The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-07-31 00:00:00, page 2

that a navy is necessary for the defence ®f their coafis, and
'hat it will not be Safe to trust entirely to that which is
formed & the (hips and citizens of other States, hence
hey will perceive the,neceffity of giving every encourage
ment to trade, (by which alone a navy can be eftablilhed
nd Supported) and fee the impropriety ofteftricbog the
merchant in the price of his merchandize, and Cbj^tag
m to measures which tend to prohibit commerce. They
<.II begin to reason from effects to cahfc, and find that
e evils now complained of grow out of the quantity of
mney in circulation, which from the nature of things
akes every member of the community more or less a
emulator. They will endeavour to lessen the quantify by
xafion, the ohly plain, Simple and effefbi.il method , and
hi/ft they leave every one at liberty to diSpoSe of his pro
rty for the price it will bring, they will be able to pay
eir tax^s. Thus the quantity of money will be Icffened
id trade will regulate itfelf; there being less money, there
'll be fewer [peculators and the prices of all articles will
• reduced to a Convenient Standard. All this may be ac
• mplifhed by wholesome laws, wellexemreli; and will
quire no great exertions of public virtue, a thingoftener
oken o' than felt, and which is Seldom made the basis, of
systematic proceeding contrary to the eftablifhel laws and
e constitution ofa country, without having for its®bje&
•ane revolution which is not generally at firft forefeet, and
cry seldom underflood by tbofe who are wetlmcaniqg, but
cßwary instruments in the hands-of designing men, and to
diom conviction coming too late brings not a remedy for
ne evils they are made to Suffer.
Oar government is eflabiifhed upon the ruins of another.
There was a time whenCom'm ittees were neceffaty in Ame
rica. Tney were thea bodies growing out of the power of
the' people, refilling the laws of the land an I the efhbliflied
Government, ,which it had become necessary to fhfpend,
They w%e then necessary, because altho' it was forefeen,
pernaps intended by Some, that the revolution which hath
since takm place fhauld happen, a Government of fame
fort was requisite to attain what was dt that time the of
tenfible object. They were not formed for the fopport of
government, but to destroy it. It was the ortypr^er and
effectual method by which itcould be done.'The attack
wasregufar and the victory Sure. The execution of the
laws were firft fufpen led, and'the established governments
were next dissolved. They who have advised tlae establish
ing of Committees and giving the watch word to them,
throughout this continent, know better than to fuppnfe
that bodies formed upon principles repugnant to the efla
blifhed government, could Strengthen the government;
and all arguments which may be used to Shew their utility
in that reflect, will, I conceive, turn upon a refinement
far from the simplicity of common - feufe. They were then
very fyflematicaUy conducted, and proceeded with as much
moderation as could have been expended hence I perceive
the ability and am led to fufpeft the defiant of those who
are now behind the curtain. Like causes will produce like
effeffs; tho' the fame instrument may be used for differ
ent purposes. Ambition is a dangerous thing and knows
mo bounds. Dark are the ways of the midnightpoU^cian w o
locks bis door, and has none around him but 'ri,#an 1 trudy
friends. Caution is in his fleps, and he isfil^nt as the hour
of his meditation. Virtue and candor find not an asylum
inbir breast; but like the affaffio, he holds the drawn
dagger under his cloak, till, unfufpefUng, the unwary
passenger receive the deadly point, and falls—not know
ing the band which gave the mortal flab.'
AFARME R of VIRGIN! A.
The liberty of the press has been attacked by the fame
violent faftion ; but by the spirited exertions of the virtu
ous citizens, at a meeting at the Coffee-houfe, on the 26th
instant, it is restored and firmly eftabliihed upon i, an
tient solid foundation. Thro' this channel, therefore, I
think it my duty to lay before you, for your cenfideration,
those Sentiments I intended to have expreffid, if I had
been permitted to (peak at the late town-Meeting.
