The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1783-09-06 00:00:00, page 2

Mr. 'CL AVP^ OL E,
,T I a er^t ricor^'nit nee in cur laws; that clauses
I ofc° w^r^b ^importance are too often inserted in
a # of aft i : , vuritie fubjeft matter of the elaufe
an• tne title of me act have no oavicus relation to each
other.
I recolhaed haring mn^wbere seen a hw for regu
l^jog t tale ?<t waged goods on account of the in
f r;rs.in v in had recourse to the index in tlie
11 edit on if ur ass, looking for the titles, Goods,
[)imag.d, hifur r% and every other word that might
lead tothe (u ,ft I nan in view ; at length I accidently
cuco^-red th cl use I wanted to refer to, in afunple
n^nt to A art ' tor the f ppreffion of Public Auctions
and Vendues, and prohibiting Male Petfons capable
of bearing arms from bring Hawkers and Pedlars."
You die t < lotted to re-publish the whole of thib law
hr the iwo'rm r n of thofe'whom it may concern, and
~ho may innocently be involved in difficulties for want
c' fagicy todifeover the intimate conneaion between
itevondua necessary to be observed in fe ling damaged
goods, on account of the insurers, and the prohibition
of hawkers aad pedlars. A. B
An ACT to alter and amend an Aft of Assembly,
intrul^d," An Afl for t eetfe^ual suppression of Pub
lic Auctions and Vendues,and to prohibit male Persons
capable of bearing arms, from being Hawkers and
Ped ars," io far as to allow the sale by Public Auc
tion of goods damaged or Shipwrecked.
Section i. ft/HkREAS in the aft of assembly,
intituled, " An aft for the effec
tsl fuporr ffoo of public auctions and vendues, and
to prohibit male persons capable of bearing arms from
being Markers and pedlars," passed on the twenty-sixth
day of November lafl, no provision was made for the
Ide by public außinn of damaged goods, or goods
fared out of ships or vessels wrecked, or which, for the
fatisfaAiun of insurers and others, it may be proper
ail reasonable (houH be tld after that manner:
Sect. 2. Be it therefore enabled, and it is hereby
enaaed, by t ie reprerentdrives of the freemen of the
commonwealth of Fennfyvania, in general assembly
met, and by the authority of the fame, That from and
after the pubdcadon of this aft, all goods and mer
chandize which shall really and bona fide be damaged,
and in a penfhable condition, or which fhali be favedout
of any Chips or vessel cast away or wrecked, or so Cir
cumflanced by diffrefs of (forms or otherwise, that the
cargo or lading thereof ought to be fold for the ac
count of insurers, and anchors and cables taken up at
sea or in the river or bay of Delaware, and which
ought to be fold to afeertain the salvage due thereup
on to the person or persons who may take up the fame,
may be fold at public auction or vendue, the said aft
notwithstanding ; lu. 8 however to the rules and re
firieidns therein prescribed, as to the sale by public
auction or vendue of goods and merchandize thereby
permitted to be fold by public action or vendue.,
Sect. 3. Provided always, and belt further enaHed
by the authori y aforefiid, That before the auctioneer
of the city of Philadelphia (hall proceed to fell by
public auction or vendue, any goods or merchandize
by virtue of this aft, he fhali be furnifhed with the li
cence of the president or vice-president in council, au
thorizing such sale, in which the goods and merchan
dize thereby permitted to be fold as aforefaid, (hall be
fpecified and particularized, such licence to be ground
ed on the report on oath or affirmation of three judi.
cious and indifferent men, who being appointed by the
said president or vice- president in council for that pur
po e, (hall have carefully enquired of and viewed the
said goods and merchandize, and found them to
com within the intent and benefit of this aft.
JOHN BAYARD, speaker.
Enabled into a law at Philadelphia,
on Thursday the second day of
March, Aono Domini, One thou
sand (even hundred and eighty.
Thomas Payne, clerk of tne general assembly.
[T r e above was intended for our paper of Thurs
day the 28th ult. but the copy having been mislaid is
the occafiun of its not being published till this time.]
An Intercepted Letter to the KING of Great-Bri-
TAIN.
Pandemonium, May, 1783.
