Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 4
The two Houses in pursuance of the Resolves of the Honorable Congress passed the 22d. of November last proceeded to the Choice of three Gentlemen as Commissioners in behalf of this State to meet the Commissioners from the States of New Hampshire Rhode Island & Providence Plantations Connecticut New York New Jersey Pensylvania & Delaware at New Haven on the 15th. day of this instant January and with them or a Majority of them to deliberate upon and devise the most prudent & effectual Measures possible for the promoting the valuable Purposes mentioned by the Honorable Congress in their Resolves above referr'd to. And upon Sorting & Counting the Votes it appeared the following Gentlemen were Chosen Vizt.
Honble. Thomas Cushing Esqr.
Honble. Robert Treat Paine Esqr.
Colo. Elisha Porter.
On Jan. 9, the House of Representatives had chosen Cushing, RTP, and John Pickering, Jr. Pickering was excused from serving, and Elisha Porter was chosen in his place (Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts, 1777–1778, 53, pt. 2:149–150). RTP noted in his diary that on Jan. 14 he “set out horse back with Mr. Cushing & Col. Porter for New Haven Convention.” As they were traveling through the cold and snowy New England winter, at Hartford “the snow soon turned to Hail & then Rain wch. froze to our Cloathes” (Jan. 17). They arrived at New Haven on Jan. 18. On the 20th, the “Convention formd.,” and on the 21st “two Cmsrs. arrived from Pennsylvania.” Aside from noting the weather and the weekly preachers, RTP noted nothing further in his diary until Feb. 2 when “Convention finished in Evning.”
This was the fourth of eight interstate conferences held between 1776 and 1780 for the purpose of strengthening the public credit. RTP had briefly attended the first at Providence, R.I., in Dec. 1776 (see note 2, RTP to David Cobb, Dec. 6, 1776, RTP 3:334). Massachusetts was not represented at the Mar. 1777 conference at York, Penna. In July 1777, another conference was held at Springfield, Mass. RTP noted in his diary on July 28: “set out for Springfeild to meet the Cmttees of the 5 Eastern Govts. there”; July 30: “fine morning to Scotts in Palmer 9m Breakfasted met Mr. Paul Mumford from Rhodisland there, thence to Springfeild 14m by 1 o'Clock, put up at Parson's hot day”; July 31: “the Cmttees not all met. PM John Sloss Hobart from NYork arrived”; Aug. 1: “Cmttees met”; Aug. 6: “Cmttees finished” without offering any further detail. The New Haven Convention discussed here (and below) followed. See Simeon E. Baldwin, “The New Haven Convention of 1778,” in Papers of the New Haven Colony Historical Society (New Haven, 1882), 3:33–62. RTP does not appear to have attended any of the further conventions on public credit, which were held at Hartford, Conn., beginning Oct. 20, 1779; Philadelphia, beginning Jan. 1780; Boston, beginning Aug. 3, 1780; and again at Hartford, beginning Nov. 2, 1780.