USA > Rhode Island > Newport County > Middletown > An historical sketch of Middletown, R.I. : from its organization, in 1743, to the Centennial year, 1876 > Part 3
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On the 4th January, 1780, the town meetings were re- sumed, and the records were restored from the custody of Thomas Gould, and on the 19th, temporary town officers were elected. May 24th a tax of £200 was laid, and a month later, three men were enlisted at a bounty of fifty silver dollars each. In September, five men were enlisted for three months. At this time fifty dollars of Continental inoney were equal to one silver dollar, or five shillings of State money. In two years the depreciation of paper was so rapid that a silver dollar was worth twenty-two dol-
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lars of paper, and taxes were laid in silver money. The last levy of troops was on March 9th, 1782, for 259 men to recruit the State battalion for nine months. The proportion of Middletown was three, and thirty pounds was voted to them in lieu of government pay.
When the war was over, measures were adopted to encourage immigration, and in April, 1784, the Representa- tives were instructed "That absentees from this or any other of the United States of America, appearing to be men of good morals and likely to become good and profitable mem- bers of society by their industry, or their stock, be admitted as citizens of this State." In 1785, the January town meet- ings were discontinued, a d jurors were ordered to be drawn in August. The paper money delusion revived with the advent of peace, and in February, 1786, the town petitioned the Assembly for an "emission of paper money to be founded on land security," and instructed its Representatives to urge a repeal of the act prohibiting trade with the English colonies.
The struggle for the adoption of the Constitution was a bitter one in this State, and was involved with the paper money question. On 29th March, 1788, at a special meeting Called by Act of Assembly, the vote on the Constitution was six ayes to forty noes. It was resolved that paper be no longer legal tender between individuals except for payment of legal process-that the statute of limitations on notes and book debts for two years be repealed, or the time lengthened, and that the statute of redemptions of real estate be lengthened. In December the Constitution was again rejected. On 19th October, 1789, the vote was three in favor to thirty-three against it. February 8th, 1790, Joshua Barker and William Peckham, Jr., were chosen delegates to the Constitutional Convention to sit at South Kingstown in March. April 21st 5
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HISTORICAL SKETCH
it was voted "That this meeting do approve of the Bill of Rights and amendments submitted by the late Convention, and the delegates of this town are hereby instructed to use their votes and influence for adopting the Constitution of the United States if the said Bill of Rights and said amendments first become a part of the said Constitution, together with the following additional amendments, viz : That the pay of the Senators and Representatives be ascertained and paid by their respective States, and they recalled when their respec- tive Legislatures may think proper, and others appointed in their stead ; and otherwise that the said delegates be and they hereby are instructed to oppose an adoption thereof." The strong States rights feeling of the people appeared with special force in the rural districts. But wiser counsels finally prevailed, and on the 29th May, the day on which the Constitution was finally adopted in the Convention at New- port by a vote of thirty-four to thirty-two, the town voted "That the instructions heretofore given to the Delegates respecting the proposed Constitution be recalled. Voted, That the Delegates of this town be and they hereby are in- structed to use their influence and votes in the Convention now sitting at Newport for the adoption of the Constitution which hath been already adopted by twelve States." Under these instructions Wm. Peckham resigned, and Elisha Barker was elected as a Delegate, thus securing the adoption of the Constitution by the vote of this town.
In those days the members of the General Assembly were paid by the towns, and six shillings a day, while in actual attendance, was fixed as the salary. This was amended in 1794, to be payable only "when called off the island and not without ;" so that for a session in Newport or Portsmouth the service of the Middletown members was gratuitous; but ten years later the pay was fixed at one dollar a day "on or
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OF MIDDLETOWN.
