Adams Family Correspondence, volume 9
m
y10. 1789 [
1790]
Our Genl Court is now in the Fourth Week of its Session; very little Business of Importance as yet finished1 The Leisure Season of the Year invites many of our good Folks to spin out the Session to a Length more favourable to their Purses than to the Interest of their Constituents.2 Much has been said of the Necessity of making Provision for restoring the public Credit, However no Tax or any other effectual Measure is as yet agreed upon— whether any Thing will be done to purpose before the Court rises is uncertain as many of the Members are of opinion that it will be best to wait the Decision of Congress on the Report of the Secretary of the Treasury—3
The Cold has been severe for several Days— the Thermometer stood at. ○. this Morning— Sudden Deaths have ben frequent for a Week past— Mrs. Palmer was seized with a Paralisis on Friday Evening last & died the Night following—4
Your Son Mr Thos. arrived in Boston last Saturday & is well— By a Letter from Mr Shaw I find Mrs. Shaw is well.
Mr Joy has offered the Land bought of S. Quincy at the Price He gave for it with the Interest from the Time of Purchase— his Memm. is enclosed for Your Consideration—5
Be pleased to present my Affectionate Regards to Mr. Adams & Your Children—
I am with sincere Affection / Yours
RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “Mrs. Abigail Adams”; endorsed: “dr Tufts / Febry 10 1789.” Filmed at 10 Feb. 1789.
The Mass. General Court met from 13 Jan. to 9 March, after which it adjourned until 26 May (Mass., Acts and Laws
, 1788–1789, p. 611, 725; 1790–1791, p. 91).
Members of the General Court were paid per diem, with senators earning six shillings and six pence per day and members of the House of Representatives six shillings per day. Legislators were also compensated for their travel time, receiving one day's pay for every ten miles they traveled to attend the session (Mass., Acts and Laws
, 1788–1789, p. 679).
On 3 March, the General Court passed a revised “Act to Raise a Public Revenue by Excise, and to Regulate the Collection Thereof,” which included a list of items to be taxed and a detailed explanation of how the law would be enforced (Boston Gazette, 8 Feb.; Mass., Acts and Laws
, 1788–1789, p. 462–476).
Mary Cranch Palmer, Richard Cranch's sister, died on 6 Feb. at seventy years of age; see also AA to Mary Smith Cranch, 20 Feb., and Mary Smith Cranch to AA, 28 Feb., both below.
The enclosure was possibly a document entitled “Extract from Mr Quincey's Deed” (Adams Papers, Adams Office Manuscripts, Box 2, folder 16), which describes two parcels of land in Braintree previously owned by Samuel Quincy Jr. but purchased by John and Abigail Joy in March 1788. JA would purchase both parcels from the Joys for £250 16in June 1791. The first piece was thirty acres bordering the Adamses’ land to the north, and the second was twenty acres of woodland adjacent to the Adamses’ land to the west (John and Abigail Joy to JA, 18 June 1791, Adams Papers, Adams Office Manuscripts, Box 2, folder 16). See also AA's reply to Tufts on 7 March, below.
There is a sett of Scotch Writers that I think deserve your Attention in a very high Degree. There are Speculations in Morals Politicks and Law that are more luminous, than any other I have read. The Elements of Criticism and other of Lord Kaims's Writings—Historical Law Tracts—sir James Steuart—Adam Smith &c both his Theory of Moral Sentiments and his Wealth of Nations—1 There are several others whose Names and Titles I dont at present recollect.
Your Project of going to Boston, I think of, every day.— You may divide your time between Braintree and Boston to great Advantage, or reside constantly at Boston if your Business should require it. But my Son, You must expect an Interval of Leisure, and Ennui.
Whether those who ought to be my Friends will be yours or not, I cant say.— Whether they are mine or not is at least problematical in some Instances— Yet I think you will find Friends in Boston.
Write me as often as you can. I hope the contracted ignorant Prejudice against your Profession will not be pushed so far as to render you uncomfortable.—
Preserve my Son, at every Risque;—at every Loss;—even to extreme Poverty and obscurity; Your Honour and Integrity Your Generosity and Benevolence, your enlarged Views and liberal Philanthropy. Candour and Honour, are of more importance in your Profession even than Eloquence Learning or Genius. You will be miserable without them whatever might be your Success. The Family is well— Yours affectionatly
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “J. Q. Adams.” Tr (Adams Papers).
Several of these works, including Adam Smith's An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, London, 1778; and Henry Home, Lord Kames’ Elements of Criticism, Edinburgh, 1788, and Historical Law Tracts, Edinburgh, 1761, are in JA's library at MB (
Catalogue of JA's Library
). JA also recommended the writings of Sir James Stewart, which include Dirleton's Doubts and Questions in the Law of Scotland, Edinburgh, 1715. JQA apparently took his father's advice; his personal library at the Stone Library, MQA, includes a 1791 edition of Wealth of Nations, a 1792 edition of Theory of Moral Sentiments, and a 1788 edition of Elements of Criticism.