all negociation ended. Disappointed in his plea for jus- tice, Wentworth made his suit for favor ; and by the aid of Thom- linson, who understood the ways of access to the great, he obtained a promise from the Duke of Newcastle, that when New-Hamp- shire should be put under a distinct governor, he should have the commission. The expense of the solicitation and fees, amount- ing to three hundred pounds sterling, was advanced by his friends in England, and repaid by his friends in New-Hampshire.3
He was received in Portsmouth after a long absence, with great marks of popular respect. Among the compliments 1741.
which were paid to him on that occasion, one was, that he had been instrumental of 'rescuing New-Hampshire Dec. 12. from contempt and dependence.' In his first speech to the as- sembly, he reflected on the conduct of his predecessor, not by name, but by implication ; for not having taken early measures to raise men for the expedition against the Spanish West-Indies; and intimated his apprehension, that the good intention of the 1742. province in raising money for that purpose, would be frus- trated, since the men who were willing to enter into the service had enlisted in the other provinces.4 He also complimented them, on their good faith in regard to the several emissions of paper money ; all of which were to be called in within the present year. He did not forget to recommend a fixed salary for himself, not subject to depre- ciation ; nor the payment of expenses which had arisen on account of the boundary lines. He informed them of the king's indul- gence, in giving him leave to consent to a farther emission of bills of credit, to enable them to discharge their obligations to the crown ; provided that no injury should be done to the trade of the mother country. He also recommended to their attention the faithful services of their agents, one of whom, Rindge, was dead, and the payment of the debt due to his heirs.
(1) Thomlinson's letter, MS. (2) Gentleman's Magazine, for 1739 .-- (3) MS. letters of Thomlinson and Atkinson. (4) Journal Assembly, Jan. 14
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HISTORY OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE. [1742.
The assembly, in their answer, acknowledged the wisdom and justice of the king in determining the long controversy between them and Massachusetts ; but as to payment of the expense, they reminded him that one half ought to be paid by Massachusetts, and desired him to use his influence for that purpose. With respect to the failure of raising men for the expedition, they set him right by ascribing it to the true cause ; there being no commissions sent to the province for that service. Concerning the salary, they
said, that as soon as they could know what number of inhabitants would be added to them by the settlement of the lines, and how the money could be raised, they should make as ample provision for his honorable support as their circumstances would admit. They acknowledged the fidelity and industry of their agents, and professed a good will to reward them ; but could not then prom- ise adequate compensation.
The assembly voted a salary of two hundred and fifty pounds, proclamation money, to the governor, funded as usual on the ex- cise ; and having obtained the royal license for emitting twenty- five thousand pounds on loan for ten years, they granted the gov- ernor two hundred and fifty pounds more, to be paid annually out of the interest of the loan.1 When this fund failed, they made annual grants for his ' further and more ample support,' and gen- erally added something for house rent. They presented their agent, Thomlinson, one hundred pounds sterling, for his faithful services ; but what they did for the heirs of Rindge does not ap- pear.
After Mr. Wentworth was quietly seated in the chair of govern- ment, an opportunity presented to advance his interest still farther. 1743. For the sum of two thousand pounds sterling, Dunbar was
prevailed on to resign the surveyorship of the woods, and Thomlinson negotiated an appointment in favor of Wentworth, with a salary of eight hundred pounds sterling, out of which he was to maintain four deputies. But to obtain this office, he was obliged to ' rest his claim on the crown of Spain for fifty-six thousand dollars.'
These appointments of Mr. Wentworth gave the opposers of the former administration great cause of triumph ; but the spirit of opposition had only changed sides. It was hoped and expected by some, that Mr Belcher, by going to England, would not only re- move the ill impressions, which the malice of his enemies had made, but return to his former station. Others, who had no predilection for Belcher, looked with envy on the good fortune of Wentworth, and aimed to undermine him ; at the same time court- ing the friends of the former administration to join in their meas- ures. These things were managed with secrecy, and a few hints only are left as evidence of the existence of designs, which were never brought to maturity.
(1) MS. Acts.
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PROVINCE. BENNING WENTWORTH.
1744.]
It was one of the royal instructions to governors, that in any cases of difficulty or sudden emergency, they should communi- cate with each other. Mr. Wentworth had a high opinion of the abilities of the new governor of Massachusetts, and there being a strict friendship between them, consulted him on all occasions. Shirley was gratified by this deference, and knew how to make his advantage of it. Thus, though New-Hampshire was under a governor distinct from that of Massachusetts, a point which had long been contended for ; yet the difference was not so great in reality as in appearance. This was a circumstance not much known at that time. The advice which Shirley gave him was, in general, salutary and judicious.1
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