in the war then in progress, over which are the words on a ribbon: "This is the produce of the land they wish to abandon." What were the character and aims of the Hartford Convention? Twenty-six eminent New England men composed it. They were as wise, loyal and patriotic as the average of the legislators and politicians of that day or since. Their aim seems to have been to compel the national government to be just toward every section of the republic. Because of the mischievous tendency of the doings of a small faction known as the Peace Party, in New England, the President was made suspicious of the loyalty of the New England people, and insisted upon exercising absolute control of all the military movements there, instead of allowing the local authorities to establish means for local defence. Governor Strong, who, like many New England leaders in that day was an advocate of the doctrine of State Sovereignty, nullified orders from Washington by refusing to comply with the requisitions of the President. The Government therefore refused to pay the expenses incurred for the defence of Massachusetts, and so virtually abandoned that State, and also Connecticut for the same reason, to the mercy of the enemy, so far as national help was withdrawn. Great discontent ensued. A proposition of the General Government to raise a large force by conscription, brought matters to a crisis. A convention of representatives of New England was held

at Hartford, in December and January, 1814-15, to consider the State of the Union and the relations of the New England States. In that convention there were a few disunionists who counselled secession, but the great body patriotically resolved to contend for the right, in the Union. The result of their deliberations was embodied in a report that it would be expedient for the Convention to prepare a general statement of the unconstitutional attempts of the Executive government of the United States to infringe upon the rights of the individual States in regard to the military, &c.; and to recommend to the Legislatures of the several States the adoption of the most effectual and decisive measures to protect the militia and the States from the usurpations contained in these proceedings. Also to prepare a statement concerning the general subject of State defences, and a recommendation that an application be made for an arrangement with the States by which they would be allowed to retain a portion of the tax levied by Congress, to be devoted to expenses of self defence, et cetera. This was the head and front of their offending.

With the expectation that there might be an occasion for the reassembling of the Convention, the seal of secrecy was put upon their proceedings, and remained upon them for some time. This gave wide scope for conjecture, and the wildest stories of treasonable schemes were put afloat.

this meeting is of an opinion are too superfluous and not becoming amongst Friends. Ri. Valentine and Sam'l. Prier are to treat with the widow about it and desire her to take them away."

1751, 30th of 8th mo. Wm Loines and Thos. Seaman, are to get the partition of the meeting house altered so as to hang on hinges and to be hooked up when occasion requires." [Cost £1.9.10.]

1752, 29th of 4th mo. "A Com are to repair the fences round the meeting house

ground and make a gate wide enough to pass with a cart or sled.

1753, 28th of 3rd mo. they are to take in the addition of land at the south end;1 and make a good wide gate at the west side of the meeting ground, wide enough to pass in and out with a riding chair, and also to amend the house back, and the glass windows. They are to be paid for their time, trouble and expense."

1755, 27th of 8th mo. "A com are to repair the benches of the meeting house and other things that want mending.”

1757, 26th of 10th. "Benj. Smith is to help Sam" Willis in recording Friends' sufferings and other things; and is to be reasonably paid for his trouble." He is paid £2. for writing four books of Discipline; and a surplusage for the paper.

1758, 29th of 3rd mo. "A glass window is mended. The fence is to be repaired so as to be sufficient to preserve the pasture."

1760, 25th of 6th mo. "A com are to take a view of the meeting house, and for the present to stop the holes up in the south side of the roof and at the ends and repair the windows and benches, and prepare materials; and if they want money, to procure it at the meeting's cost." 2500 shingles are bought at £4.10. a thousand.

1761, 26th of 8th mo. "Our worthy Friends Susanna Hadden from Ireland and Susanna Brown from Phil', were much concerned with the indecent order of our grave-yards, and used entreaties or gave counsel that they might be put in more decent order as becomes the Truth."

1761, 30th of 12th mo. "It's the conclusion of the quarterly meeting that all grave-stones placed at the head and foot of graves be removed and taken away, and that no stones for the future be placed at the head and feet of graves; and that it come under the notice of the overseers of each Weekly meeting to see it done." 1762, 27th of 10th mo. "Oba Valentine, W Loines, Thos. Seaman and

1 Ri. Valentine and Jno Willis sell Friends 2 acres of Plain land joining the south side of the meeting house,

Isaac Doty, (for Westbury) are to remove the grave-stones and do up the graves of those who have no near relations."

