The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-12-05 00:00:00, page 1

STATE of PENNSYLVANIA.
In GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
Monday, November 18, 1782.
The Bill, entituled " An Act to amend and render
<< effectual an Ad, entituled “ An Ad to restrain people
^ from labour on the firft day of the week," was read
the second time, and debated by paragraphs:
Ordered to be transcribed for a third Reading, and in
the mean time printed for public consideration.
Extract from the Minutes,
PETER Z. LLOYD, Clerk of
the General Afferably.
An ACT to amend and render effectual an da, entituled
" An Ad to restrain people from labour on the firlt
" day of the week,"
WHEREAS the restraints and provisions contained
in an ad of General Assembly of the late province
of Pennsylvania, passed in the year of our Lord one
thousand seven hundred and five, entituled " An Afi to
" refrain people from labour on the ff day of the --week,"
have been found defective:
Be it enabled, and it is hereby enabled by the Representa
tives of the Freemen of the Common -wealth oj Pennsylvania,
in General Assembly met, and by the authority^/ the fame,
That it shall be the duty of every Sheriff and Coroner,
each within his county, and of every Overseer of the
Poor, Supervisor of the Highways of any township, di
ftrid or place, and of every Constable, and Commissioner
for paving the streets of the city of Philadelphia, each
within his refpedive diftrid, and they are hereby feveraily
required and enjoined to apprehend, without farther or
other warrant than this ad, any person and all persons,
who (hall offend against this ad, or the ad aforefaid, in
his presence (other than any known inhabitant of the
city, county, townships or other diftrid) and to carry Such
offender before the next Justice, who Shall proceed to en
quire and determine concerning the offence without de
lay, unless the said Justice, upon Security being entered
with him by recognizance for the appearance of the party
charged at another time, Shall fee fit to postpone such
enquiry and determination; and if any perlon, who
Shall be called by any of the officers afo; eSaid to aid and
assist him in apprehending any such offender, Shall, with
out good cause, neglect or refufe to give his aid and
assistance, every such delinquent Shall forfeit and pay the
sum of Forty Shillings for any such offence.'
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid, That
it Shall be the duty of the officers aforefaid, and they and
each of them are hereby enjoined and required to make
information, within three days, to some Justice of the
Peace of the city or county, of the name, places of abode,
and offence of every person, who Shall in his presence
transgress this a&, or the aforefaid aft, in all such cases
where he Shall not forthwith apprehend and carry the de
linquent before feme Justice as aforefaid ; and that each
and every of the officers aforefaid, who Shall neglect the
duty of apprehending or informing, as by this aft is di
refted, Shall forfeit and pay the sum of Forty Shillings for
every such neglect.
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid, That
in all cases where any waggoner, carter, drover or pack
horse driver Shall or may be flopped and detained for
travelling contrary to the directions of this aCt, and the
aforefaid aft, it Shall be in the power of the Jultice, be
fore whom such waggoner, carter or drover Shall be car
ried, to determine whether his or their travelling on the
firft day of the week be a work of necessity or mercy.
Provided always, That, from and alter the
Day of next, every waggoner, carter, drover
or pack-horse driver, who Shall be found travelling on the
firft day of the week, Shall be fubje& to the penalties of
this aft, and the aforefaid aft, unless he or they Shall pro
duce before such Justice a certificate, under the hand of
some Quarter- Matter, Commissary, or other public Officer,
purporting that it is necessary for the service of this State,
or some other State, or of the United States, that such
waggoner, carter, drover or pack-horse driver Should tra
vel on the firft day of the week.
And be it further enafled by the authority aforefaid, That
whenever information Shall be given to any of the officers
aforefaid of any offence against this ad, or the aforefaid
aft, such officer receiving the information Shall forthwith
apprehend such offender, unless he be a known inhabitant
of the city, county, township er other district, and in that
case such officer Shall give information, within three days,
to some Justice as aforefaid.
> And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid, That
if any person Shall, by falfe pretences of being in the
public service, evade, or attempt to evade the penalties
of this aft, or the aforefaid aft, every such person foal,
upon conviction in the Court of Quarter-Sellions of the
proper county, and in no other Court, be fined in any
sum not exceeding Ten Pounds, if the prosecution be
brought within one year after the offence be committed.
AND WHEREAS the driving of carriages pad
houses of public worship, during the time of divine fer
rtice therein, is highly indecent:
Be it therefore enabled by the authority aforefaid, That
Whoever Shall presume to drive, on the firft day of the
week, any coach, chariot, phaeton, waggon, cart, chaise,
THURSDAY,
VOL. Xl.l
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^cm@^ aim&&t
GENERAL ADVERTISER.
Published every TUESDAY, THURSDAY and SATURDAY.—Price Six-Pence.
