The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1777-12-24 00:00:00, page 1

l^l^
O R
GENERAL
From the CON NE cticut Courant.
A LOOKING-GLASS.
WHEN the liberties of America
were firft invaded by the tyrant of
Britain, all considered themfrlves jointly
interested, and their erred efforts requi
site to repel the invasion; and no one then
even dreamt, that Our (Toggles against the
common oppressor would involve us in
mutual oppressions of each other, of the
most pernicious and heinous nature.
Oppression consists id taking the advan
tage of the necessity of others to extort
from them an unreasonable pric& for the
neceffiries of life; and is an offence agaihft
the laws of reason and morality, and is in
continent with the righteous and benefi
cent rules of chriftianity, and resembles
the internals whole character is to devour
one another.
Every one who L go ky of this vice an,
lives in the prance of it, forfeits his cf&
racier of a reafcnable being, a man, and a
chriftian, and is fit for nothing but to be
joined to the society of devils,
The faith of tG Continent is engaged
to redeem every Filling of the continental
bills, alter a certain period, ar . — rate of
one dollar for every fix Phillips —.and
much of the money now ci cutting was
purchased er contradied for when wheat
was four (hillings per bv.fhel, and other
commodities in proportion —every fix (hil
ling of continental money, therefore, is in
the hands of the possessor, equal in value to
a dollar, or it is worth nothing, for there is
no medium ; if the former, then to exact
more of it for an article than of sliver, is
extortion, and no better than fpecrous rob
bery. If the latter, then to pass it tor more
than the value of the pa; er on which it is
impressed, is an impofiuon and fraud : But
that which by common conic it has a cer
tain value damped upon it, ought net, nor
can be altered without the fame authority
that gave the fan&ion. The consequence
is, that the continental bills mull be con
sidered as equivalent to dollars, and pals
as such; or be rejected as the groffefl
cheat.
But it may be objected, that the credit
of these bills will vary with the probability
of the success of bur arms This objecti
on might fairly enough be made by a fo
reigner, but comes with an ill grace from
ourselves, who by common consent have
put a certain value upon th nt. But fur
ther, America will maintain its indepen
dency and be able to redeem these biiis, o
it will not,---If the former, then every fix
Killings entitles the poffeTor to a dollar or
an equivalent. If the latter, our eftater
may as well be in continental bills as any
thing else; for the whole will be consider
ed as forfeited and taken from us by the
'conquerors. I appeal to every one, and
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1777;
call upon all, to reconcile, if they can, the
present enhanced prices of articles, wuh
the rules of common honeltv. Let the
merchant take into his computation, the
freight, rifque, insurance, and every other
extraordinary charge on trade, and to it
add his profits, fifty or a hundred per
cent, and he can't make out one half the
price the articles are usually (old for. Let
the farmer take into his computation,
what? scarcity, no? Providence has been
bountiful, and crowned his labours with
plentioufnels —Labour, indeed, by reason
of the war has been dearer, but not more
than double what it used to be; —wih that
warrant five and fix fold advance on all the
necessaries of life ? which is in sass the cale
in almost every instance. But let us go
farther, hath not the continent railed an
army to defend them, who are en^a^ed
for three years or during the war, many of
whom have families to maintain at home,
while they are jeoparding their lives in the
field, and contrasted to pay them wages
in proportion as things were then ? wheat
at four Killings per bu&l, &c. and now
it is railed to twenty or thirty (hillings per
buftlel, and daily rising, and other things
in proportion. 1 ask the question, will your
army continue to defend you in the field,
when their wives and their children are fa
mifhing arid crying tor bread at home,
through your intolerable oppressions? or
will they turn their arms against you, and
do themselves justice? My countrymen!
for Heaven's fake stop in your mad career,
pause a moment and confider, what you are
doing, to what your ungodly avarice tends,
and tremble at the consequences, unleis
ipeeddy prevented by a reformation as uni
versal, as the vice is become epidemical.
A CON LINENTAI LS f.
^^^^.^^^ LtL^^d^^
In C OUNCI L.
Lancafler, igth December, 1777.
ORDERED,
" r'HAT public notification be made in the News
papers, that the General Affembiy of this
State, did, on Monday the eighth instant, confirm
and edabhfh the following Or^indices of the late
Council of Safety; that is to fay,
I Phe Ordinance dated at Lancaster the 2 rft day
of Off Ter last, for taking possession of the effects of
th>ie wan have gone over to the enemy, and for ap
pointing Cumißifiioners in the several counties for that
purpose.
