The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-08-12 00:00:00, page 1

BOSTO N, July 29.
PROCEEDINGS of the CONVENTION
begun and held at Concord, in the count, of Middlesex,
in and for the State of Massachusetts-Bay, on the 14th
da, of July, 1779, for the purpose of carrying into effect
the several interesting and important measures recommend
ed b, Congress, to the inhabitants of the United
States, in their late ^vife, seasonable, and animating
ADDRESS.
A LARGE number of the Delegates being met, on a
" motion made (previous to the choice of a President)
the Rev. Mr. Ripley, of Concord, attended, and opened
the Convention with prayer.
After which, on a motion made, three o'clock, P. M.
was assigned for a choice of a President.
Then adjourned to that time.
Three o'clock, met according to adjournment.
A Committee being appointed to receive and fort the
votes for a Prefi^ent, the Hon. AZOR ORNE, Esq; of
Marblehead, was chosen by a very great majority.—And
Mr. SAMUEL RUGGLES, of Boston, was appointed
Secretary.
On a motion made and seconded, a Committee of one
from each county was appointed, to receive the names and
qualifications of the Delegates for each town in his county,
and lay the fame on the table ; who reported the fallow
ing lift, which was voted fatisfaftory.
(Here follows the names.)
On a motion made and seconded, voted, that the Ad
dress of Congress be read.
After some time fpemtin general conversation on the Ad
dress—a Committee was appointed from the several coun
ties to take up the fubjeft at large, and report.
The Committee having reported.—
The following Resolves, Arrangements, and Address,
were after the fulleft and nroft candid discussion, unani
zioufly agreed to.
TH E Delegates from the several towns afore-mention
ed, being convened in consequence of an application
from the inhabitants of the town of Boston, to take into
consideration the prefect diftrefledfituation of the people at
large; and particularly the excessive high prices of every
article of consumption ; and by tracing to their causes those
evils; to discover and point out the fafeft and best reme
dies—have carefully attended that duty, and have deter
mined upon the following resolutions, calculated as they
conceive, to answer the desired end, and founded ®n such
principles as must make their operation equitable and easy.
I. Resolved unanimously as our opinion, That from
and after the tenth day of August next, the following arti
cles of merchandize and country produce, be not fold at a
higher price than is hereafter affixed to them, viz.
per Hogshead. per Barrel, per Gallon.
Weft-India Rum, £.5 50 £.5 15 6 £.6 6 0
New-England ditto, 4 00 4 00 4 16 0
Molasses, 3 12 0 3 19 ^ 4 70
Coffee, 0 15 0 0 16 6 18s. per lb.
Brown Sugar, 501 — 651. per C. 11s. —l4s. per lb.
Chocolate. 20s. per lb. per box. 225. per doz. 245. per lb.
Bohea Tea, 41. 16s. per chest. 5I 6s. per doz. 51. i6s.lb.
Cotton, il. los. per lb. per bag. 335. per doz. 365. per lb.
German Steel, 30s. per Cwt. 335. per bar. 365. per single lb.
Salt, best quality, 91. per buffiel, by the single bushel or
larger quantity.
Indian Corn, 41. 105.7
Rye, 6 0 > per bushel.
Wheat, 9 oj < ;
Beef, 'til ift September, 6s. per lb. after that ss. pef lb.
per lot. er small quantity.
Mutton, 4s. per pound.
Lamb, 4s. per pound.
Veal, 4s. per pound.
Foreign Beef, 601. per barrel, containing 200 wt.
Ditto Pork, 701.
Butter, igs. per pound.
Cheese, 6s. per pound.
Milk, as. 6d. in Boston.
Hay, 40s. per C. in Boston, and other seaports in the usual
proportion.
Bloomery Iron, 301. per Cwt.
Country Pork, as it is not the season for it, to be regulated
at the next Convention in October.
N. B. The above to be considered as the highest prices,
at which produce and merchandize, oj the best quabt), are
to be fold in the seaports, free from all charge—except
Hay and Milk, which are to be reckoned as the prices in
Bofion only.
2. Resolved, That ifany person or persons, in town
or country, shall, under an, presence oubatever, demand
or take more for any of the aboy^ articles, than is allowed
therefor by the foregoing resolve, be or they shall be held
and deemed as enemies to this country, and treated as such.
And in order that the conduct of all such persons may be
fully known to the good people of this State, it is hereby
recommended to the Committee of Correspondence, and
where there is no such Committee, to the Selectmen of any
town or plantation, where any such person or perfonsdwell,
to publish his or thei> names in one of the public news pa
pers printed in this State.