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid, That
all the penalties and forfeitures mentioned in this aft, or
the aforefaid aft, Shall be levied in a summary way, ex
cept in the case above mentioned, where a fine of Ten
Pounds is incurred, as demands under Forty Shillings, by
the warrant of any Justice of the Supreme Court, Juftrce
of the peace, or Burgess of any borough, issued and
Served, if fairfJustice Shall deem it necessary, on the firft
day of the week.
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid, That
the aforefaid aft, so fu as it relates to executing process
on the firft day of the week for the purpose of preventing
travelling on that day, Shall be and is hereby repealed.
And be st further enaaed by th? authority aforefaid, That
the a& of the General Assembly of this State, passed on
the thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one
thousand seven hundred and seventy nine, entituled " An
" Aft for the fappr/ffon of vice and immorality,'' so far
as the fame relates to tire observation of the firft day of
the week, or Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday, Shall
be, and the fame is hereby repealed md made void.
And be it farther enabled by the authority aforefaid. That
all the penalties and forfeitures that Shall be incurred by
offences either against this a&, or the aft to which it is a
Supplement, (hall be applied one half to the use of the
poor of the city, borough or township where such offence
is committed, and the other half to the informer.
Provided always, That all prosecutions for any offences
against this ad, or the a& aforefaid, made cognizable be
fore a Single Judice, upon which information Shall be made
in a month after the day of offending, Shall be available,
notwithstanding any thing in this or the aforefaid aft, but
not afterwards.
In GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
Tuesday, November 19. 1782.
The Bill, entituled “ A Supplement to the Aft, entituled
" An AEI impowering the funices to Jettle the Prices of
" Liquors in Public Houses, and Provender jor Horses in
" Public Stab's;' was read the second time, and debated
by puigi.ph; : ,
Ordered, That it be transcribed for a third reading, and
in the mean time printed for public consideration.
ExtraH from the Minutes,
PETER Z. LLOYD, Clerk of the
General Assembly.
A SUPPLEMENT to the 4H, entituled " An Aft im
" powering the funices to fettle the Prices of Liquors in
" Public Houses, and Provender for Horses in Public
" Stabhs."
"WHEREAS in the A&, ebtitnled “ An Aft im-
VV " powering the Juflices to ftde the Prices of Li
" quors in Public Houses, and Provender for Horjes in Pub
" lie Stables," passed the thirty-first of May, one thousand
seven hundred and eighteen, it is provided and enabled,
that the Justices of the Peace Shall rare power to fix the
prices of all liquors retailed or fold in public houses, and
all provender for horses in public (tables,,but no provision
is therein made for regulating the prices of victuals and
lodging, by which, and fiom a prevailing inattention to
the a& to which this is a fuppLmtnr, many and great
abuses have arisen: For remedy whereof,
Be it enaffd by the Retrefcotatives of the Freemen of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met,
and by the authority of t^e fame, 7 hat, from and after the
palling of this aft, it Shall and may be lawful for the Ju
itices of the Peace of the city of Philadelphia, and the
refpe&ive counties of this State, and they are hereby en
joined and required to set such reasonable prices, not only
on all liquors retailed, and provender furniSh d by p Tlic
house-keepers, but also the said Justices Shall proceed to
set and affix such reasonable price on all victuals and lodg
ing at the several times, and ciufe it to be pubhflied in
the fame manner, as is dirtied in and by the a^t to which
this is a supplement.
And be it farther enabled by the authority afo-efatd. That
if any public ale house or tavern-keeper, innholder or
public stable-keeper, Shall exceed the pices, or any of
them, so set and published by the Justices aforefaid, and
being legally conviftd thereof, as directed in the said
a&, he, She or they, so offending, Shall be fubje&ed and
liable to the fines, forfeitures and penalties directed to be
inflicted for such offences, as mentioned in the said aft.
And be it farther enaHed by the authority aforefaid, That
if any public ale-housekeeper or retailer of liquor (hell
neglect to procure and fit up in the molt public place of
his or her house, a true bill or lift of the articles so rated,
and the different prices annexed, as set bv the justices ?-
forefaid, within three months after the palling of this act,
where it Shall Stand expefed to the inspection of travellers,
he, She or they, so offending, Shall forfeit any sum charged
such traveller for liquor, victuals, lodging or provender,
any thing in any law heretofore rn.de to the contrary
notwithstanding.
dray, or any other kind of carriage, past any house of
public worship in the city of Philadelphia, during the ce
lebration of divine service, he or She, so offending, Shall
forfeit and pay the sum of Thirty Shillings for every such
offence.
O R, THE
THE
In speaking on ,this part of the fubjed, I put our foreign debt
totally out of the question; because that is what we are all
agreed in, and makes no part of the argument. It was contriv
ed in hard money, and the value of it permanent. But we have
a species of internal debt among us, the value of which is un
fixed, and admits of injury either way, and therefore it is necefi
fary to afeertain it as precisely as possible, and fettle it, left the
fair and real creditor Should involve his fate with the rapacious
claimant, and thereby be exposed to fuffer on the one hand, or
that the public Should pay more than they have a right to pa, &
the other.'