off the island." In 1797 a committee was appointed to de- fine and run the north boundary line of the town in connec- tion with a committee from Portsmouth. 3 The following April they made their report :
"Town meeting, April 18, 1798. Report of North boun- dary Committee. The subscribers, committees from the towns of Portsmouth and Middletown to ascertain the bounds between said towns, have accordingly met and examined the records respecting the said boundaries, and other evidences that offered-Have agreed upon the following partition line viz-Beginning at the East shore at a point measuring 240 rods northward from a brook now called Stony brook near Joseph Taggart's house, which we judge was formerly called Sachuest river, where we made a monument by a heap of stones on a small flat rock even with the surface of the earth, on land belonging to John Holmes, and from thence pro- ceeded on a course North 39 º West, by the magnetic needle, to the northerly part of a large rock adjoining the road near Chase's mill, 'rom thence continuing the same course to the blacksmith's shop on the east road, at the south of the chim- ney which now belongs to Mitchell, and from thence altering the course to North 452 ° West. by the said needle, to a monument erected on the west side of the road opposite to the south end of the house of Wm. Brightman, formerly built by Oliver Cornell, deceased, and from thence on a course North 402 ° West, by the said needle, to a round rock on the west side of the island marked N. P. on the top thereof. which now lies below high water mark against land formerly belonging to John Coggeshall, now the property of the heirs of Aaron Sheffield, deceased. All which we submit to the said towns. In witness whereof we have set our hands at Middletown the 17th of the 4th month called April, 1798.
Thomas Coggeshall Committee
John Gould
for
Benjamin Gardner
Middletown.
Thomas Potter.
Committee
Abrm. Anthony jr. for
Thomas Cory jr.
Portsmouth.
Voted, that the above and foregoing report be received and accepted by said meeting, and also voted that John Gould Esqr. be appointed to join in a committee with one man from
1145982
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HISTORICAL SKETCH
the town of Portsmouth appointed for the purpose of setting up sufficient standing boundaries in the aforesaid division line."
In May, 1799, the number of councilmen, hitherto six, was reduced to five, and has so remained to the present time. In 1802 an excellent act to encourage the growth of trees and the beautifying of the roads was passed, enabling the owners of land to set out trees on the highways within one foot of their front line, and securing such trees to the owners of the land and to their heirs. In May, 1804, the time for town elections was changed to the third Wednesday in June. The controversy as to Sachuest beach was renewed in 1805. A committee reported that the land adjoining the beach was the property of the town. Benjamin Easton claimed it, and in October a report was made against Easton's claim, and the town voted to defend its citizens in taking sand and seaweed from the east end of the beach. In April, 1809, the most complete highway act yet adopted was passed. It required all repairs to be made between the third Wednes- day of May and the last Monday of September-surveyors to be chosen the third Wednesday of April and to report at April town meeting the condition of roads and estimates for repairs-said tax to be ordered then and to be assessed within three weeks-surveyors to give two days' notice to parties working the roads-commutation to be at the rate of twelve and a half cents an hour for a man with a hoe or shovel, or for a pair of oxen and a chain-three cents an hour for a cart, boys from twelve to eighteen years of age, half price -- surveyors to be paid one dollar a day, and a plow and turnpike shovel to be furnished to each of the seven districts. In 1813 the Supreme Court decided that the charity farm was taxable. A town house had long been needed. As
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OF MIDDLETOWN.
early as 1795 a petition to the Assembly for a lottery grant for this purpose had been presented but withdrawn. It was built in 1813 and June 1st, 1814, the council reported the cost to be $1005.13.
The war with England was now at its height, and Middle- town claimed its share in the glory and the suffering of that second war of independence, the struggle for the freedom of the seas. The affair of the Nimrod at Smith's beach demands special notice in this place.
The British man-of-war, Nimrod, of eighteen guns, chased a Swedish brig, with a cargo of molasses from the West Indies, into the east passage, one afternoon at the end of May, 1814. The brig ran aground on the third beach. The crew escaped in their boats, and hid in the sand hills, leaving on board the captain, who could not swim. Next morning men came out from Newport, and the fort, with one six pound gun, on to the beach. The Nimrod came in again and fired on the brig some three hundred shots. No harm was done till the next to the last shot, which killed John E. Smith, and took off the leg of Isaac Barrett, who had gone out to the brig in a boat and brought off the captain to the shore. It was a ricochet shot. The victim's brother, Abner Smith, then a lad of twelve years, was standing close beside him when he was killed. Abner Smith now lives in Michigan, near Ann Arbor, and on a visit which he made a year ago to his old home, gave this narrative of the affair to the writer. Isaac Barrett recovered from his wounds, and is still, or was lately, living in New Bedford, and wearing a wooden leg. The artillery compelled the Nimrod to put to sea, and re- lieved this part of the coast from further annoyance.
