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

454 HISTORY OP NORTHAMPTON. [1782.
The Meeting at The coiiventioii alluded to above was called
Hatfield. —i^y "what authority is not known—to meet
at Hatfield, on the first Tuesday of April.
At the March meeting, Joseph Hawley, Stephen Baker, and
Timothy Dwight, were chosen delegates, and a committee
appointed to formulate instructions. These were afterwards
considered and adopted, but have not been preserved.
They were undoubtedly strongly conservative, and it may
be believed that the Northampton delegates were solidly in
favor of upholding existing laws. Thirty-six towns were
represented in this convention, and its deliberations extended
over several days. Whatever may have been the
intentions of its members, to its discussions and votes must
be attributed those breaches of the peace that so speedily
followed. Its deliberations covered the entire list of burdens
under which the people were staggering. There was
little that had reference to law or its enforcement that was
not deemed a grievance. In almost everj^thing relative to
the administration of justice a change was demanded, and
a committee was appointed to present its list of desired reforms
to the Legislature. A proposition " To request the
Inferior Court to forbear giving judgment in civil cases,
except the creditor make it appear he is in danger of losing
his debt, or where the parties are agreed," was voted down
by a decided majority. Northampton delegates, as might
have been expected, recorded their votes against the sug-
gestion. The vote, however, that caused the greatest
trouble, and very nearly precipitated civil war upon the
county, was that which declared '
Court of the sessions of the Peace.'"
' That there be no County
Samuel Ely Appears. Beforc the couveution had completed its
work, its labors began to bear fruit.
Claiming the above vote as an authority, and professing to
regard it as tlie voice of the people, a mob assembled during
the April session of the court at Northampton, and
endeavored ineffectually to stop its proceedings. Samuel
Ely, who had just escaped from the clutches of the law for
"treasonable practices," was the instigator of this lawless
gathering. It is not known whether he was a member of
the convention or not, but as he lived in Conway, he may