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

448 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1781.
Very little coiii was in circulation, and con-
"Hard Money"
Scarce. sequently the tax in coin was difficult to collect.
In March, the town treasurer was
"positively directed to issue his Executions against those
Collectors that shall be delinquent in the payment of the
hard money tax of £400." The limit of time was the 6"' of
April.
Tobacco.
This product seems to have been raised to
some extent. It was universally used and
was grown exclusively for the home market. There was
no speculation in the "weed" in those days. Eleazar Root
was permitted to use the land on which his '
' cyder mill
lately stood," which belonged to the town, to raise tobacco.
Immunities to
At the January meeting the Representatives
Soldiers. ^q ^j^e General Court were instructed to
"endeavor to procure those immunities
promised by the General Court to those men who had
served 3 years in the continental army, for those who belonged
to this town that left the service without obtaining
a regular discharge, after they had served the full term of
3 years." The names of these soldiers are not given, and
it is not known why they left the army without their discharge
papers.
Attempt to Suspend In January the Representatives to the Legjudgment
against islature Were instructed to give their votes
and use their influence "that the part or
Paragraph of a certain act or Law made and Passed at the
last session of the General Court directing the Executive
Courts to suspend giving judgment on actions brought for
the recovery of Debts, or in case judgment was requested
upon a suggestion by the Plaintiff that he was in danger of
loosing his Debt, that judgment should be made or execu-
tion awarded for either the sum due to the Plaintiff in
Hard money or one and seven eights of the like sum in
new emission Bills, should from and after the day to which
the s'd Paragraph stands limited wholly cease & be determined
and that the same or any thing of the like effect
shall not by any means be revived or continued."