The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

PORTSMOUTH, April 5.

George Atkinson, George Gains, John Pickering,
Esquires.

Gentlemen,

YOU having been legally chosen to represent the town of Portsmouth, in General Assembly for the present year; we your constituents taking it for granted, that you hold yourselves amenable to us, and that you will follow the instructions which you may receive from us; hereby desire you to represent to the Honorable General Assembly, that your constituents object to the imposition of a late oath which was required of them, on pain of being disfranchised, as unconstitutional, unnecessary & impolitic. Unconstitutional—because we think that in a republican government like this, every member of the community paying taxes for the support of government, ought to have it in his power to give his voice for those laws by which he is to be governed.—Unnecessary—because we think a vast majority of the good people of this state at large, and of this town in particular, have by their actions as well as words, declared that they will hold the state of New-Hampshire as a sovereign independent state, and that they do, and will support its liberties as such with their lives and fortunes. Secondly, because the legislators themselves did not think it necessary to require the same oath of each individual of their own body; as they did of their constituents. Impolitic—because we think the too common requisition of oaths must weaken the solemnity and importance of them, and loosen one of the grand cords of society, which secures to us our lives and liberties. We therefore instruct you to urge the repeal of that act, and to oppose in future every such infringement of the liberties of the subject, and to give your voice for no law but what shall equally bind the delegates and their constituents. We also instruct you to oppose to the utmost of your power, any law that may be burthensome to the commerce of this state. This being the only maritime town in the state, it ought to be a free port, where the merchandize of every foreign country might be freely imported and disposed of through all parts of the state, without any impost, duty or clog. It is well known we have suffered greatly in the present contest with Britain, that our former channels of commerce have been dried up, our ships taken, our seamen detained in prisons, that many of them have been lost forever to their families and country, and that we have languished under these accumulated misfortunes. But since a prospect of peace brightens upon our view, the present moment appears the most favorable for cultivating the internal commerce of this state. If therefore, we are freed from imposts and duties, we shall be enabled to supply our brethren in the inland towns with necessary foreign articles at a low price, and to give them a high price for their produce for exportation, by which means we shall establish a commercial connection with all parts of the state, and find by happy experience that we are but one people and have but one common interest. As we are unhappily without a permanent constitution, and are uncertain how long we must remain so; we instruct you to use your endeavours that an act of exclusion may be passed in the General Court, that no person or persons may monopolize public employments within this state. That no judge of the Superior or Inferior Courts, Judges of Probate, Secretary Treasurer, Attorney General or Sheriffs Shall for the time being, have a seat in the Council or house of Representatives, for besides the manifest impropriety of the same persons acting in the legislative, judicial and executive departments; it is evident that the discharge of those different trusts must frequently interfere with each other, and when courts of justice must give place to the General Court, the people find themselves oppressed by an unnecessary delay of justice: we say an unnecessary delay for we cannot think there is such poverty of genius, abilities, and rectitude of heart within this state, that different, yet suitable men may not be found to legislate, adjudicate and execute the laws. We furthermore desire you would endeavor to have an order pass'd, that the journals of the proceedings of the house of Representatives shall be published, immediately after adjournment or prorogation. And that all public accounts shall be adjusted at least once a year. Lastly we instruct you to use your utmost endeavours that the General Court may sit in this town: this is the seat of intelligence by land and sea: here we have a public building provided, at great expence for the express purpose; and all the members can certainly be accommodated here better than in smaller towns. The assemblies of all our sister states have returned to their respective capitals: Why should we be debarred this privilege? we wish to be indulged with it, because we desire the honorable members of that Court may view our moral and political principles, that they may know we are not the men we have been represented to be, but that we are indeed true republicans, and that we ardently wish to see established in this state a free constitution.