The History of the Insurrections, by George Minot

avoid the difficulty of redeeming it, that it might by law, be depreciated at fixed rates, in certain given periods, until at a suitable time, the whole should be extinguished. So wild a proposal served rather to retard than advance the views of the party. A report, however, was once made by a committee of the House of Representatives for emitting a paper currency, but it failed of acceptance. Several other plans were suggested to the legislature from without doors, for relieving the people ; but means were at length pursued to bring them forward in a collected and forcible manner by the interference of a new authority. This was no other than the expedient of county conventions.

In a government as free as the people themselves can make it, we may expect to find a stated and satisfactory mode of redressing every remediable evil that can happen. In the government of Massachusetts, and to what part of the globe are we to advert for a freer one ? this mode is pointed out by application to the legislature. When publick or private distress is felt, every town, and every individual in it, have a right to petition the government for redress. They have also the express privilege of instructing their representatives, and of consequence, directing their