Wii^l
GENERAL
THURSDAY,
[ Price 2s. 6d. tingle, 2s. by the quantity. Published every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ]
O R
b 3. Resolved, That for the more effectually carrying
into execution the foregoing resolves, it be strongly recom
mended to the Committee of Correspondence of any town
or plantation, and where there is no such Committee, the
Selectmen of such town or plantation, where a breach of
said resolutions may be made, by an, person, who is not
an inhabitant of their tov;n, that they immediately appre
hend the person so offending; and him detain until bis name
and place ofabede can be afeertained, in order that a re
turn thereof, with a proof of his offence, may be madeto
the inhabitants of the town to which be belongs, that
be may be dealt with according to bis demerits.
4. Resolved, That it be rcecommendec ito the inha
bitants of the trading towns to estimate the prices of Euro
pean manufactures in an average proportioned with the ar
ticles of Weft-India produce, as regulated by this Conven
tion; and any pofrflor of those goods, who refhfes to com
ply with such regulations, to deal with as an enemy to his
country.
5. Resolved, That the inhabitants of the several
towns in this State, be desired to regulate the prices of inn
holders, their own labour, teaming, manu azures, and
other articles, in proportion to the necessaries of life, as
Rated in the above regulations—to keep a watch ul eye over
each other that no evajion or infringement oj tbefe resolutions
may escape notice—and to enter into such other regulations
as they may think necessary, to carry into effect, the do
ings of this Convention.
6. Resolved, That the buying and felling silver and
gold, and the demanding or receiving either of them in
part or in whole, jor goods or rents or in an, va, in trade
whatever has been one great cause of our p-efent evils ; it
is therefore most earnestly recommended to the inhabitants
of the several towns and plantations in this State, to adopt
such spirited resolutions as shall prevent such wicked and
pernicious practices in future.
7. Resolved, That as a gradual, is far more fafe, easy
and equitable, than a rapid appreciation of our currency;
and as loaning and taxing are .he most effectual methods
of producing such an appreciation, it is most earnestly de
sired by this Convention, that the inhabitants of this State
would comply with the late requisition of the General
Court, and lend to government all the mine, they can ,of
fibly spare, and pay their taxes as soon as may be.
8. Whereas the Clergy of this State, by their early at
tachment to the liberties of this country, and their c©n
ftant exertions to promote its freedom and happiness, have
manifefted a spirit which ought t® endear them to the
community: And whereas they have fuffered greatly
by the high price to which the necessaries of life have
arisen:,
R solved, That it be recommended to the several
parishes in this State, to make such provision for the sup
port of their several Ministers, as their situation in life;
and the abilities of tlieir parifhoners entitle them toi
9. Whereas the wisdom of our Aoceftors directed them
in the infancy ofthis country to ena& laws for the establish
ment of fchocls in the several towns, in this government,
from whence great public advantages have arisen—And as
no people can reasonably expert the long enjoyment of
the rights of freemen, unless the education of youth is at
tended to and encouraged :
10. Resolved; That it be earnestly recommended to
the several towns in this State, to the utmost of their abi
lities, to put in execution the good and wholesome laws
which have been made from time to time for that purpose.
Resolved, as our opinion; That it will be expedient
that a Convention of Delegates from the several towns in
this State, be assembled at Concord, on the firft Wednes
day of Barber next, to take into confederation the prices
of merchandize and country produce, and to make such
regulationsand reductions therein, as the public good may
require. The good people of this State are therefore ear
nestly exhorted to make choice of suitable persons for that
purpose.
ii. Resolved, That the Delegates from the town ®f
Boston, in this Convention, be a Committee to procure
the printing the Refelves and Regulations of this body,
and their Address to the People ; and to transmit copies
thereof to every town and plantation in this State, for their
confederation and adoption; and the inhabitants of said
towns and plantations are desired, as soon as possible after
the receipt of such copies, to aft upon the fame, and enter
into such measures as they may think necessary to give force
to and care, into effect the said Resolves and Regulations ;
and to make return of their doings to the said Committee
at Befton, who are desired to cause all such returns to be
printed in the News-papers, that the good people of this
State may be prepared to conform tbemfcves thereto, on
the day let for these Regulations to take place; and to
make application to the General Court for thepayment of
the expences.
12. Resolved, That Nathaniel Gorham, Esq; Elllt
Gray, Esq, arid Mr. Stephen Higginfon, be a Committee
t® write to the other New England States, and to the States
of New-York, New-Jersey and Pennsylvania, to commu
nicate the proceedings of this Convention, and desire their
concurrence therewith; and to request them to transmit
an account of their proceedings to said Committee.
