The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1777-05-26 00:00:00, page 2

^id inr^^rfi, a,d a f?cxd petition &ai feat;
Us which [fhall only nrauk, thatit war fabmiffive e
-73, to a dangerous fiat, because the prayer es it ap
ptahd fjlely to, what is called, the prerogative of the
Crown; while the matter in difoute war confiffed to
be cjaftitutionsl. But even this Petition, flattering
as it whs, was still not so harmonious a# the chiAk of
csfh, and coaftqiently not frefficisntly grateful te the
tyrant aadhis miaifty. From every circumftince it
h evident, that it was the determination of the Bri
tilh court to have nothing to do with America but to
conquer it fully and absolutely. They were certain
or fuccsfs, and the field of beetle was to be the only
place of treaty. I am confident there are thoufauds
aid tens of thousand, in America who wonder now
thsy should ever think otherwise; but the fin of that
day was the fin of Civility, yet it operated agrilift our
prefsat good in the fame meaner that a civil opinion
of the devil would against car future peace.
(To be continued./
Mr. Watson,
TO find fink with and complain of the conduct
of rulers, afpecially of ear legislative bodies,
uulefs it be very cautiously done undoubtedly has a
tendency to weaken ths hands of government. Be
fore the resolution is taken is the time to fyeak with
freedom and argue with warmth ; after that it is the
duty of every member of the Community to assist in
putting the r^f^ive of the body into execution—But
where the people evidently feel the ill eff^ds of a re
forte, speaking of it with uneasiness will be the can
fiqusace, and writing our sentiments is no fault.
Such is the case with regard to ths regulating aft.
That thiah Bating the prices of mast efthe necef
firias of life was at the time of making it,, and is even
new very popular is certain : bat it is net so certain
that it ever was as politick.
It was undoubtedly defigusd to prevent one of the
grea^ft calamities that could befal ns, the finking of
car bills; Bet unfortunately it has a great and pow
erful tendency to bring on us the very misfortune it was
delig&ed to prevent; at 'sri it would have, if Briaiy
observed. Money may be of perfect good credit, and
indeed always in fell credit when any quantity efit be
it large or fmull will certainly & regularly procure any
of the necslTsries of life which are fale&ble. In order
to make bills answer the parpofe of money, it is ne-~
teffary that there be the bed assurances that at feme
future time the holder^of these bills shall be able to
take their value in such articles as are money to what
av^r parts of the world he be concerned with. But
uvea 'his is b, ne means fa necessary as that theft bills
be is ini mediate demand and that there be a perpetual
call for .hem. And this demand far our paper cur
rency is ^ g^eateft support of the credit and the only.
m^us to p.fievc the ufefulnefs es our bills. For it
is am^tm of very little Confsquence to most holders
ofbills th^they have the highest affarances that five
yasrs hoes they fhali be able to' receive diver for their
paper, u'e's a the fame time he knows that there is
fach call fir his bills that his neighbour will turn out
hi % spare ^at and bread for there. This is as evident
by praaic and on trfal as it is by the nature and use
of bill:, so it is well known that when we used little
or io nrmay but silver arid gold, that the highest fe
curit, for m .as,, the bsft mortgages payable at a fu
tnr, day, c^uid net be put off readily far mousy.
Nori vithfUadiag <hey were on the bast ia+ereft, you
could never pass them for money, and but fildem find
an opportunity to fail :hem at a final! discount. Aad
this not because there was a doubt but the money was
ficure, but merely becaufj they ware not in perpetual
demand.
Ths ama^iag plenty of bills we now have must make
them czeap, f>r bills are like filter and geld and other
articled. Plenty will render them easily obtained and
fca-city will mak^ them dear. A writer in a late pa.
