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History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

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416 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1778.<br />

Necessity <strong>of</strong> Con- One <strong>of</strong> tliG most pressmg needs <strong>of</strong> the counfederation.<br />

-^py after tliG Declaration <strong>of</strong> Independence,<br />

was a general bond <strong>of</strong> union, a system <strong>of</strong><br />

confederation, that should unite all the colonies so that<br />

their energies should not be ill applied, nor frittered away<br />

<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividual and <strong>in</strong>effectual efforts. To this end Congress,<br />

<strong>in</strong> the midst <strong>of</strong> the absorb<strong>in</strong>g struggle, prepared and presented<br />

to the colonies for their consideration a system by<br />

which all should be brought together under one general<br />

government. It was not deemed sufficient that these arti-<br />

cles should be ratified by the Legislatures <strong>of</strong> the different<br />

states, but they were submitted to the scrut<strong>in</strong>y, criticism,<br />

and approval <strong>of</strong> each town.<br />

Articles <strong>of</strong> Confed- I^ January '<br />

' the articles <strong>of</strong> confederation<br />

eration Approved and Perpetual Uuiou proposed by the<br />

byt e own.<br />

Hou'ble Cont<strong>in</strong>ental Congress," were<br />

brought before the town. How far they were discussed or<br />

whether any opposition to them was manifested cannot now<br />

be known. The verdict as recorded by the clerk was that<br />

"they [the town] approve <strong>of</strong> the same and direct their<br />

Representatives <strong>in</strong> the General Court to act accord<strong>in</strong>gly."<br />

Ithamar Strong was given liberty <strong>in</strong> March<br />

Cider-Mill Privilege<br />

Granted. to build a " Cyder Mill" on the town's land<br />

near the former home <strong>of</strong> Bathsheba Hull,<br />

who had been dispossessed <strong>of</strong> the property by the town a<br />

short time before. He was to pay to the town annually<br />

"the full value <strong>of</strong> half <strong>of</strong> the cyder which he shall make<br />

<strong>from</strong> the apple trees that are upon the town's land at that<br />

place so long as he shall enjoy the same," Some one <strong>of</strong> the<br />

occupants <strong>of</strong> this land, while the town's right <strong>of</strong> ownership<br />

was <strong>in</strong> abeyance, set out and cared for the orchard, and<br />

now the town was pr<strong>of</strong>it<strong>in</strong>g by his labors.<br />

To Mrs. Hookcr, after the death <strong>of</strong> her hus-<br />

Generous to Mrs.<br />

Hooker. band, the town was generous and sympa-<br />

thetic. For a number <strong>of</strong> years she was per-<br />

mitted to use about one quarter <strong>of</strong> the sequestered land,<br />

wood was provided for her, and she was paid for supply<strong>in</strong>g<br />

the pulpit, " a.t three times the nom<strong>in</strong>al sum that was settled<br />

upon Mr. Hooker, as his salary accord<strong>in</strong>g to the time<br />

the Pulpit was supplied by her."

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