The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-03-30 00:00:00, page 1

Headquarters, Morris-Town,
March 16, 1780.
GENERAL ORDER S.
THE GENERAL congratulates the
A army on the very interesting proceed
ings of the Parliament of Ireland, and of
the inhabitants of that country, which have
been lately communicated, not only as they
appear calculated to remove those heavy and
tyrannical oppressions on their trade, but to
restore to a Brave and Generous People, their
ancient Rights and Freedom, and by their
operation, promote the caule of America :
Desirous of impressing on the minds of the
army transactions so important in their na
ture, the General direds that all fatigue and
working parties cease for to-morrow the
SEVEN! EENTH instant, a day held in
particular regard by the people of that na
tion. At the fame time that he orders this
as a mark of the pleasure he feels on the oc
casion, he persuades himfelf that the cele
bration of the day will not be attended with
the least rioting or disorder.
TO BE SO L D,
ATwo story BRICK HOUSE and
Lot of LAND, containing in front
on Arch-street 20 feet, and in length 114
feet, to aten foot alley, which extends into
Sixth-Rrc^t, with the right to that alley.
A three story Brick House, two rooms
and an entry on a floor, a brick piazza, a
brick kitchen with a room over it, there is
a good pavement before the door, also a
pump belonging to this est die, situate in Al
- between Front and Second
ftreets; the lot has 20 feet in front, and 65
in depth.
A Plantation of upwards 70 acres choice
Land, within fix miles from the city, a good
proportion of orchard, meadow and timber.
A Plantation of 180 and 3-4 acres, in
New-Castle county, adjoining the Red Lyon
tavern, two miles from navigable water,
and (even miles from New-Castle. This
farm rents for 80 bushels of wheat, and 80
of Indian-corn, a year.
One hundred and thirty acres of patented
Land, about a mile and a half from the town
of Northumberland.
One hundred and thirty-three acres pa
tented Land, in Berks county, sixteen miles
from Reading, a fine creek runs.through
the land. For terms inquire of LEWIS
WEIS S, Scrivener, in Arch-street, nearly
opposite the gate of the English Church
Burial-ground.
The following General Orders lately issued by our
Illustrious General the Commander in Chief
of the American Army, we hope will be ac
ceptable to all our readers, and in particular
to the patriotic and joyous Sons of St.
Patrick:
W A NT E D, -
A WOMAN that can COOK, and assist in doing
the work of a small family ; none need apply but
one that can be well recommended, and to such, good
wages will be given. Enquire of the Printer.
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GENERAL
THURSDA Y,
O R
[ Published every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ]
TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS
REWAR D.
LA ST night about oneo'c'oek four villains broke
opea a ftere of the fubiciibers, and took out a
P pe of Teneiiffe WINE, guaging 120 gallons, mark
ed near the bung Be R. and put in a boat (uppofed to
belong to the Brig General Reed, as file was taken he
fame n-ght. The boat is 23 feet long, with five oars, a
swivel stock in her bow, yellow mouldings round her gun
nel. Whoever figures the wine, (ball be entitled to the
above reward, with all reasonable Giorgi paid,'arm for
the thieves, being convicted of their villainy, One Hun
dred Dollars.
VAN UXEM and CLARK.
t iio' m~a's mTeT,'
At his Duelling howfe in Carter's Alley,
CON TINU ES to post Merchants and Shopkeep
ers books, arid in a regular, clear and mercantile
manner; adj.ills she molt intricate co-partnerrilips, pri
vate, and almost every other kind of long and unsettled
recounts. He also draws,nd copies with neatness, care
and expedition, such writings' invoices, tales, accounts
current, and writ ^ letters, &c. &c.
Such perlons a: will please to favour him with their
commands, may depend upon the utmolt care, pua&ual
lity mi dispatch.
March 20.
JUST OPENED for SALE, at
RICHARD FOOTMAN's Store,
In Second-street, below Market-11 reel, Philadelphia,
A g;eat VARIETY of
L I N E N S,
CONSISTING of 7-3 And 3-4 Dowlafs, Flotilla Roy
~ al, Britrinnias, and Li& Lfoa.*, Fashionable chain
and plain Gaufes, Modes, SareTricis, Persians, Ribbonds,
Nankeens, elegant Chintzes and Callicoes, Cambricks,
best Hyfon and Souchong Tea.
N. B. Goods received for fall on theufual commission.
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For the PENNSYLVANIA PACKET.
THOUGHTS on the means of supplying the Army, and
defraying the expemces of government.
T H E only cbftacle of any moment, that seems now to
' interrupt the progress of cur public affairs, and to
prevent a speedy and glorious termination of the war and
eftabhlhmeat of our independence, is the depreciation of
our currency: By the removal ofthat, we fh?ll open a
clear avenue to the attainment of those desirable objects.
Money has always been confideted as the sinews of war.
Our enemies therefore, despairing of being able to reduce
America to a slate of vassalage by forceof arms, and re
lying on % truth of this proportion, have long Gncea
dopted a plan for ruining our affairs, by what appeared
to them so obvious and effectual a means for accomplishing
their purpose, the deflrudion of our public credit. Aid
ed by the traitors to their country, thole vipers that infeft
its bosom and fling concealed, they have Succeeded so far
as to involve us in many and great difficulties; but the
disease is not without a remedy, and it should be instantly
applied. It is evident to every man of common under-
Handing, that the depreciation of the money was, in a great
degree occasioned by the artifices and villainy of our ete
mies, previous to a stop being put to tbe emtffions; and
that since that period, it has proceeded from that Source
entirely. They imagine that by greatly impairing, if
not altogether annihilating the credit of our currency,
they will render us unable to obtain (applies for thearmy,
and to defray the charges cf the civil administration of
government, thus, by cutting the sinews of our Strength,
and Subjecting us to anarchy and coafufion, to make us
an easy prey to their tyranny and resentment. In order,
therefore, to fruftrate their designs, and counteract the r
fehemes, I would humbly propose, that Congress recom
mend to the Legislatures of the Several States in the Uni
on, to impose on all improved lands, a tax at the rate of
such a certain sum in the pound, of the annual value at
which they are, or Shall be assessed ; nearly on the fame
principles as the * land tax in England: This tax to be
iu lieu of every other payable by the land-holder, and to
be rendered either in the § produce of the land, or in stock.