per veryjuft , obfirved that before the discovery of
South America filvtr and gold in Europe was a thou
find per cent dearer than now. But Bill by letting
ths prices of other articles rife as the plenty of geld in
creases, gold is Bill of as much ufa and in as great de
mand as ever; it is money Bill. But if the law has
forbid me to receive fa great a film of money for my
whsat as the fetreity of wheat and plenty es money
require I Ih mid, it has made ray wheat a better and
1 dearer article than the money; and when it has Ba
ted the price* of all other articles in the fame manner,
it has made the money the poorest of all articles ; and
thii is,aft the fixation we are now in. This law
has however had every ill cffu& in other ways, for it
has nd: only had a tendency to render the money life
left „ dsade'uing the call for it, and making it remain
on hand ; it has difconraged indaftry, making a small
quantity answer the purposes of a luge, it has petit
Gutof tha power of the iaduftrious te obtain the fam
the courts ,fbufinefs would give him ; it hrs difeeu
raggd the faithful labourer by giving the idle as ranch,
fir ither may have his three and four-pence, and it has
ffirwa the people that our wife men are afraid of the
rae^y an.ihas alarmed their ftffpicions and fiars by
taking so extraordinary a method to save them.
Nothing the*, but making my neighbour want the
Bibs will mans them valuable to rad and that will
efi^ually de it, evan though I may not be able to get
one pinny of either Elver or gold for them these twen
ty years. #
But the difficulty is not yet remedied, for the fel
&isr cannot subsist nor will he engage if his wages will
wet new purchafs one quarter as mach as formerly.--
This Is a very important objection, and any thing
ought to be fabmitted to, to remedy the difficulty,
ta^9 jailfortuni is, that the reraidy msk„ his ran
ney ahhm ad purpafe whafevir, it tie Uafi he cin
not he assured it will; and betides cur army mull be
filled with men in a great measure who are to inhß be
caufo they have ocesfion far more money than they
ha*e, because they want the wagesand the bounty to
answer the calls there arc on them far money, and that
is the fcatcity and not the plenty is to induce them to
engage. Aad indeed the evil is become so great that
every remedy that can profile assistance chght to be
immediately applied. And nothing certainly tin so
tffcaually answer the purpose as calling in large
quantities of bills by taxes, and these bills rauft be
foen called in, in large quantities. Is it hot better
to begin now early as they arc much esfisr paid while
the neighbouring States have large ^applies of bills in
our hands and the money is thereby more plenty than
it will be when they begin to iacreafe the demand by
calling in their bills ? One hundred theufand pounds
called in by tax will encreafe the demand for bills as
ranch as a considerable larger fem destroyed at once
by accident in the peffsffion of the holders. And no
ether method has yet been found to answer any good
purpefe. The lottery a little, but the lean-office (al
though it extremely well answers she great purpefe of
raifimg money, yet) perhaps has rather inersafid than
lessened the plenty of money, as the whole fam bor
rowed immediately circulates and in many inftaacas
the bills are doubled by circulating those ver, loan
office tickets.
We have the faying our money, the raifirg rf me%
the keeping down prices es all the necessaries of life,
the universal call of the people and every other mo
tive to induce us to call on the people to pay in their
bills---And'althaugh this will e^auully keep down
the prices, Bill will not letting the prices of every
thing rua up till they reach the plenty of bills, tend
nt least in ferae raeafure to preserve, if not the credit,
at lead the afefulnefs and value of our bill* ? Cer
tainly it will haven tendency to encourage iaduftry
and grant exertions. It will not encourage rhnaiug
principally after those nick knacks the iefi useful arti
cles of life which are not f& exactly Bated, and there
fore fetch larger prices.
A Countryman.
For the CONNECTICUT COURANT.