1762, 29th of 12th mo. "It being very tedious to write on Monthly meeting days in the winter season and the house being cold, the meeting concludes to get a stove,' and appoints Sam' Willis to take care and get a good one and pay for it out of Friends' money."

1763, 23rd of 2nd mo. "It being proposed to change the hour of meeting from 12 to 11, the monthly meeting object (1.) because distant Friends would be pinched for time to get to meeting; (2.) from a confusion of time, some would come late and disturb those that came in due time; (3.) people can better judge of 12 o'clock (the hour used for a long time past,) without watches (which most have not) than of any other hour."

1763, 29th of 6th mo. A Come is to buy boards speedily for a loose floor over the great room of the meeting house.

1764, Daniel Stanton says: we went to Sam' Willis's and lodged. *** We went to WTM Loines's and lodged, and on First day was at meeting which was very large."

1765, 31st of 7th mo. "The com attended the marriage of Sam'l Hicks and Phebe Seaman; and at the house where the wedding was they did not see but that things were pretty orderly managed; but afterwards the young people had a time of exercising and playing ball. After the wedding some time the comR treated with Hicks about the breach of orders in such loose behavior, and he seemed to be sorry for it."

1766. Jn Griffith says: "we had an exceeding large meeting at Westbury. As there was general notice, abundance of people came from several parts of the Island so that there was near as large a concourse as at the Yearly Meeting. Their expectations were much after words, but they had none from me, I being shut up in silence the whole time. The Monthly meeting of business was held at the close thereof."

1 The house probably had an open fire place from the first.

1766, 5th of 3rd mo. "The meeting house at Westbury is to be enlarged for the accommodation of the quarterly meeting when held there. The Flushing Monthly order a subscription that the quarterly meeting may know how readily money may be raised. New York subscribed £70.8; Flushing, 25; Newtown, £8.19; Westbury, £41.10; Rockaway, £1.8. 29th of 10th mo. The proposal about enlarging and repairing the meeting house is spoken to. The Come are to get a carpenter to mend the north door and make a new south door.

1767, 25th of 3rd mo. "It is considered that if Friends should go forward to make an addition to this house it would be needful for a Come to take a view of it as it is now circumstanced, and take the dimensions and delineate a draft or model how they think it may be done in the properest manner, so that they may better form a judgment towards the cost, and write to Flushing for some of their members to join with us with their advice. 25th of 11th mo. The Come are to make up accounts with the carpenter and endeavor to pay him if they have the money. 1770, 28th of 3rd mo. Agreed that the money deposited in the hands of Friends to enlarge and repair the meeting house should be applied towards the further finishing of it. The Come are to forward the work, prepare materials and hire workmen to effect the business as far as the money will hold out."

1769, 8th mo. D. Stanton says: "I went to Westbury where we had a large meeting on First day, which was favored with Divine help and near unity with friends, where came my kind companion Joshua Cresson. After meeting we visited some Friends' families and next day were at a burial and the day following at the Youths' Meeting. *** First day following we were again at Westbury meeting which was large, and I hope they were faithfully warned in gospel love, to the satisfaction of Friends. *** After having visited

1 The Youths' meeting was discontinued in 1781, as it interfered with keeping up Particular meetings.

1770, 25th of 4th mo.

"Ri. Titus is to put up the fence round the meeting house land, and make a good gate at the north end and amend the west gate. 1771, 24th of 4th mo. He is to take care of the pasture and be paid for it."

1770, 28th of 11th mo. Monthly meeting. "Elias son of John Hicks of Rockaway, and Jemima daughter of Jonathan Seaman of Jericho, declared their intentions of marriage.-John and Micajah. Mottare to enquire into his clearness. 1771, 30th of 12th mo. Robert Seaman reports that he attended the marriage both at Jericho and afterwards at Rockaway; and Jehu Mott attended at Rockaway and the marriage was consummated orderly."

1771, 27th of 2d mo. "Considering that John Willis has burnt and brought a parcel of charcoals to this meeting house for the use of Friends, the treasurer is ordered to pay him out of the stock' in his hands."

1771, 25th of 12th mo. "Jn° Youngs desires to buy the stove that had been used in the meeting house, and (not having ready money) to pay £4 currency in currying Friends' leather, if he liked it on trial. Friends expect money, so he declined meddling with it."

