The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

As that Part of the above Advertisement which mentions my bringing an Action against the Proprietors of RUMNEY, may, in the View of those who are unacquainted with the true State of the Affair, carry in it a tacit Reflection on my Character, as if my Disposition were litigious, and so may operate to my Prejudice: therefore a Regard to Truth, and the Justice I owe to my own Character, lead me to take this Method to inform the Public: That previous to my commencing an Action against the Proprietors, I had Year after Year, requested the principal Proprietor, who has been Agent for the Proprietors, to pay my Salary agreeable to Vote, but was refused, and given to understand in plain Language that he would not pay me till he should be obliged to do it by Execution. Notwithstanding I was very averse to put the Action in Suit, and it was not till after I had been sued myself by one of my Creditors, and threatened by others, and was paying Interest for Money that the Action was commenced against the Proprietors; and after the Action was entered I made a public Offer in the Proprietors Meeting of April the 10th 1771, to withdraw the Action, and moreover to give in forty Dollars of my Salary, if they would soon pay the Remainder according to their Votes, without putting me to further Trouble. This reasonable and generous Offer was rejected by the Proprietors Agent before mentioned, and he carried the Vote to raise the 12 Shillings on each Proprietor's Right, to defray the Charges of the said Suit, against the Minds of all the Proprietors who were present, (one excepted) who were unanimous to comply with my Offer, and now after I have been forced to prosecute the Affair in the civil Law, I have agreed to leave it to the Judgement of three impartial Men, to withdraw the Action and bear the Costs that have hitherto arisen on my Part.

From this true State of Facts the Public are left to judge where the Blame ought to fall, and the non-resident Proprietors to consider, whether it is for their Interest, or a likely Means to promote the Settlement of a new Town to lodge such Power in one Man, as to enable him to carry any Affair, when he pleases against the Minds of all the other Inhabitants, to oppress them with unnecessary Charges.

THOMAS NILES.