The following action was taken by the town in conse- quence of this affair: "The town of Middletown at their
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meeting, June 1, 1814, Taking into consideration the melan- choly circumstances of the death of John E. Smith, occasioned by an act of violence from one of the British armed vessels ; as a mark of respect and condolence with the family of the deceased, have voted that the funeral expenses be paid by said town, and hope that this mark of respect for the brave but unfortunate young man who fell in defence of the rights of his fellow citizens will be received with the same cordiality with which it is offered. Voted that Alanson Peckham and Giles Manchester, Esqrs. be a committee to carry the above resolution into effect."
October 22d, a committee was appointed to consult with the committee of defence of Newport as to "what measures to adopt in defence of this island."
Party spirit ran very high during this period of war, the Federalists opposing the policy which had brought it on, while the Republicans sustained the Administration on every point, and unjustly charged their opponents with a hostility approaching to the verge of treason. At the October session the General Assembly elected four eminent citizens (1) to attend a convention at Hartford on 15th December to delib- erate upon the condition of national affairs. The virulence of party and the patriotic feeling of the people are equally and curiously illustrated in the proceedings of this town at a meeting on 24th November : "Voted, that there be a com- mittee appointed ta make enquiry into the reasons of appoint- ing delegates to sit in the Hartford convention, so called, and of their intention when in convention, and report at the adjournment of this meeting." A committee of eight was chosen who on 3d December reported a series of resolutions which were ordered to be published in the two Newport papers. The Mercury, a Federal paper, declined to print them, but in
1. Daniel Lyman, Benjamin Hazard, Samuel Ward and Edward Manton,
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OF MIDDLETOWN.
the next issue of the Rhode Island Republican we find the following :
"SPIRITED RESOLUTIONS OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN.
At a meeting of the freemen of the town of Middletown legally convened on the third day of December, 1814-
Taking into consideration the late proceedings of this State and other State Legislatures in appointing delegates to the Hartford Convention, the following resolutions were adopted with one dissenting voice only.
1st. Resolved; That the Union of these States is essential to their safety from internal and external dangers -- to the liberties of the people-to the independence of the nation- to the development of the faculties of the country, and to its growth to that degree of greatness and prosperity which such development would naturally lead to. That the Con- stitution of the United States is the bond of this Union, the pledge and security for their great blessings in possession and still greater in prospect. That all our public affections are devoted and wedded to that Union, and to that Constitution which secures it; that we will defend both with our blood and treasure; and succeed in the defence or perish in the attempt.
2d. Resolved; That we feel all projects to dissolve the Union of these States, whether attempted by foreign foes or domestic traitors, or by a conspiracy of both, as death blows aimed at the life of our country in its vital part, and at all our dearest interests as bound up in that country. And we invoke the patriotism of all our fellow citizens of both par- ties and of every State, and the vigilance of our constituted authorities, to watch the dawnings of all such attempts, to arouse at the alarm of danger, and with their united energies to crush the detestable foe.
3d. Resolved; That we view with much jealousy and dis- trust the proposed Convention to be held at Hartford on the 15th December inst. That the objects avowed are inconsist- ent with our duties as good citizens of a common country ; and there is reason to believe that the real object has not been avowed, and that this is to dissolve the Union of these States. We see an army forming in a neighboring State to be independent of the United States. We see in their pub- lic prints this nefarious object advocated by the patrons of this Convention, and we see no disavowal through the same channel.
/
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4th. Resolved; That we disapprove and deprecate the Act of the General Assembly of this State in appointing del- egates to said Convention ; that it was an unauthorized act and not within their commission as representatives of the people in our State Legislature ; that the sense and instruc- tions of their constituents ought to have been taken upon so novel, important, and questionable a measure; that it was highly inexpedient at this time, as holding the country up to the public enemy as torn, or likely to be torn to pieces by internal dissensions, and thereby giving him fresh incentives to persevere in the war and compel a submission to a dishon- orable peace ; that of all the States, Rhode Island should have been among the last to show any disposition to leave the WING of the UNION, or to give any countenance to any project of separation. She has no security whatever ; no, not for a moment in her own independent strength. The Union is the ARK of her safety.