I TAKE the liberty cf evsry freeman farther to fficw
the impropriety ofany nd for the limitation es
prices, more especially of the prefsut---In order tn
Which! Ihall make a few quotations from awrient au
thors on law aad government. Aad firft, as the
blackfmith* from Bailey, " a certain rule directing
end gbiiging a lational creature in moral aaims,"---
and 66 the end of civil law" as hath been observed, is
" fecurit, of property and an equal treatment es tue
members ofthe fame Bate. And again Cicero from
Plato in his book of offices, chap. 25th, " Those who
design to be partaker# in government sh uld be forte
to remember these two rules, fi ft, make the fafety and
interest of their citizens Che great aim and design of all
their thoughts and endeavour#, without ever confidßr
ing their own perforal advantage, and fecund, so to
take care es the republic as not to serve the interest of
any one party to the prejudice of all the rest." Here
let me observe I have been informed that when
the a& was under confidaratien the right of making
such an est was questioned—a then member exciting
ly demanded, " Whit cannot the assembly do 2" to
which it was answered, " thay cannot cast out devils"
..-To which let me add, they cannot make wrong
right, by faying it is fe. This leads me to some quo
tations upon meer ads of power : ^irft, the learned
Barderace on Puffendarffon the law of nature and na
tic>es ; " for though p^wer may force fobmiffion, its
merit only can create refpa&, give authority, or beget
love." An English writer of eminence who wrote a
bout thirty years fines, fays, " Power, whatever be its
title, or whatever be its foundation er feearity, ifit be
exarcifed contrary to the laws of nature, Contrary to
the law of justice, and lore, it is not right, it is power
indeed, but guilty criminal pawdr, which it is, it
must be a crime not to resist, to the utmort of ones
power, if the law es nature that is the law of God be
immutable, universally obligatory upon all men.^
I come now to cenfider the law of limitation with
the makers of it ; and I believe it will not be denied
that three parts in four of the late house were farmers,
and three quarters of the ether were gentlemen of the
law and physic. From such a representation against
all the labouring mechanicks and trading intersft as
fifteen to one, no wonder if they fheuld have the herd
eft fide of the bargain : not that I mean to fugghft that
farmers as men are better or worse than other men---
but that they are so liable to the bias of felf-intereft,
as to make them unfit to judge between themfehes and
their neighbours.
Let us examine the a&, and compare it with former
efts, and former prices : And firff, farming labour mot
exceeding 3s. and 4d in the summer season, and fa in
proportion at other seasons of the year, and the labour
of mechanicks, handy crafts, &c. in proportion. I
trust it will not be denied that mowing and reaping
was as high as 3 s. per day ; so that all laboring men
of what degree soever are to have one penny and one
third of a penny on the Filling, which is cradly one
tenth advance from time of peace, and in this all kind
of labour is included in'the words " other labours."
Now let us notice what those lords of the land have
done for therafelves : Good merchantable wheat fall
net exceed 6s. per bushel; good merchantable rye
shall not exceed 35.6 d. ; Indian corn 3s. Pork 3d.
one farthing to 3d. three farthings ; Grafs-fed beef
241. per hundred, and so in proportion for stall fed.
Puk 84s. per barrel ——ln the beginning es these
, Courant Ne. 6st.
frenbies they w^o glad to get ,54>.rar barrel t„
pork; hay, live cattle, wheat, 1 wer, fidian maar,
and the ptaaiceis es phy£e and forgery act limittvd
In the left war the assembly fat prices at which
some of these things ihouid be received in payment ct
taxes ; which was for wheat 3s. 6d. Corn Is. 9 d
per bulhel. Perksis . Beef 30 s. per barrel. Here
you fee clearly the difference between giving and re
ceiving : Indian corn, beef and pork was never flier
raised than lift year.
Left I ihoWd be prolific, I waft pass over man,
things, and proceed to the fide of the merchants. As
to Sait, it may be made out es the sea, but cannot be
brought frem the Weft Indies at the prices, as may ea
sily be demonstrated, and that with such cargoes eg
are,llowed to be exported. If a man insure as much
as will save him in case cf loss, will 64k all his out
ward cargo. As to sugar, I never knew the tim^
when a pound cf sugar would not fetch a pound of
butter or flax- -and frequently more- ^ And why not
now ? The rifque and ocher expeaccs will double the
cost ofit. Weft India rum 6stßd. by the hegihead
---by retail 7 s. 8 d---thc wastage in drawing rum is
reckoned to be one tenth—-the tenth part cf 6 s. 8 d.
taken from i s. leaves 4d. which is the reward for
laying cut 6 s. 8 d. and drawing a gallon of rum.
New England rum 3 s. iod. by the hoglhead, end
4s. 6d. by th# gallon. This tenth part us 3s. 10 d.
isnear 4d. half penny, from Bd. leaves 34. half
penny prefr. I doubt not but the fuppeiad omni
potence cf the British parliament prompted them to
judge between themselves and u s Americans.
