Rambles about Portsmouth. Sketches of persons, localities, and incidents of two centuries: principally from tradition and unpublished documents. By Charles W. Brewster.

THE INSURRECTION. 139
would be to suppose that the Legislature had the power of
Midas, and could, from a single touch, turn stones and
sticks into gold. Their great object was, however, to have
this paper a tender for all debts and taxes, and no plan is
hinted by which the people are to get this money out of
the treasury; but it rather seems that they expected the
General Court to apportion it among the people at large.
The Legislature formed a plan for the emission of fifty
thousand pounds, to be let out at four per cent. and land
security redeemable at a future period, carrying interest at
four per cent., and to be a tender in taxes for the internal
support of the State, and for fees and salaries of the officers of the government. This plan was sent as early as
the fourteenth of September, 1786, to the several towns,
to eollect their minds upon the subject.
The following interesting account of the matter was
drawn up by Judge Smith of Exeter not long before his
death.
"It was at this period that the clamor for paper currency
began. Many indulged the hope that a liberal emission of
bills of credit, and a mere order on the part of Government that they should be received in all cases as equal invalue to specie, would operate as an immediate and effectual remedy for all their grievances.
"On the morning of 20th September, we were informed
that a large body of insurgents were on their march to
Exeter, where the Legislature was then in session; and at
three in the afternoon they made their appearance. I saw
them as they passed down the street by the Academy.
store than a hundred were tolerably well armed; but the
rest (for they were upwards of two hundred in number)
were mounted, and their arms consisted only of whips,
cudgels, and such weapons as tradition has assigned to the
Georgia militia. They pursued their march over the
bridge, overturning or thrusting aside all who ventured