Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 3
I cannot omit so good an opportunity of writing to you; the bearer brings ten Tons of Saltpetre to yr. mills for manufacture.1 I am very glad to hear yr. mills are repaired. I rely upon it that effectual care will be taken to prevent a like Accident in future. Mills are wanted to manufacture the saltpetre that is imported. I hope your Mills are enlarged as well as rebuilt. I hope also that your neighbourhood will soon furnish saltpetre sufficient to keep your Mills at Work. This Manufacture has recd. great improvements lately. Dr. Wm. Whiting of Massachusetts, & one of 162a Committee of Gen’ral Assembly to improve & promote the manufacture, had reported to sd. Assembly a certain process the result of Experiment & this process has been published in many papers. I have had repeated Accounts from many places of the good Success of this process; I wish you would promote experiments on it. I am satisfy’d with a little more application we shall make sufficient of this valuable Article, but Sr. when we have got powder enough, we then shall want Small Arms & Cannon, the former of wch. we undoubtedly make very good, application only is wanted to exercise them. As for Cannon, I am of a Cmttee. to enquire into this matter, & should be obliged to you if you would inform me if Cannon can be made at the Furnace in the Mannor & of what size; if they can be made, it will save the transporting them to many places where they are wanted. Pray favour me with your Sentiments on these matters as soon as you can. With Compliments to yr family & Freinds, I am yr most hble. Sevt.
Ordered by Congress on Feb.12 (Journals of the Continental Congress, 4:128–129).
I have had the pleasure of receiving two letters from you since your return from Crown Point for which I acknowledge my great Obligations. Your seasonable and judicious Admonitions that We Should exert ourselves greatly to investigate the Art of Making Saltpetre have not been without their effect. I hope that We Shall have this Spring a good supply of that article but we have now more concern for Sulphur. We have not as yet been able to collect but about 5 Tons, have not yet had any Success in refining it from the Oar or stone notwithstanding we imagine that We have found plenty of the Mineral at Brookfield and in some other places. The Genl. Court have doubled the price offered when you was with us for all that shall be refined in this colony before the first of July next. We have one Powder Mill in a good way at Andover and good preparation for 163another at Stoughton. All the Arms in the Country are repairing and some new ones made and more making.
Our Executive courts advance slowly. I have not heard that any civil Actions have been tried in any county and I believe Judgment will not be rendered in any court of Common pleas until a new fee table is made which hangs yet, by reason other Matters are thought by Many to be More important.2
Our Superior court is not yet filled. I am very sorry that you did not think proper to accept the appointment. It appears to me not to be a season to stand upon punctilios. But perhaps I am not informed of your reasons therefore shall not Censure you. I am Sir with most humble and sincere respect Your Obedient Servant
The original date of Feb. 18 was overwritten by Hawley as Feb. 17. RTP endorsed it with Feb. 18 as the date.
Because of the exegencies of war, the legislature on Feb. 20 temporarily suspended all civil actions in the Inferior Court of Common Pleas until the following April (Journals of the House of Representatives, 51, pt.2:312). The new fee bill Hawley mentioned was not passed until May 2. Its text is printed in Acts and Resolves of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, 5:486–495.