5th. Resolved : that we will unite with all our fellow citizens of this State and all other States in watching the movements of said Convention ; that we will co-operate with our said fellow citizens, and rally round our government in all measures to arrest and punish any' attempts against the Union should they dare to make any.
ALANSON PECKHAM, Moderator."
In this case, as in so many others, a little patient waiting would have been no loss, since the Report of the Convention was a complete refutation of the malice of its enemies in their charge of seditious designs. The Convention recom- mended certain amendments to the Constitution. These were opposed by the townsmen who on 19th April, 1815, "Voted and Resolved ; That the Representatives of Middle- town be instructed to act and use all their influence in the General Assembly against receiving, allowing, or adopting the proposed amendments of the present Constitution of the United States, projected by the Hartford convention, so called. Also, Voted to instruct the Representatives to op- pose pay being allowed, if asked for by the delegates to the Hartford convention."
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OF MIDDLETOWN.
In June, 1819, the time of election of town officers was changed to April. A part of Newport petitioned the Assem- bly to be annexed to Middletown, but the town opposed the movement. Three years later a similar petition from resi- dents of Newport was rejected in town meeting by twenty- seven majority. The South boundary of the town was defined as follows :
"Town Meeting, August 26, 1823. Report of South boun- dary committee, Middletown, November 16, 1822.
The committee that was appointed by the towns of New- port and Middletown at their April town meetings, 1822, to run the lines between the said towns. Therefore the said committees beg leave to report the following. We met on the above date, all parties present, and proceeded to run the line, Thomas Cory, Surveyor. We began at the northwest end of said line, about ten rods above high water,-said end is in Wm. Roach's land, adjoining James Chace's farm, from thence we proceeded to run the line south 192 ° east until it strikes the corner of Asher Robbins house on the west side of the road, from thence 27 ° degrees east of south until it strikes the creek on Easton's beach where the bridge formerly stood, and so on that course into the sea, and for the better infor- mation of the towns name the several farms in Middletown through which the line runs. (Twelve farms named.)
James Stephens, Committee from Newport.
Alanson Peckham, Committee from
Thomas Manchester, George Irish, Middletown."
In 1824 the first movement was made to form a Constitu- tion for this State. Joseph Rogers and William Bailey were the delegates to the convention at Newport, held June 21. This town rejected the Constitution in October by a vote of ninety-six to one-George Irish casting the only affirmative vote. In 1826 the seaweed rights were put up to rent at auction, and the town agreed to defend suits against those who hired them. Ten years later the line was determined between the common lands and those of the N. Easton 6
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HISTORICAL SKETCH
heirs, and these were allowed to take sand on the beach. In the Presidential election of 1828 the vote of the town was for Adams 78, for Jackson 5. The movement for an extension of suffrage met no approval in the town, and in 1829 the Representatives were instructed to oppose it. In 1839, an evil which since that day has greatly increased, began to be felt, and a remedy was proposed in town meeting, August 27th. "Voted, that our Representatives in the General Assembly be and they are hereby instructed to use their influence to obtain the passage of a law limiting the time of each and every session of the General Assembly hereafter to be holden, to three weeks, and that all sittings of the General Assembly over three weeks shall be at the expense of the members of that body."
A renewed effort to form a Constitution for the State was made in 1841. Benjamin Weaver and Pardon Brown were chosen delegates to the convention to meet at Providence in November. The result of that convention, known as "The People's Constitution," was submitted to popular vote for three days, March 21, 22 and 23, 1842, and was adopted in Middletown by a vote of 152 to six. Its partizans claimed that it was adopted by the people, and proceeded to organize a State government under its provisions, with Thomas W. Dorr at their head. Its opponents denied the claim of its adoption as well as the validity of the proceedings held under it. Old party lines were at once obliterated in the face of an imminent and present peril. The "Suffrage Party". on one side upheld the new constitution. The "Law and Order Party" stood by the old charter until it should be lawfully superseded by another constitution, legally made and hon- estly adopted. Violence was appealed to in behalf of the "People's Constitution," and an armed attempt was made to
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OF MIDDLETOWN.
