The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-03-21 00:00:00, page 3

In GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
March 20, 1780.
The Bill intitled " An Aft for flr^n, 'he fom o f One
hundred thousand pounds > Bills o: Cr^% far the pre
fect relief of the Army, aad for eftablhhiug a fund for
the certain redemption of the fame, and for other purpo
ses therein mentioned," was read the second time, and be
ing debated by paragraphs, was ordered to be transcribed
for 'the third reading, and in the mean time printed for
confidertion.
Extras from the Minutes,
T H OMAS PAIN E,
Clerk of rhe General Assembly.
An ACT for firikin^ the fpm of One hundred thou
sand pounds in Bills of Credit, for the prefect relief
@f the army, and for eAabUfhipg a fund for the certain
redemption of the fame, and for other purposes therein
mentioned. *
WHEREAS every motive and con federation, which
can interest the citizen and patriot, do call upon
the Representatives of the Freemen of this Commonwealth,
to fed efficacious and certain means of procuring and
providing an immediate supply of provifious, and other
articles for the relief of the army,
AND WHEREAS, as well for this purpose, as for
supplying the good peopleof Pennsylvania, with a me)i
urn of commerce and exchange of commodities of a stable
and solid nature^ from the want of which they already
fuffer ; and if the fame be not remedied, may soon be in
volved in great difficu'ties :
AND WHEREAS in the embarrassments of trade oc
casioned by the prefect war, it is not to be expeded, that
Efficient quantities of gold and silver money can be pro
cured or retained in this State, for the purposes of private
dealing, or public purchases; and thia Commonwealth
is possessed of a very considerable real estate, which may
and part of which ought to be considered and pledged as
a fund of credit for relieving the public oeceffities, and
supplying the Treasury at th is important crisis:
Be it therefore enabled, and it is hereby enaded, by the
Representatives of the Freemen of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met, and by the au
thority of the fame, That Bills of Credit to the value us
Onehundred thowfand pounds, (hall be prepared and prin
ted on good ftroog paper, under the care and dire&i
en of
the cofl and expeoce whereof, shall be paid by the Trea
surer of this Commonwealth, out of any unappropriated
monies in hishands, and the said Bills of Credit shall be
prepared and made in the manner and form following, that
is to fay : This Bill And the said
Bids (hall have the State arms, as an efeutcheon nt the
margin thereof, with such other devices as the said
(hall think proper, in order to prevent
counterfeits, and to distinguish their fever-1 and respective
denominations, each of which Bills shall be of the several
and refyeßive denominations following and no other, that
& to fay,
and the said fl^ll use their best care, at
tention and dilligence, during the printing of the said
Bills Mat the number and amount thereof, according to
the said several denominations, be not exceeded, par any
clandestine or fraudulent practices used by the printer, his
servants or others.
And for perfecting the said Bills, according to the true
intent and meaning of this Aft :
Beit ena^^by the authority aforefaid, That the said
Bills shall be signed by three of the persons hereafter na
med, that is to fay:
who are hereby nominated and appointed signers thereof,
and who shall, before they receive or sign any of them,
take an oath or affirmation, to the effect following:
" That they shall, will, and truly sign and number
PHILADELPHIA, March tx.
Extraft of a letter from Charleftown, (South-Carolina,)
February 35, 1780. Arrived by an express last Sa
turday night.
'' The British army, said to be under the command es
Sir Henry Clinton, are distributed at Port Royal Island,
John's Island, Stono Ferry, and a detachment last night
entered James Jfl uid. Head-Quarters is at Fenwick's
house, on John's Island. Four of their gallies have been
seen between John's and James Island. The number of
troops not known, but supposed to be much diminished
since their embarkation at New-York. About 12 deser
ters from the fleet and army have come in to Charleftown,
and as many prisoners taken by our light-horse. Different
deserters from the fleet and army agree, in reporting very
heavy losses at sea. Three ships foundered, many difmaf
ted, one brigantine, two (loops brought in here, one brig
carried into North Carolina. One of the deserters informs,
that xgfail were loft on the rocks of Bermuda. There is
undoubtedly some grand impediment to the enemy's pro
gress—almost all their horse perilhed at sea, and much of
their furniture captured. Three days ago passed by this
place, in a hard gale of wind, a 64 gun fllip,a frigate, and
some transports; these may be gone to New-York for
further Applies, but all conjecture. Near the bar of
Charleftown daily appear frigates and other ships of war,
reconnoitring and blocking up the harbour. We have 4
Continental frigates, two Frenth armed ships, and 6 other
armed vessels, some of them carrying heavy mettle. The
enemy's delay has afforded an opportunity for flrengthen
ing the lines, which will be in pretty good order to morrow.