^M
THE
^^^/P^^^fK\^TDAZ^^ %
ADVERTISER
13. Resolved, as our opinion, That the unarimrv
and brotherly love, with, which the business of this Conven
t.ou nas been conduced, afford hs the cleared evidence
that th^ jeatouf, and mifapprebenfan which have of late
peen dhoovered between the seaport and the country to^xs,
have principally arisen from the kicked and malevolent
sports, mduftrmufly circulated by our internal enemies,
t^e Tories and Monopolizers, who seek equally the deflruc
tion of both.'
Lone in Convention at Concord, i„ the State ofMaffoQ-.
Jetts, Bay, b, unanimous cofat, jut, ^b, Anno £O
- 17,9.
c AZOR ORNE, President.
dttejt. oamuel Rugcles, Secretary.
ty. It has been a general belief among us, that one great
cause of depreciation in our money, was the excessive quan
tity Congress have been obliged to emit; this is, nodoubt^
true, and may probably account for one fourth or one
third of the fall of money : In whatever degree this cause
may have operated, we think it will be easily brought
back to the stage where that left it; as more money will
be called out of circulation than the extraordinary amount
^ of such emission ; this, therefore; is an evil easy removed:
But we coAfic/er another cause of the rapid finking of our
money, and that, the most powerful and dangerous to be
a want of confidence in it, which has occasioned such a
quick circulation, as can be accounted for, on no other
principle, than the idea ®f the possessor, that he fuffers
while the money rests in his hands ; thus, the
purthafer is actuated by a view to get rid of Ais'
money, rather than procure a commodity he wants :
Convinced of the truth of this, we think it evident the
money passes from one to another, twice as often as it
would do, were its v^iue certain at any given rate, and
therefore muff be considered in the fame light, as if we %
had double the quantity of current money, whose value*
did not lessen. This treatment of our paper medium,
however unnatura' and unwarrantable iri a people; whose
exigence as such, depends on its support; yet is net tQ be),
wondered at when.we remark, that the diffidence, in a :
small degree, afifing fr®m the firft natural depreciation,'
is since so improved and pradifed upon by a set of jobbers,
barbies and jbreftallets, as to become a science: These
people; from their refinements in sharping, have an ad
vantage over the community, which enables them to prey
on tne vitals of it, by accumulating imme-nfe wealth,
at the expence of the public credit, while they (port
with and deride its distresses ; to add, if possible, to their
enormities, they have occasioned a difttuft between th^
two most important interests of the State, which, had i&
been founded on any thing but the incorrigible wicked,^''#
of these wretches, must ha\e been attended with ^ most
An A d D r es $
To the I N HABITANTS of the State of
MASSACHUSETTS-BAY
Friends and Brethren.
J N obedience to the serio us ca j| of Congress, and you
" '°°",^ !s > " e have assembled in Convention, to
confider the alarming ftfe of our public affairs, to exa
mine the difficulties and dangers we are involved in, and
which threaten us with immediate deftrußion
With that attention which so important a business de
serves, we have endeavoured to investigate the causes of
ou. distress, and to discover the b^ft method by which
they may be jemoved.-We cannot but lament that we
and our situation as critical as our fears had suggested
though we are happy in ©bferving that fafety is yet u^
der Providence withih our reach, and our security may
be easily eftablilhed.'
In tracing the evils we so fen^bly feel, we are led to one
lource, tf) c confant depreciation of our currency—to render
this of value, therefore, and to give it liability, is the ob
ject of our pursuit; to obtain it, we have formed such ar
rangements of the prices of the necessary articles of con
a9d conrcnerce > as has that immediate tendency--
ourselves that it will be permanent, as it is cal
culated so equally to eIFeR the different interests of th^
community, that no class of men can be induced to coun
teract or evade it ; and every practice opposed to it muff
be considered as arising from a disposition truly ini
mical to the good of this country—We are at the
fame time, fully aware of the extreme difficulty of
conducing regulations of this kind, so as that e
very individual shall think his particular interest fuf
ficiently attended to: This, flep, however, is net the
only one to relieve us; we expert from loaning and tax
at'°° kfep'er benefits than can poflibly be produced by any
Stipulation as loaning arid taxation mud bring mo
ney into greater demand, they will; if ptirfued, reduce
the articles of fafe to a still lower rate than that, at which
we have set them.,, The lift of prices serves only to assure
you of the bighef point to.which any thing may rife ; and
we cannot conceive it possible that the comparative vaju^
of all kinds of property to money, fliould continue so higli
as it new is, when, beside the large stock on hand of fo
reign importation and country produce, we have the pleas
ing profped, from the success of our navigation, and the
uncommon goodoefs of the season, of a still larger quanti-
AUGUST 12, [ 779 .
T M£