Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

86 SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1SS6.
had said it was very hard for those in tlie Massachusetts jurisdictiou
to weaken their estates by being "forced to such a bondage," and
Hopkins replied that "if weakeninge of estates be a sufHcient plea
to free men from payinge of taxes, we know not who will pay, for all
such payments doe weaken men's estates." Mr. Hopkins continues:
Nor can we yeild a readj^ beleefe to wliat is affirmed, that if they (Springfield
planters) had foreseen the present imposition Monld have been required, they
would not then have planted, for the thing carryeth that evidence of equity with
it that M''. Pinchon, while he looked upon himself as a member of tiiat jurisdic-
tion, acknowledged the same & yielded upon a motion made bj' himself to M''.
Fenwicke (as we have it from this testimony deserving credit) that the trade of
beaver upon the Kivcr, which is the greatest tiling now stuck at, ought in reason
to contribute to the chardg of the forte ; besides the incourageraent given by
M''. Pinchon under his owne hand to others to the gentlemen interested in Sea-
brooke forte, which might well draw out from them an addition to the former
expense, there seems to deserve some weight of consideration in the present case.
Mr. Pynchon had said in his written protest that he did not propose
to be taxed by two governments, even if he had said that a Saybrook
fort was a good thing for the colonies. There was a i)rinciple of
government involved in this unfortunate affair which did not appear
in its true light to the disputants. A fort was useful to all the col-
onies, and its maintenance, lilve the war charges, should have been a
burden on all. The commissioners of the United Colonies were not
able to grasp the full notion of federated unity. They chose rather
to stand by Connecticut. The debate was at first carried on by the
Connecticut and Massachusetts members of the commission, and it
was some time before Mr. Pynchon himself was called in ; but he
simply referred to the action of the Massachusetts General Court as
reflecting fully his views. The commissioners, in spite of the fact
that no duties were imposed upon the Dutch trading vessels, {massed
a vote in which it was said that " it is no impeachment of any liberty
granted by patent to the Massachusetts that Springfeild, seated upon
the River of Connecticut, doe beare a moderate & equall parte of