The number of men within uncertain, but by far too few
for works of near three miles circumference. Reinforce
ments are ex^eded. General Hogan is within a tew miles.
General Moultrie is forming a camp at Baeon Bridge,
where, he has abouft 500 horse, being Florey's of this State,
Baylor's and Bland's Continental. General WiUiamfon
is encamped at Augusta. One thousand men are to come
from his brigade. General Richardson and Col. Kerfhaw
are railing the militia at and about Cambden. A short
time will make the garrison strong. The inhabitants are
in good spirits. Competent Judges fay, that Sir Harry
will then have cause to repent his enterprize.
Pittances from Charleftown.
Port Royal, 60 mis. ^ South
John's island and Sto^o-Ferry, about 16 miles, ► and
James Island, 1 miles and a half. > 3.Weft
Bacon Bridge, 28 miles well
Camblea, 125 miles, northerly.
Augusta, 150 miles, south-west."
shall feveraily receive
per diem, for every day they shall be employed in the said
business, and the Treasurer of this State shall, for recei
ving and paying, have and receive
per hundred pounds tor hi; care and trouble, to be paid
out of the monies flruck by virtue ofthis Ad.
And be it enacted by the authority aforefaid, That the
said Bills of Credit, hereby directed to be prepared and
made, as faft as the fame shall be signed, numbered and
perfected as aforefaid, shall be delivered to the said Trea
surer by thefaid
who shall give his receipt or receipts for the fame, and
shall issue and pay the fame according to the draughts of
the President ®r Vice-President in Council, for the pur
poses herein after mentioned.
And in order that the holders of the Bills of Credit to
be ftreck and emitted by virtue of this A&, which Bills
are hereby declared to be at the rate of Seven Shillings
and Six Pence for a milled dollar of the Spanish Colonies
in America, weighing seventeen penny weights and fix
grains, may have the fulleft and most perfed affurance,that
the fame Bdls shall be adeemed on or before the firft day
of June, in the year seventeen hundred and eigty-four,
at the full price at which they are delivered out, in purfu
since of this Aft, without any deduction or delays
Be it enaded by the authority aforefaid, That together
with the guarantee of the honor and faith of Pennsylva
nia which is hereby given, so much and such part of the
lots and lands lying and being within the € ty of Philadel
phia, belonging to the Commonwealth, and the trad of
land known by the name of the Province Island, contain
ing three hundred and forty seven acres of meadow, situ
ate in the township of Kh^feffing, in the county of Phi
ladelphia, shall be, and hereby are pledged and declared
to be the fund out of which the Bills of Credit aforefaid,
to the amount of One hundred thousand pounds, shall be
redeemed and cancelled, within the term aforefaid.
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid,
That for this purpose, within the term aforefaid, the Pre
fideot, or Vice President in Council, shall expose to public
sale and fell such and so many of the said lots and lands in
thefaid dry, and t.e said Island, except the hospital e,
reded on said Island and fix acres of land th&et& appurte
nant and adjacent, and on paymentof the purchase money)
shall make good and effectual grants for the fame, under
the great sod, in fee simple, to. the purchasers thereof,
without other reservation, than one ar re out of each grant
if demanded : and the fed President, or Vice President
in Council, shall receive in payment for such real ellate so
fold as aforefaid, the Bills of Credit iffp^d by virtue of
this Aft, or such Spanish milled dollars as aforefaid, of an
equal fom in gold or silver and no otoer money whatever,
and with the gold and silver so received, thill redeem th?