2. One other Ordinance dated at Lancaster the
Bth day of November Lft, for collecting arms, bhv
kets.Ac. and the warrants issued in pursuance the re if.
3. One other Ordinance dated at Lancaster on the
7<.h day of N vember iaft,for preventing foreftalling
and engrtfing.
4 One other Ordinance dated at Lancaster on the
7th day of November iaft, for regulating the price of
whifley.
5. One other Ordinance dated at Lancaster on the
25th day of OAcber las, for appointing and autho
rizing an additional number of Sub Lieutenants to
act in the county of Lancaster.
6. Ard one ether Ordinance dated at Lancaster
the 2,h day of October lad, for the more effedual
THE
^s^ro^mk^^ ^^^^ ^w#n
I^s !& Drib ^
m,AOrto,, fan 09 f.^% ^-&7h&z^fg^g
T II E
ADVERTISER.
levying the monies advanced for fphfti&s in the
mimia and lines due to the public for disobedience
to the militia law.
And that Council do call upon the magiftra'es
and other officers concerned to carry them into
b.e^ution; and all pedons whatever, are hereby
called on to pay due obedience.
L^trat?Jro,n the Minutes,
i. hi < A . ! LACK, Secretary,
^^d^^^*^^^^^^t^^*
TL) B E S O L D,
A HO V B E ^ LO r. with a stable there
-43. on, I, uate in Main street, Lancaster. En
quire of the Rioter.
"T AKEN U P by the fubferiber, in
Leacock towrdhip, Lancafler county, on the
t 7 ih of November last, a bay HORS E, about
fourteen hands high, trots, paces and canters, short
tail, mane bangs on the near fine, has federal white
foots on his back hippofed to be faddie ma;ks, and
has a fraall star ir, the center between his eyes: H°
anfweis very well to the description given by Berfe
min Eyre, of Reading, save that hi' sis said to have
been miffing on the 26th. The owner is desired 10
come, prove his property, pay charges aid take him
2w *y. § JOHN WOODHUL L.
TEN POUN DT R E. WARD.
QTRAYED or STOLEN, on the 26^ of
O November la% from the lukcri^r, living in
Reading, a bay HOR SE, about fourteen hands
high, ten or twelve years old, trots, canters and
paces well, is of a low carriage, fh oft Ml, his mane
grows on the rear fice, has feveial white fyots on
his back, the fiddle having worn the firn cff. Who
ever takes up the laid horse and the thief, shall have
the above Reward, or THREE POUNDS for
the herfe only, paid by
|| BENJAMIN EYRE.
FIVE POUN DsTeWaTd.
WA S L 0 ST 0D Thurf&y the iyh of No
vember last, between Brtkol and Newtown,
in the county of Bucks, a double cased Giver Watch,
maker s name Berjamin Lamb, London, the num
ber forgotten, marked I 1 in a double cypher on the
back of the ou fide case, the cypher lomewhat worn,
has a ribband Bring, a brafskey much worn, and a
(mail red Cornelian seal 'et in , silver, with the ccm
pa's and lqua ? e in the fiver work. Whoever finds
the fame, and will leave it wiih Mr. Robert Rarnfey
in Newtown, Mr. Beffonet in Bristol, Mr. Ifeac
Wood in Mount Holly, or with the Printer hereof,
shall have the abeve Reward.
N.B. if the person iato whose possession it may
come mould be so ungenerous as not to return it to
either of the above gentlemen, every Watch-maker
and others are requeued tc endeavour to expose the
villainy.
Dead of Elk, November 27, 1777.
fr A KEN UP, and now in the
A p, ffUlion of the subscriber, a biack HORSE,
fifteen and a halfhands High, fix years old, with a
star in his forehead, paces and trots. The owner,
by proving his property and paying charges, may
have him again.
t THOMAS HUGGINS.
hJ OTICE is hereby given to all
1 ^ these that have tranfa&ed any business for,
or that have any demands on the R ARRACK
MAS 1 ER GENERAL, that attendance will
be given at Reading from the 27th to the 31st inst.
to fettle their refpe^ive accounts.—lt is expected
they will produce proper vouchers in support of their
refpe<ftive demands.+