I am not, dire^iy or indirectly, engaged in any kind
of trade ; I am a private citizen, andlive upon theincome
ofmy efc.t*. The regulations propoied m the association
cannot sffd me. I mention taele circumflances to in
duce you to believe, that I could have no oth r motive in
giving my opinion, than to convince my fell®w citizens,
rat the regulations proposed must, inevitably, produce
immediate ruin to the merchants and mechanics; and a
frarcity, if not a want of every necessary of life, to the
whole city. I have no doubt but many of the citizens
rho engaged in this Scheme, with so much zeal, were aciu
ated by the purest motives, by a sincere desire of Support
ing the finking credit es our currency—Whatever may
ba7e been the secret views of some of the leaders—An ex
periment has already been made! What was the conse
quence? The tanners, carriers and cordwainers immedi
ately complain and declare they do not confide tbemfelves
bound by the regulated prices of their commodities. If
you proceed no further, the scheme does not answer the
great purposes intended—Tbg will justly complain of par
tiality ; and an attempt to enforce obedience will produce
a civil war. But the letter from the City Committee to
the President of the Committee of Tanners, Currriers,
and Corel waiters, dated theist inflant, which was intend
ed as an apology for their condud, hints, that the fixing
the prices of their commodities firft, was, in a great mea
sure, to give them the preferrence of Setting thefirft ex
arnpl^, as a rule to other trades, for tho' only one was
mentioned, all were intentionally and inclusively regulated.
What set of men are next to be regulated ? Perhaps the
butchers and tallow-chandlers. These will immediately
refufe obedience, and join the Committee ofTanners, &c.
Next, perhaps, come the black Smiths, house-carpenters
and fllip-carpenters. Have not all these equal reason to
complain ? Can the articles of their trades, and the wages
' journeymen reduced to fourteen prices, pay twenty —
1 which the necessaries of life are averaged.—No,certain
ly. What will be the consequence ? These bodies of men.
Friends and Fellow Citizens.
WHEN an attempt is made to break down or e
ven to weaken one single barrier of our liberty, it
ought to be opposed with spirit by every honest man.
At the late Town-Meeting, on the 27th instant, I was
prevented by the riotous behaviour of a number of men,
armed with clubs, from Speaking my Sentiments open a
fubjed of the utmost importance to the peace, happiness
and freedom of this city ; and which may, eventually af
fe& the Safety of these States.
To the CITIZENS of P HIL A D ELPHI A.
I intended likewise, to have moved, at the late Town-
Meeting, for the publication of the minutes and proceed
ings of the Commiaee weekly.
Mon; pollzing among ourselves, abuses and bad manag
ment in the Raff departments of the army, appear to me
to be the principal causes of the depreciation of our cur
rency. I intended to have moved, that the Committee
should be inftru&ed to petition Congress to endeavour,
immediately, to reform th: abuses in the ftaff departments
of thearmy, and to take off the reftri&ions upon the ex
portation of wheat and flour, &c. A plentiful harvest has
filled tl e country with n abundance of these articles ; and
a market would bring such quantities to this city, that
there would be no want of these necessaries in future.
I am, Gentlemen, with the greatest regard and esteem,
Yoar Friend and Fellow Citizen,
JOHN CADWALADER.
Philadelphia, Jul, 30, r/fo.
belonging to the several trades I have mentioned, and all
the others in this city, (which need not be mentioned) will
incorporate, bid defiance to the Committee, and perhaps
prevent the execution of other plans for appreciating our
currency, which probably might answer valuable purposes.
The regulation of imported articles is equally impracticable;
but the reftriClion, obliging merchants to order all their
vessels to some port in this State, is the weakest and
moflimpolitic scheme that ever entered into the mind of
man. The injustice to them is intolerable; the disadvan
tages to the State are innumerable. It is more ! It may
eventually be the foundation for the separation of this
State from the grand confederation. Are we ndfell unit
ed to effect the glorious revolution? Some States are,
Sometimes, so situated, that they cannot procure Sufficient
Supplies 0 the necessaries of die, from foreign countries.
And shall we refufe a part of those articles we have pro
cured by a more fortunate trade, to our Sifter States ? The
me Ture is weak, impolitic, unjaft and dangerous! In their
own defence other States must enter into like resolutions;
all intercourse wiil be flopped ; difiruft and jealousy will
(•nfhmecn State against its neighbour, and a total repa
ration may in consequence take place. Remember, how
we wrote and (poke a few months ago, in favour of the ad
vanta es of a free and open trade to all nations. On this
foundation we were to build the future wealth, grandeur
and power of the United States. The regulation of trade
and prices of commodities, in order to produce any great
-efr&, mufl, in my opinion, be undertaken by th 6 united
Councils of tnefe States, upvn a general and equitable
plan of mutual advantages and equal reftridions.
These, my fellow citizens, were arguments I should
have made use of, (had 1 been permitted to speak) to in
duce you to reconsider the association for the regulation of
the prices of every commodity, and to refeind that resolu
tion, if those arguments were, in yourjudgment, founded
in reason.
