The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-02-16

| ther pleasure should be known respect
ing them. But in despite Of royal orders
and the remonstrances of the settlers on
the grants. New York continued to assert
and to endeavor to enforce her claims,
and the repeated but vain attempts at re-
Cancellation, served only to embitter the
resentment of the eentending parties,
and produce state of hostility more
derided and alarming.
The affairs of the inhabitants Of the
grants appear to have been managed,
during this period, by committees ap-
pointed in the several towns, and who
met in convention as occasion required,
to adopt measures for the common de-
fence and welfare. The resolutions aud
DEGREES of these conventions were re-
garded as the law of the land, and their
infraction was always punished with ex-
emplary severity. The punishment most
frequently inflicted was the application
of the ''5eech seal" to the naked back,
and banishment from the grants. This
mode of punishment derived its name
from allusion to the great seal ef the
Province of New Hampshire, which was
affixed to the charters of the townships
granted by the governor of the prov
inee, of which the beech rod well laid
upon the naked backs OF the Korksrs,"
and their adherents. was humorously
considered confirmation.
That the reader may have a just idea
of the summary manner in which the
convention and committees proceeded
against those who violated their DEGREES,
we will lay before them the sentence of
Benjamin Hough, asa sample. 1tappears
that Hough, who resided in the vicinity
of Clarendon. and who was violent
Yorker, went to New York in the winter
of 1774, for the purpose Of obtaining
the aid of government against the.
Green Mountain Boys, and that on the
9th day of March, the very day of the
passage of the extraordinary law of
which we have already spoken in this
chapter, he accepted the Office of justice
of the peace for the county of Charlotte
under the authority of New York. On
his return he proceeded to execute his
new office within the grants, in defiance
of the decree of the convention, which
forbade it. He was repeatedly warned
to desist, but being found incorrigible,
he was arrested and carried before a
committee of safety at Sunderland. The
decree of the convention and the charges
against the prisoner being read in his
presence, he acknowledged that he had
been active in promoting the passage of
the law above mentioned, and in the
discharge of his duties as magistrate,
but pleaded the jurisdiction of New
York over the Grant, in justification of
his conduct. This plea having no weight
with the committee, they proceeded to
pronounce upon him the following sem
tence, viz: "That the prisoner be taken
from the bar of this committee of safety
and be tied to a tree, and there, on his
naked back, receive two hundred stripes;
his back being dressed, he should depart
out ofthe district, and on return. without
special leave of the convention, suffer
DEATH" This sentence was forthwith
carried into execution, with unsparing
severity, in the presence of large con-
course of people. Hough asked and
received the following written certificate
of his punishment, signed by Allen and
Warner:
SUNDERLAND, 30th of JAM, 1775.
"This may certify to the inhabitants of
the New Hampshire Grants, that Benja-
min Hough hath .his day received full
punishment for his crimes committed
heretofore against this country, and our
inhabitants are ordered to give him, the
said Hough, free and unmolested pass
port towards the city of New York, or to
the westward of our grants, he behaving
himself as becometh. Given under our
hands the day and date aforesaid.
ETHAN ALLEE,
"SETH WARsER."
On the delivery of the paper, Allen
sarcastically observed that the certificate
together NTH the receipt on lis lack,
would no doubt be admitted as legal eyi-
dence before the supreme court and the
governor and council of New York,
though the Kings warrant to Gov. Went
worth and his excellency's sign manual
with the great seal of the province of
New Hampshire would not.
Hough repaired Immediately to the
city of New York, where he gave, under
oath, a minute account of the transac-
tons above mentioned, and this matter,
together with the particulars of the
transactions at Westminster on the 18th
of March, was made the subject of a
special message to the colonial assembly
BY Lieut.. Gov. Golden. The assembly,
after discussing these subjects on the
3oth and 31st of March. finally resolved
to appropriate f1 900 for the mainten-
anee of justice and the suppression of
riots In the county Of Cumberland, and
that reward of ESQ each be offered for
apprehending james Mead, Gideon War
rem and Jesse Sawyer, and also reward
of ESQ each, In addition to the rewards
offered, for the apprehension
of Ethan Allen, Seth Warner. Robert
Cochran and PeIeg Sunderland. These
resolutions constituted the last and dying
efforts Of the royal government OF New