* "The method of railing the land-tax in England, is
by charging a particular sum upon each county, accord
ing to the valuation given in A. D. 1692: And this sum
is assessed and raised upon individuals, (their personal e
flates as well as real, being liable thereto) by Comrriffi
oners appointed in the Aft, being the principall.nd-hrld
ers of the county, and their officers." I. Black. Com.
V3^
§ Tobacco, " fays Doctor Douglass,” is nor only their
chief produce for trade, (in Virginia and Maryland,) but
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ADVERTISER.
according to the circum flances of the different States.—
The prices of these to be faed by Commissioners in every
County, in specie, as a ftaudard, whereby to ascertain
the quantity of those fpecific articles, which such land
holder is tofurnith, in poportion to the sum in which bis
land is rated; the affdfnsent of which mufl also be made
in specie, on account of its fixed and certain +alue. 1 hefe
States that raise grain, might by this means furnifh a
Efficient quantity to supply the ardiy, and the veffUs of
war, in the ferrite of the government, and to pay thej
Diaries of those civil officers who are allowed a certain an
nual income. Where tobacco is the staple, the find-tax
may be paid in that commodity, and Flipped off by A
gents to be employed by the public for that purpose, to
procure in return, cloathing, rum, fait and other necessa
ries for the army. From the New-England States might
be obtained beef and pork, in the fame manner Pennsyl
vania, Delaware State, New Jersey, and New-York,
should be obliged to furnifh their land-tax in grain on
ly ; Maryland and Virginia in grain and tobacco ;
South-Carolina in rice and indigoh In the other Spates
the landholders should be at liberty to render their
tax in such other articles, the produftion of the earth,
as are best faited to their circumflaaces ; and which
might be exported to advantage (in the fame man
ner as the tobacco) and serve to pay the officers of
government : Excepting so much beef and pork as the ar
my might require for its own consumption. Let several
fiore houses be engaged in rhe most convenient places in
each county, in some one of which every landholder with
in the county, should be obliged to deposit before a par
ticular day, his quota of toe tax; and in case of faifur%
the delinquent to be fubjeft to a penalty of at least treble
the value of the tax which he was to have paid, to be levied •
out of his estate : Upon producing to theefficer to be ap
pointed forthat purpose, a certificate of the delivery of
so much grain, &c. and the number of miles the fame was
brought,each person should receive payment for the carri
age thereof, proportioned to the distance and quantity;
the price to be assessed by the Commissioners before men
tioned. Two (eparate magazines should be provided in
each county, town, for the reception of these articles; the
one to contain those designed for the use of the army or
for exportation, or both; the other for that part appro
priated totha civil officers of government, for their falar.es :
The whole to be conveyed from the several floras in the
country, to the magazines of their refpe&ive counties, by
the public waggons, Every offi er of government, with
an income payable in produce, should, upon the delivery
of his flare into the magazine, obtain vouchers to that a
mount in separate receipts for fix or tight bulhels of wheat
each, and for other articles in proportion ; and should
be permitted, by endorsing an order thereupon, to
make the fame deliverable to the person particularly
named in the order. Such taxes, in money might be
laid on the inhabitants of towns and trading people, as
the several Legislatures should think proper, in order to
put them upon an equal footing with the landed interest.—
By this means there would be no occafion~to raise those
vast sums which the present depreciated Rate of cur cur
rency renders aeceffary to procure supplies for the army,
&c. and which is attended with great (Advantages, to
the landed part of the community, in the firft inflame, and
ultimately to the public in general; one great induce
ment which our enemies have to injure cur national cre
dit would be removed ; and the taxes in money obtained
from the trading people to whole bands it is mostly confi
ned, might be so coufiderable as to admit of large sums
being from time to time taken out of circulation, bona
fide; which with the adoption of those meafuret menti
oned in the late inftrudions from the Assembly of this
State to it's Delegates in Congress, together with the
foregoing plan, would tend greatly to the appreciation
ofthe Continental Currency. And, to facilitate the ac
complishment of this grand and important bufirefs, a
general regulation of prices should he carried into execu
tion immediately ; agriculture be encouraged ; and the
funding specie out of the country retrained, as far as
possible. I have thrown together the following detached
remarks upon the nature and influence of different kinds
of taxes, in hopes they may be of feme ufe.—' ' Taxes,
like nec^ffity (fays Me. Poftlethwayt), when carried too
far, destroy industry, by engendering despair; and,
even before they reach this pitch, they raise the wages
of the labourer, and heighten the price of all com
modities." —" The best taxes are those which are levied
upon confumptbons, especially thofeof luxury, and of a
1 " In Barbadoes, formerly, the merchants kept
their books, and the-public officers received them fees
in sugar, fixed as h ftaadard at so much per hundred
weight? See Poftleth want's universal did of trade and
com.
may also be called their medium or currency ; it is recei
ved in taxes and debts, the mfpeacr's notes for tobacco,
received by him, nay be transferred, and upen fight of
these notes the infpeftor immediately delivers to the
bearer so much tobacco. See his summary, hiltorical and
political, &c.
MARCH 30, 1780.
THE