I shall now take the liberty of informing the Committee
of Philadelphia and the Public at large, that I intend to
apply to the General Committee of this county, at t, eir
next meeting, on the 14th day of August next, at Christi
ana Bridge, for an examination into my conduct, relative
to this affair , at which time and place, the members of
the Committee of this city (being furnished with your
vouchers) will ha"e an opportunity of shewing them, and
of being further heard. The fame indulgence I shall then
expert to meet with; for they certainly are the mofl pro
per persons to hear, enquire into, and judge of this mat
ter. A great convenience will also attend the enquiry, as
the persons whom you propose to support the fids and as
sertions you have been pleased to produce against me, live
so contiguous that they may be examined in person.
I must assure you, Gentlemen of the Committee, that
you have beety groTy imposed upon, in your informations,
particularly in that of the flour referred to in Sellers's de
position, which was not, nor any part thereof, purchased
for., or shipped on account of, the Honorable MRHolker,
Consul of France and Agent General of the Royal Marine,
or for any perfoo anting under his authority, or in the
least conne&ed with him. And in order to elucidate this
point, I shall here insert an account of the mode in which
the said deposition was taken, which being ex parte, it can
give no favourable idea of the tranfadion of this business.
Wilmington, Newcafile County, July 26. 1779^
JONATHAN RUMFORD, Jun. of this place, pro
duced the Pennsylvania Packet of Saturday last for my
perusal, wherein I saw in a piece published of the proceed
ings of the Committee lor the city of Philadelphia, signed
by Mr. William Henry, Chairman, some matters that hap
pened at Wilmington between myfelf and said Rumford,
which case by fo^e means or other I perceive is much mif>
represented. The Rate of the case is as follows, as near as
I can recollect. When Nicholas Sellers's deposition was
taken, the said Rumford was from home, and not present,
bot after his retwrw I suppose was informed something ofit,
and soon after applied to me to inform him what had been
done. I told him that I had not the deposition, but in
formed him of the contents thereof as neat as I could re
member; upon which the said Rumford appeared very
warm, and said he thought he was hard treated to have
such a deposition taken against him in his absence and with
out his knowledge, (or something to that effect) and said
he could fliew that he had inftruftioms to purchase flour
for the French Agent, and went out : However, when he
returned and had become cooler, he pulled out a letter te
fliew his orders, but folded part @f it down and read the
other part of is, which was, I think, that he was to have
Mr. DUNLAP,
^ S you have published the proceedings of the Commit
^ tee of Pailad Iphia, refpeding the case ®f a quantity
of flour sent to them by the Committee of Wilmington,
which proceedings are dated July 2xft, and signed William
Henry Chairman, I must conffder it as confident with jus
tice and candour, that you publish in your next paper the
following extracts of certificates, and remarks, for the
juftification of my conduct to my employers, and the in
formation of the impartial Public.
Assertions, suspicions, and partial accounts offals, with
some big, colouring, may be fufficient at certain times to
prejudice the minds of well meaning and honest people ;
but as to my case, I make no doubt of convincing every
unprejudiced enquirer, that my character and condu^
have be r represented in a wrong p®iht of view, and that
J have been treated in an unfair, unmerited and unjaft
manner.
Philadelphia, ,ul, 30, 17 9
five per cent, for purcha^ng, but nothing about (hipping
of any Hour, which I thought he intended to make me be•
lieve be had orders to do. Whilst he nas reading I looked
at the letter, and saw it figmed by Robert Bridges. The
above contains the fubflance of what passed between me
and the said Rumford on that occasion as near as I remem
ber, there being no examination by reason of , his absence
as above-mentioned. JOHN LEA, Justice @f the Peace.
In the next place I must remark, what the Committee
are pleased to assert, refpeaing the millers," that they had
“ refufed to fell to the inhabitants at the regulated price,
" which brought on an inquiry, by which means they dis
" covered that the flour intended for this city had been
" Jince pnrehafed by Jonathan Rumford, at the price of 24
" or 25 pounds per hungered. Yet even in this there ap
" pears to be something collusive, &c."
The following certificates of Mr. Samuel Canby and
Mr. Jefeph Tatnall will serve to clear up this matter, and
demonstrate the falfity of what is above called ^dffcovery.
It is said, ' We find Rumford proposing to engage
" Mr. Thomas Stroud, a fhallepman, to remove it pri
ce vately, that is, in the hold only, and none on deck.
“ Tiiis intimation gave Mr. Stroud suspicions, and on his
" asking Mr. Rumford where it was to be delivered, he,
" Rumford, replied, he could not tell, and that perhaps
" the hr^ch Age:t ihould fend an armed wefelfor it." &C<
The Public will judge of the truth of this, and find it
epually as ^roundlefs as many other of their assertions, on
the perusal of the subsequent certificates.