overthrow the existing institutions of the State. The revul- sion of feeling in Middletown, and throughout the State, was sudden and complete. The citizens rallied to suppress a lawless and causeless rebellion, whose chief support was derived from abroad. To Middletown belongs the honor of raising the second cavalry corps organized in the State to sustain the government. It was commanded by Col. Nathan- iel Greene, a grandson of the Revolutionary General. As soon as this insurrection was suppressed, the State govern- ment called a Convention, to meet at Newport in September, to frame a constitution. At a town meeting on the 30th of August, Pardon Brown and Abner Peckham were chosen delegates to that Convention. The new constitution was submitted to the people on 21st, 22d and 23d of November. The vote in this town was unanimous-one hundred in favor and none against it ; while on the provision to admit colored men to vote, it stood eighteen to insert the word "white" to forty-seven against the restriction, a majority of twenty-nine for colored suffrage. The old charter, under which the State had existed for 180 years, gave place to the present constitu- tion. It is memorable in history for many things, and among them for its vitality, as, at the time of its abrogation, it was the oldest constitutional charter in the world.
In 1845, bounds were set up on the line between Newport and Middletown, and in 1860 on the Portsmouth line. In 1846, school district number five was set off, and the next year the schools and school houses were placed under the supervision of the school committee, who, if they were op- posed by the district committees, were to appeal to the State Superintendent under the new law of 1845, reorganizing the schools. The last serious disagreement in regard to the schools took place in 1853, when on 20th June the school
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HISTORICAL SKETCH
committee petitioned the Council against the management of the two six-acre school lots, alleging an unfair distribution of the proceeds of these lands, in that the north lot was applied solely to district number one, leaving the south lot alone to the other four districts. In reply, the Council, on the 15th of August, decreed that the rents derived from these lands "shall be appropriated to the schooling and educating of all the children of all the citizens and inliabitants of the town." An appeal from this decision was taken in behalf of district number one. The decree of the Council was overruled and the appeal sustained by the Supreme Court. In 1855 the present bridge over the creek on Easton's beach, was built by conjoint action with Newport, at a cost of $550.
In June, 1853, Nathaniel Greene and Augustus Peckham were appointed as delegates to a Convention proposed to be held in Providence, on 9th of August, to amend the Consti- tution of the State. At this meeting 81 voted against a Convention and five for it. In November the vote on the same question was 103 noes to 7 ayes. The next year, Nov. 7th, 1854, five proposed amendments to the Constitution having been put out by the Assembly to be voted for by the people, they were rejected in Middletown by an average vote of nine in favor to fifty-two against them. A similar attempt to amend the Constitution was rejected two years later by about one hundred majority. The disposition to tamper with existing institutions has never met with much encour- agement from the farmers of the State.
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The great Southern rebellion aroused the spirit of the peo- ple in defence of the national government, as nineteen years before they had rallied to preserve their domestic insti- tutions. Recruiting for the Union army was active, and mil- itary organizations were formed. A company of infantry
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OF. MIDDLETOWN.
was organized, commanded by Captain Benjamin Howland. In October, 1861, a bounty of twenty dollars was given to each recruit for the national forces, and if married, and having a family, ten dollars were given to the wife and three dollars for each child under fourteen years of age. In July, . 1862, $125 bounty was voted to each one of the town's quota of eighteen men, and this sum was doubled two weeks later. The full quota was received and paid on 15th August. On the President's second call for 300,000 men, a bounty of $350 was voted.
In October, 1863, another attempt to enlarge the suffrage by an amendment to the Constitution was rejected by a vote of 13 to 35. The next effort in this direction in 1871; pro- posed to enlarge the suffrage, to abolish the registry tax, and to provide against sectarian schools. The two former amend- ments were rejected by decided majorities in a very small vote, while the latter was adopted by a vote of eighteen to nine. The first two of these amendments were again pro- posed and voted upon at the recent election, November 7th, 1876, together with another of less importance. This was the seventh time within twenty-three years that the towns- men had been called out to vote upon questions of amend- ment to the Constitution. In this last trial the rejection of all three of the articles by large majorities conveyed a de- cided rebuke to the spirit that is perpetually at work to revise the fundamental law. The Presidential vote at the same time stood 148 Republican, 22 Democratic.
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