I am sensible that I look with an equal impartiality towards
both, and as I do not wiffi to pay too little, so neither would.!
pay too much. If the cieditor has his interest to take care of,
the debtor has his honor to preserve, and the loss to the one is
full as severe as to the other. The States might appoint a general
Committee of Accounts, to meet, adjust and fettle all kinds of
claims, prior to the commencement of the present fyHem of
finance.
But in the mean time, let us make the necessary provifron for
difeharging what is really due, and supporting our reputation, and
not embarrass that which is right with that which is Wrong.
What I cannot but blame the Citizen of Rhode-Ifland for, is
his Slating the matter erroneously, and treating it both impru
dently and unfairly. He has brought cases into the question
which are totally foreign to it, and avoided the points which he
might have spoken upon.
Two things only are necessary The settlement of the public
accounts, and the means of paying them off; and the question
before us affords no other points. We did not undertake the de
fence of the country against a vindidive and powerful enemy,
without knowing that it would be attended with many and un
avoidable expences; and we have piofpered in that defence equal
to cur utmeft expeVations, and far better than we many times
had reason to hope for. It was by the united efforts of all
America, which, like a bundle of rods, could not only not be
broken, but were capable of chastising, that this happiness hag
been effected, and by which it is still secured ; and as the case
before us is of the nature of an united effort, we cannot too seri
ously impress ourselves with that idea and principle of union by
which we rose into greatness, and are known by to the rest or the
universe. It is our Magna Charta our anchor in the world of
empires.
Since then our condition and preservation require money, caa
there be a mere equal and eatier way of railing the sum required
for the discharge of these accounts than a duty of five per cent,
on foreign imported goods? If the duty produces an overplus, so
much the better, for the fuldier wants it; he likewise is a credi
tor. If it ffiould not raise enough, pay it as far as it will go, by
the best method that can be deviled, and let both the public and
the creditors know the turns received and paid, and to whom and
for what.
The duty then, I fay, of five per cent, lights equally on all
the States according to their several abilities. For it is not which
S ates import the mod or feaft, but which, from their degrees of
opulence or p puloutnety,confumethe most or le^ft, that afeertain
the quantity they feverahy bring towards the fund. Rhode-Biand
will pay but a small ihare sf the duty, because ffie will confirms
but little; and all that (he imports, more than she conftimes, is
eventually paid by some other neighbouring States, and not by
her.
If in America we had but one port, dill the inhabitants cf the
State where that port wes would pay no more of the five per cent,
fury than in the present cde; that is, they would pay only tor
what they con'umed; ard he States, which had no port, might
ray much more duty than that which had, because they might
fcveiaUy confute mote. In this case, every man throughout the
United States would be aff-ffed hisfive per cent, duty at @ne place;
because there could be bur one place of cohesion; and, confe
que;.tl),the monies so far fed tip. n the whole canno: be carried ta
the credit of the State in which it is collected; and this tingle
olfer#dtion overfets one objection which I have heard Khode-
Illand has mare.
It is a great convenience to a State to be fitnated so near the
water, aS to be eased of the expense of land carriage for foreign
goods. This alone is far more than the duty of five per cent,
and periods so conveniently circumstanced Ihould, of all people,
be rhe last to object.
Rhode-Bland, by her situation, enjoys f ^e foperior benefits
in the union. Clofrly connected with the sea, the derives ad
vantages under its flag, its commissions and pals-por s, which the
inhabitants of more rebate places do not; and many reafuna
In ANSWER to the CITIZEN of RlloD E-ISLAND
on the five per cent. duty.
IN my former letter I mentioned the purpose for which the five
per cent, duty is levied; namely, as a fund for the payment
of the interest and pr:ncipal_gf such debts as are, or may be con
traded, abroad or at home, for the defence of the United States.
I am now to Shew the convenience and equality of the mode;
which I Shall preface with a few occasional observations.
In this country, where every State is interested alike in the
event of the war, and almost every man in it Hands in the fame
predicament, there ought to be no occasion for persuasion; and L
might as well ex ? e& that the Citizen of Rbode-Ifland fhouldr.
undertake to persuade me to my duty, as that I Should endeavour
to persuade him. In proportion to cur different circumstances, 3
whatever they may be, we must be proportionally affe&ed by a
five per cent, duty. I can assure him ton, that lam no public
creditor, and therefore can have no individual interest in what I ,
am writing. But I have the honor, interest and happiness of a.
new and infant world at heart. She has done great things, and
it would be a thousand pities to diminish that greatness, by any
thing that is little.
DECEMBERS, 1782.
LETTER IT.
[NUMB. 972.