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CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION AT EXETER

The plan of government, adopted in New Hampshire in the early part of the Revolution, had served a good purpose, though it was far from being perfect, and several attempts had been made to alter it, or to establish a new system. The convention of 1778, having failed to form a plan acceptable to the people, delegates to another convention were chosen by the towns, three years afterward.

They met at Exeter in the early part of the summer of 1781, and continued more than two years. In September, 1781, having matured a plan of government, they sent it forth to the people, by whom it was rejected. The action of Hampton in the matter was set forth in an address of some length, signed "Christopher Toppan, Moderator, on behalf of the town," in which the following reasons are given for rejection: First, that so small a part of the state had a voice in it, there being but few of the towns that sent delegates; Second, that the existing war agitated people's minds and rendered them unfit to frame a suitable form of government; Third, that the disaffection of Cheshire and Grafton counties threw them out of the convention, and it would be better to wait till they should return to their allegiance.

After the rejection by the towns, the convention revised their work; but before they were ready to send it out again, the Treaty of Paris was concluded, and the existing form of government, adopted for the period of the war, expired by limitation. By vote of the towns it was continued for one year longer; and within that time the new plan of the convention was ratified, and became the constitution of the state, going into operation on the 2nd of June, 1784.

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