The History of the Insurrections, by George Minot

not come into effect till the other states had adopted it ; and the produce of the latter was not equal to its appropriation. Much of the burden was, therefore, left to the old mode of taxation, annually reminding the people of a pressure, which the change of their manners by the war had made them less able to bear.

With these embarrassments one would suppose, that the highest object which could have been aimed at, would have been to provide for the punctual payment of the interest of the national debt. Yet wither the impatience of the people at paying interest money, which was compared to a canker worm that consumed their substance without lessening their burdens, or some other cause, induced the legislature, so early as the year 1784, to issue a taxt [sic] of 140,000l. for redeeming that amount of the army debt ; and in two years afterwards 100,000l. more was assessed for the same purpose. The payment of the extant taxes was soon found to be much in arrear, notwithstanding the depreciation of the certificates which were made receivable for them ; and, after strict scrutiny into the conduct of publick officers employed in the collection, the delinquency was perceived to be in a great degree, with the people themselves, from unavoidable causes.