said Bills of Credit, and all of them, winch shall be brought
in within nine months after the fame shall be called in;
by public notice published, and continued, for and during
four weeks in the public news-papers of this, and tze ad
joining States,
And be it further enaded by the authority aforefaid,
That the said Bills of Credit shall be and hereby are ap
propriated towards procuring, purchasing and collecting
wheat Gour and other goods, directed to be purchased and
provided io and by an Ad of this fellion of Assembly, iati
tled, "An Aft for procuring a fapply of provisions for
the use of the army," and for such other uses and pur
poses as shall be necetfary for the support of the army.
AND WHEREAS it has been the earnest desire of
the good people of Peonfylvania, that all possible justice
fhouid'be done to the possess rs of theßills of Credit which
have been issued by the Honorable Congress, and to the
public creditors who have advanced great sums of money
on Loan, bwt the attainment thereof has not been within
the reach of any particular State :
all the Bills of Credit, that shall come to their .; axis for
that purpose, according to the dire&ionsof this Aa, and
the fame so signed and numbered, will re-deliver, or
Cause to be re-delivered unothe said pursuant
to the directions of this Aft."
And to avoid the anger of empezzlement, or misappli
cation of any of the said Bills of Credit.
Be it further ensiled by the authority aforefaid, That
the said r . after the said Bills shall be printed,
shall deliver from time to time, so many of them to the
signers aforefaid, to be signed and numbered by parcels, as
they shall judge proper, for which thefaid signers or fame
of them shall give their receipts; that is to fay ; that not
more than Three Thousand Pounds pf the said Bills, shall
remain in the hands of any three of such signers, at the
fame time, and so from time to time, till the whole of the
said Bills be signed; of all of which Bills of Credit, so
delivered to be signed and numbered as aforefaid, a true
account shall he kept by the signers, who upon re-delive
ry of each or any parcel of the said Bills, by them signed
and numbered, shall have the receiptof the said
to charge them, before any Committee of Assembly, to be
appointed to inquire into the fame. And each of the said
signers shall have
for every thousand of the said Bills by them signed and
numbered, and no more, and the said
It is t: erefore declared by the Representatives aforefaid,
011 behalf of ftnnfy Ivania, that this State will meft chear
fully concur in and adopt such reasonable and salutary mea
sures as may be proposed by Congress and adopted by the
several States for the funding and redemption of its full pro
portion and Share of the Bills of Credit and Loan-Office
Certificates which have been issued by Congress.
AND WHEREAS the Hon. the Congress by their aft
of tke 25th of February last, have determined to leave in
the Treasury of the several States, two third parts of the
raxes by them called for, to be raffed monthly for eight
months, in the year 1780, in order to enable the said
States to purchase certain Supplies of provifionsand other
goods, apportioned on and requested of the said States
respectively, for the public Service, and the money arising
thereon, amounting to near twelve millions of dollars, will
not be necessary for that purpose, in tafe such Supplies can
be otherwise procured:
Be it therefore enabled by the authority aforefaid, That
the Bills of Credit of the United States of America, which
shall come into the hands of the Treasurer es this State, in
payment of the said two thirds es the State taxes to be le
vied monthly for eight months in the year 1780, and Bills
of Credit issued by Coogrefs, equal to the amount of the
two thirds of such taxes, shall not be again issued, but
shall be detained in the Said Treasurer's hands, fubjed to
the direction# of the House of Assembly;
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid,
That from and a ter the publication of ih^ Aa, if any
person or persons shall within this State or thewnere, pre
pare, engrave, flamp, forge or'print the comtferfrir re
semblance of any Paper Bi Is of Credit, which ihall t is
sued, emitted and made in virtue of this Aft, c r fo,|
counterfeit or sign the name or names of the Signer or fib
ers of the said Bills of Credit, to such counterfeit B?ib of
Credit, with an intention that such counterfeit Bills of
Credit shall be passed in payments, or received as genuine