^% h n °t ths ^of limitation the offipriag of
th* ^me disposition, in the late overgrown majority
against u s labourers, mechanicks and traders ?
The Britain underdock to compel obedience by
force-—and we tock up arms : and here let me @b
ferve, that though there was a majority in that heufe
and raay be so ire many other public meetings, yet up
on the open ground, the people oppressed by the aft
area majority. '' A word te the wife is fufficienu"
I call upon the impartial pub ic, if fitch there be, to
judge, if this && b& a "rule directing aid obliging a
rational cinature in moral actions and cq^al treatment
to the members of the fame State," and whether if it
wars peffible to execute it ; it would ''create rasped
or begat love," or whether it would not be “ ccitra~
ry the law of nature and to the law cf juflice and love
and therefore not right." &c. &c. T. M.
Philadelphia, Ma, 14.
We brar that Coxgrtfj, have prm^d Col. J^ciiab
Huntington, and Col. Jfyb R"d, to the rank es Briga
dim.General in the Continental array.
Also that Pbomas Conway, Esq; Knt. of the Order es
St. Lenis, and Colonel in the Irijb Brigades, in ibe ferwice
es tbe King of Prance, is appointed to the feme rank.
That by intelligtna from fuftdry feerfens who have deser
ted, been taken prifonere and made tbeir efca,e from the one
on, face tbe late expedition to Danbury, Howe's army bawd
Offered in that affair from five to nine hundred in killed,
wounded and miffing.
That of ours 18 were killed, a^d 66 wounded, efwbone
fiven are dead, and* the ref like to recover.
That of the failed meat which was attempted to be de
frojed, more than one third has been preferred; and that the
medicines and Hospital feces art tbitf,faved.
That General Wofer died the id infant, of bis wounds in
the «aion of the 27th uh.---Altho' this brave veteran was
fufepofed by some to have out lined bis ufefulnefs.yet bis ffetrit
and naivit, /bene forth in this las adtok of bis life with
nndimini/bed lufre.
From Martinice we learn, that Cast. Weekes, in the Con
tinental fi, Reprisal, bas taken a Lfanpacket, bound from
London, mounting 16 guns, with three v fils under her con
vey, after an obfinate engagement affae giafisi,
The Oliver Caomweli, a private sap of war from tbib
port, bas taken four prefas and font them into Martinico.
The Sturdy Beggar, a privatesfrom Baltimore; bas ta
ken a valuable prize, beundfrom Senegal to London. The
Governor es Senegal, with all bis retinue, was on board.
In CONGRESS, May 9. 1777°
Refolded, That it ba recommenced to the Legifla
turesof the several States, tc observe great caution in
fettling ths terms on which the Militia shall be excus
ed from parfonal fervite, agreeable to the Resolve of
Coßgrefs of the ig h day of April left ; the measure
therein recommenced, having been found by experi
ence, fubjed to great abvfits and inconveniences,
May 1%.
Rfolved, That all Post Mailers, Pofi Riders, and par
fan# immediately concerned it condu&ing the luff
nefs of the Post Office, ought to be exempted from all
military duties ; and that it be recommanded to the
Legiftatures es the different Starts to exempt fuck
perlons accordingly.
Extra& freto the Minutet.
CHARLES THOMSON, Semtarj.
Boston, May y.
Monday night arrived here In the {chooser Poll/
from Port Louis, Grand Terre, Guadeloupe, Capt.
David M'Lead, who informs, that he saw alerter from
Martinice dated the ibthof April, informing that there
was ten fail of the line and eight frigates arrived at
Martinico from Brest, with 6600 troops--. The fi<et
commanded by Monfisur Cuch&ffaud ; that a packet
boat from Martinico to Point Petre brought the fame
account; and a packet to the General at Gaudaloupe
was felt up the country bya negro runner, the contents
unknown. --A Continental frigate had arrived at St d
Pair's.
Tbs beginning of las week was fat into a fofe Port by
the Tyrannicide Privateer Capt. Harrington, belonging
to tbit State, a Ship of upwards of 200 Toris Burthen,fete