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

1774] REVOLUTION—PRELIMINARY EVENTS. 345
the charter abrogated witlioiit the sem))lance of legal
authority. One by one the cherished privileges of the people
were rent away and all power was lodged in the hands
of their oppressors. In resisting these acts of despotism
the colonies believed themselves abundantly justified.
Especially they resented those acts that concentrated the
judicial machinery of the colony in the control of an exec-
utive appointed by the power that forced upon them these
unsatisfactory laws.
The County Courts Believing that a judiciary, appointed and
to be stopped. held In power "by any other tenure than
that which the charter and the laws of the
Province direct, must be considered as under undue influ-
ence, and therefore unconstitutional," ' the people took
council together in reference to a further continuance of
the County Courts, and resolved to stop them. A conven-
tion was held at Hadley, on the 26"' of August, to " consult
about the courts going on."' ^ This was the first convention
held in Hampshire County, but no report of its proceed-
ings has been preserved. Mr. Judd has several allusions to
this gathering and its object. On the 25"*, he writes:
" Western towns which are made up principally of emi-
grants from Connecticut are zealous for stoyjing the courts."
Again on the 27"', the day after the convention, he says :
"the Congress are all except 3 of the western towns for
not stoping the court," and on the 28"" he adds : — " probably
the court will be stopt, great zeal in the west." Through
the influence of this convention the first attempt to interfere
with the courts in this county was made. The conven-
tion was divided in sentiment and a committee was ap-
pointed to interview the court and prevent its session if it
proposed to act under the new establishment. But the
more excitable among the people decided that there should
be no judicial proceedings under either establishment. The
regular session of the County Court of General Sessions of
the Peace, occurred at Springfield, August 30"'. Determined
to prevent its sitting, the people gathered there in
crowds. Mr. Judd thus alludes to this affair: — "Vast
numbers gone from the West by way of Westfield," and
1 Journal Provincial Congress.
2 Judd's Diary.