and good Bills, whether the fame be so passed or received
or not; or if any person or persons fhai| in this State pals,
pay or tender in payment any such counterfeit money, or
deliver the fame to any other person. or persons, wan an
intention that they be passed, paid or received as and for
good and genuine, knowing the fame to be forged or coun
terfeited, every such person being thereof lawfully cod
vided or attainted in any Court of Oyer and Terminer
within this State, by verdict of a Jury, or confeffion of
the party offending, or being,indicted thereof, shall hand
mute, or not directly answer to the indiament, or shall
peremptorily challenge more than the number of twenty
persons legally returned to be of the Jury, for t e trial cf
such offender, shall be adjudged a felon, and shall fuffer
death, without benefit of clergy, And if any person or
persons shall counterfeit any of the said Bills of Credit,
by altering the denomination thereof, with dsfign to in-
Crtafe the value of such Bills, or shall utter such Bills,
knowing them to be so counterfeited or altered as afore
faid, and shall be thereof legally convided in any Court
of Record in this State, such person or persons mail be
sentenced to the pillory, and have both his or her ears cut
off and nailed to the pillory, and be publicly whipped on
his or her bare back with thirty-nine lashes, well laid on;
and moreover every such offender fhali forfeit rhe sum of
Two, thousand pounds, lawful money of Pennsylvania, to
be levied on his or her lands and tenements, goods and
chattels : the one moiety to the use of the State ; and the
other moiety to the difeoverer ; and the offender shall pay
to the party grieved, double :be value of the damages
thereby fuftained' ,together with the costs and charges of
prosecution ; and in case the offender hath not (efficient
to fatisfy the dilcoverer for hisor her damages and charg
es, and te pay the forfeiture aforefaid, in such case the of
fender shall by order cf the Court, where he cr she fl,all
beconvißed, be fold as a fervent, for any term not ex
ceeding seven years, for fatisfadion.
For the PENNSYLVANIA PACKET
IYefterdav attended the House of Assembly when the
matter of the Tender Law wa^under debate. In the
course of the debate, some mention was made to add, (in
lieu of the Tender Law) a clause to some Aft before the
House, for deciding all such matters of difficulty, which
have arisen and are unsettled, such as debtors and credi
tors of old debts, widows, erpheans, annuitants, and
lands let on lease, by arbitrators to so cbojen by the p ar .
tits concerned.'
I have mentioned this in several companies, and find it
isniverfally approved. In short, there is nothing else that
can reach the numerous cases that have arisen, and
will arise by having State money of sterling value, and
Continental Currency of fifty or sixty times less value
circulating at one time. These are cases which no Court
of Justice, nor any kind of law can determine, they are
clearly within the reach of arbitration, because it is equity
and not law that is wanted.
JUSTITIA,
eß3s^3&^¥^^B&¥®s^
TO BE L E T,
The following PROPERTY in the County of
Cape-May, in the State of New-Jerfey.'
ON a lease for a certain rent,--One third
of the herbageof the Seven-mile Beach,
which will support forty cattle annually from
Odober till July, without any person to take
care of them.
Oh a lease for any number of years, sot
such a proportion of the produce as Will be
advantageous as Well to the tenant as land
lord,-^ hree Plantations, and tracts of land
and marsh, laying on the waters of Dennis's
Creek, two of which have good landings;
from which there may be an easy carriacre
in fhallops to Philadelphia, and the third
within half a mile of a landing; each trad will
keep thirty or forty cattle, the land equal to
any in that country, will bear a plentiful crop
of every kind of grain, and the tenant will
have liberty to clear any quantity of land he
chufes, upon terms beneficial to him;
A large quantity of very valuable timber,
within one mile of a landing, to be made
into pipe, hogshead and barrel ftaves, by
delivering the owner one half at the stump:
Also a number of lots cf cedar swamp,
oh a fhaie.
In short, any persons who have plenty
labourers may be assured of making a pro
fitable contrad by applying to Thomas
Leaming, Senior, near the premises, or
the fubferiber in Water-street, below the
Drawbridge, Philadelphia:
THOMAS LEAMING, Junior.