Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 4
The Committee of both Houses appointed,1 to take into consideration the Memorial, of the Honble. Robert Treat Paine Esqr: and the Papers accompanying the same; have attended that Service and beg leave to report the following Resolve
Whereas it appears to this Court, that by reason of the late war the business necessary to be performed, by the Attorney General of this Commonwealth in that office hath been greatly increased, and attended with peculiar difficulty—greater expence and more constant application than at other times. Therefore
Resolved, that there be allowed and paid out of the Treasury of this Commonwealth unto the Honble. Robert Treat Paine Esqr. attorney General, the sum of one thousand sixty three pounds & twelve shillings, in addition to what has been granted to him, and he has received, previous to the first of January in the year 1783; in full for his Services as attorney General, for this Commonwealth, from the time of his first appointment to that office, down to the said first day of January, in the year, one thousand seven hundred & eighty three.
Read & Accepted
Sent down for Concurrence
Read and concurred
Stephen Choate and Israel Nichols from the Senate joined with a Mr. Williams, John Choate, and Capt. John Prentiss from the House on the committee.
Stephen Choate (1727–1815) was appointed to the Committee of Correspondence for his native town of Ipswich (1774) and was a delegate at the state constitutional convention (1779). He served as a representative to the General Court (1776–1779), a state senator (1780–1797), and a state councilor (1797–1803) (E. O. Jameson, The Choates in America, 1643–1896 [Boston, 1896], 58–61).
| Memo: | L mo: |
| John Dyar Esqr. Note to R T Paine | £46.0.0 |
| 18 ¼ years Simple Interest | 50.7.6 |
| £96.7.6 |
This Note was taken up by Elijah Dyar Esqr:, & he gave a Note, payable in one year, to the Honble: R T Paine Esqr., for sd. £96.7.6. Mr. Dyar said that his Father’s Esta. was Settled, so that he cou’d not allow Interest upon Interest, without consent of the other Heirs, as the Law wou’d not allow it. A calculation was made of Interest upon Interest, which amounted to £35.12.6, but as he wou’d not then allow any, J P tho’t it not worth while to be nice in the calculation. J P had fully satisfied himself, before he waited upon Mr. Dyar, that the law wou’d not give Compound Interest: and that, if in a New Note, compound & simple Interest had been involved in it, it wou’d have been unlawful, & vacated: So that if he had consented to allow compd. interest, there must have been 2 Notes, one for the prin. & simple interest, & the other for in: upon in; which smaller Note wou’d have been a meer honorary affair.
Upon the whole J P cou’d only urge it upon conscience, as the first Note had lain above 18 yrs., & desired Mr. D to write to Mr. Paine, whether he wou’d pay the int: upon int., or not. He said, that he had sent a Letter, this day, to RTP. He made some complaint, that it had not been demanded sooner, as he cou’d better have pd. it before the Esta. was settled. ’Tho’ he said that he wou’d not have taken any advantage from the Paper Money.