1773, 31st of 3rd mo. A Come are appointed to keep up the fence round the meeting house, and do up the graves in a decent manner. Thos. Willets and Gideon Seaman are to have the care of interring those not of our Society in our Burying ground."

1774, 27th of 4th mo. "The horsestable wants considerable done to the repairing it. Also the enclosure belonging

1 Friends stock invested in bonds amounted to £376.11.10, partly derived from charitable bequests.

to this meeting needs to be enlarged. A com are to procure rails, make the fence and examine what should be done towards repairing the stable." 1779, 3d of 3d mo. Ri. Titus with Henry Post as companion visit Flushing Friends in their families.

1780, 20th of 3d mo. The horse-stable is to be repaired and the pasture ground manured. Cost £39 55. 7d., and some old shingles sold for 16s.

1780, 31st of 5th mo. "Elias Hicks1 proposes with W Valentine and Jn Searing to visit Friends of our monthly meeting."

1780, 27th of 9th mo. "Jn Searing, Adam Mott, Jn° Willis, Elias Hicks, W Rickman, Fry Willis, W & Charles Valentine, Silas Downing, Dan'l. Parish, Jacob Underhill, Henry Whitson, Jr., Jos. Willets, Gideon Seaman, and Henry Post, are appointed to consider of schools; and other concerned Friends have liberty to meet with them, and report as soon as they have come to a result. 25th of 10th mo. They report that "Friends are sorrowfully affected with the manner of schooling their children who are joined with those not Friends, and masters are employed of not good examples, whereby our youth sustain great loss in a religious sense. A Come is proposed who are to have the care of the schooling of our children throughout Westbury monthly meeting; and first to erect a school house so near this meeting house that master and children may attend meeting. 1781, 27th of 6th mo. a school house 40 by 20 feet is to be erected on Thos. Seaman's land leased for £4 a year. Terms of tuition, 6s. per quarter. 12th mo.

1 Elias Hicks, afterwards so famous as leader among Friends, was then a young man thirty-two years of age, having been born at Rockaway, L. I. in March, 1748. He had then been a formally recognized preacher for about five years, and evinced great ability as a public speaker. After being for many years a leading preacher among Friends, he imbibed Unitarian views concerning Christ, which being promulgated by him produced a schism in the Society, and finally a separation into two associations known as the Orthodox and the Hicksite Friends. The latter proved to be the more numerous, and held possession of most of the places of worship. At the age of 80 years, Elias Hicks travelled extensively and preached continually. The writer remem bers hearing him say in a sermon, "I want no man to follow me any further than I follow Christ." He died in Jericho, in February, 1830.-[EDITOR.]

Westbury had subscribed £449, 0, 3 towards the school fund. 1782, 27th of 11th mo. The British soldiers have taken possession of the new school house and the school is thereby broken up. 1784, 31st of 1st mo. The school house needs repair. A necessary house is to be built. 1788, 24th of 9th mo. This school is to be divided with Jericho: Westbury is to have £81,4,10 and one half the school house, and Jericho, £101,4, 10 and the other half.

1781, 29th of 3rd mo. "The monthly meeting is uneasy concerning admitting those not members in Society to be interred without distinction in our burying places. A Com is to take such cases under care, and to endeavor gently and in a tender manner to discourage such burials, when they think best. The pasture ground is considerably grown up to rubbish, and needs subduing. Some manure should be put thereon. £2. 8s. is paid for labor on the meeting house ground. 1782, 27th of 11th mo, Jos. Willets is paid £8 for mowing the briers and manuring the ground adjoining the meeting house. Jn° Willis is to procure coals.

1781, 27th of 12th mo. John Willis goes "to the eastern part of this Island on a religious visit, accompanied by Thos. Titus who sometimes has a few words to say in our meetings as a Minister."

1782. W Mathews says "I was engaged with others in visiting families at Westbury. 13th of 12th mo. after a solemn heart tendering season with Thos. Seaman's family, (where I had mostly made my home) and several other Friends who came to take their leave of me, in which prayer was offered for each other's preservation, I parted from them in much. love.

1782, 1st of 9th mo. Jn° Pemberton says: "I went to Westbury on First day, and in the afternoon had a large meeting with the black people in the meeting house. They behaved well. 2nd of 10th mo. I met with David Sands' on his return from

He was born at Cow Neck on Long Island in October, 1745, and became a very distinguished preacher among Friends. In early life he was a merchant, but soon after he became a Friend or Quaker by conviction, and married a member of that