Wi'mington, New-Cafile County.
THESE may certify whom it may concern, That on
the twentieth day of Jane last, Jonathan Rumford Junior,
of this place, Merchant, asked the fubferiber if I could
carry a parcel of flour for him from this place to Philadel
phia. I asked him when it would be ready ? He replied
it was all packed, but he could not fend it yet, as he had
not received inftrudions for so doing. I then informed
him that my fhallop wanted graving and that I would be
gin at it, and that I would quit when he should give me
word and serve him by day or by night; he replyed it was
kind, and said he did not want it done in the night for he
was a&ing by authority, and that no damage could ensue
to me thereby, but before I had any further notice from
him I understood that the Committee of this place had ta
ken the flour into their possession. As witness my hand.
GEORGE GORDON.
THIS is to certify whom it may concern, That Jona
than Rumford, jun. has not applied to me to carry any
flour for this fix months pas l ; but Joseph Tatnall inform
ing me that said Jonathan Rumford, jun. had purchased a
quantity of flour at Brandywine of him and others, told
me if I would apply in time I might have a chance of
the freight ; I accordingly called on Jonathan Rumford,
jun, who acquainted me had applied to another fhallop
man, but he mide no doubt but he might give me a part
of the flour as he would have the whole carried under
cover, but at present he had received no inftrudions from
the French Agent or Ambassador, (I am not certain
which) nor had he heard of any armed vessel being ready
to take it on board, but when his orders should arrive he
would give me word. This I certify in the whole of the
conversation to the best of my knowledge.
J^ 26, 1779. THOMAS STROUD,
T MESE may certify whom it concerns, That I the
fubferiber, betwe n the fourteenth and eighteenth of June,
fold unto Jonathan Rumford, Junior, fifty barrels of fu
perfine (flour which he informed me was forthe French
Agent) at twenty five pounds per hundred; that the in
voice for the flour was delivered him on the last mentioned
date; And Ido further certify that I knew of no limited
price for flour in this State until the twenty-sixth of June,
when the proceedings of the Committee with refpe& to the
price of flour and other enumerated articles were read in
the markket-houfe.
Ju, ,2th, 1779. SAMUEL CANBY.
Jonathan Rumford, Junior,
Brandywine Bridge, July 3, 1779
THIS may certify whom it may'concern, That Jonathan
Rumford, jun. purchased of me a quantity of fuperfine
flour the 14th of June 1779, (the fuperfine he informed
me was for Holker, Esq. Agent for the King of France.)
Some few days after he purchased 15 calks common flour,
which he acquainted me was going to be fold agreable te
tne direftion of the Committee in Philadelphia. On the
18th day I delivered said Rumferd invoices for the whole
flour, and entered, or charged him in my book at the
fame rime.
And further I knew of no certain limitation, for flour in
this State, until the 2,6 th of last month, when it was cri
ed in public market for the firft time, at cigh teen pounds
fifteen (hillings for merchant flour, which I concluded
was common, flour ; therefore some few days after, I re
presented my case to the Committee, that what wheat I
had on hand, with the expsace, cost me eight pounds pe,
bushel in the miil, that I ihould bea great loser at twenty
five pounds for fuperfine, but desired no more under the
circumflance of things—They, the Committee, taking
my case into confideraton, concluded to indulge me in re
ceiving the above price till further orders.
JOSEPH TATNALL.
N. B. the above was wrote at the request of Jonathan
Rumford.
I shall fay nothing ofthe blunder ofMr. Patrick O'Flinn,
it being already anf^ered in your last paper; but will
proceed to take notice of the following paragraph in this
accurate report of the Committee, which was preferred,
July 23d, 0 his Excellency the President and Council of
this State, in answer to the reference made by that Board
on the 14th ioftant.
In the report of the Committee there is this passage,
" That the Committee of Wilmington, warmed by at
" tachment to the cause and tied by principles of affeftiom
“ to their fellow-citizeus in general, applied to the millers
'' in our behalf, and obtained from them a promise of
“ Supply." Now Mr. Joseph Tatnall and Mr. James
Marshall being considerable millers in that neighbour
hood, do not teem to know any thing of this application,
and much less of the promise said to have been made by
the Committee ; as will evidently appear by the following
certificate :
THIS is to certify whom it may concern, That the
Committee of Wilmington never applied to me to purcbafe
flour for the Committee of Philadelphia; but one day I
met two or three of the Committee on the road, who in-