My Dear Friend,
IT is now nine years since I visited you in one of those
gloomy dreams wherein my demons prompted you
to deeds of guilt and horror, and pointed out as the
theatre of aßion the new world, the feat of that peace,
and that freedom which we abhor, and which the per
secutions of congenial spirits had banished from the
old. In that inauspicious vision, imitating the ex
ample of your prtdeceffor Faufius, you consented to
yield y urfelf up to my difpoial upon your decease,
pro ided I would confederate myfelf as your ally, in
a war which, as I was one of tne belligerent powers,
may proper ybe filled infernal. This wa r , notwith
standing my ud, has been in its events inglorious ; and
the peace which fucceedrd it has been ignominious'. In
the anguish of rage and disappointment at the disgraces
and failure of a war, in which my interefis were evi
demly as much concerned as your own, you have not
hefraed to utter man, bitter execrations against your
ally for supineness and inactivity.
Th- justice of tins charge, let the number|efs agents
which I have furnifhed to your cause deny. Let me
however remark, that a charge should be very well
supported when it is brought by either of us against
the other, for we both labour under a fufficient weight
of crimes, without the addition of others which are not
our own: besides, recrimination is at any rate danger
ous between characters so deep in guilt as ourselves,
and lends greatly to the dissolution of that good cor
re pond nee which has so long subsisted between us.
But admitting for a moment that I have deceived a
faithful adherent, how do you acquit you felf of a si
milar accufatjon preferred against you by so many loy
al dupes, your own adherents ? Have you not, to suit
your own purposes, deluded these men with visions of
conquest wt ich an imagination heated and infatuated
by pride had conjured up? To this you will perhaps
anfwr, th t, “ such men were your tools, your vaf
fels, and your natural prey ; whereas we were leagued
in equality and friendly confidence, and even among
robbers there is faith." There is indeed faith among
robbers ; but let us be modest my good friend! Rob
bers are far more innocent than we, and deserve better
to be (rutted.
In thify as well as many other inßances, it is plain
you have been outwited, yet be not mortified, for I was
your antagoniß, and am allowed to be a powerful one ;
and be not angry, for though I found it importable to
compleat the Whole mifehief of (objection, it was neces
sary tb my design that you ihou'd be kept in ignorance
and dehtlive hope, that you might be encouraged to
proceed and atchieve as much of that mifehief as pos
sible. That I was willing to have put the dominion in
to your hands you ought not to doubt, for I am per
suaded you would not have failed to have made it ex
tremely miserable.
That I love you greatly you will conceive, free my
love is equal to your crimes; but I will not dissemble,
the preference I give to your predecessor Faustus,
whose wit as far exceeded four's, as your crimes exceed
those of ordinary tinners; and great wit, allyed to vi
cious dispositions, is very dear to me. Faustus stipu
lated that I should execute his designs ; you that I
should aid your's. Nevertheless, since with your por
tion of wit, your services have fully equalled my ex
peaatiohs, I regard them highly. Do not however be
forprifed that I intend to punish severely, one who de
serves so well my gratitude: let your own practice in
such cases account for mine.
Yet, if after all it should be infixed on, that, hold
ing in remembrance my ancient oppeii'ion to my own
ruler, I have (hewn some favor to these late malcon
tents it must at !eaR be confeffed that I have observ
ed g eater confiflency than a certain nation now great
ly in your interests, and persecutors of your adverfa
ries, who were not long since your virulent enemies,
and friends to every thing that looked like rebellion.
Let me admit however, that confiflency of conduct,
wherein they have in this and every other inftahce, dis.
covered a contempt for virtue in general; and perhaps
by this we may resolve their seeming inconsistency, in
condemning the late infurreftion.
I am, my dear friend,
your affectionate ally.
SATAN.
From the London PUBLIC ADVERTISER,
dated June 16, 1783.
Upon the AMERICAN COMMERCE, and
COMMERCE in General.
(Continued from our paper of Saturday lass )
TO enable us Hill better to flourifh as individuals
and as anempire, I beg to hint that we ought in the
firft instance to improve our people, instead of depend
ing upon our impotent trade laws, or the merits of
our accidental situation. Such a canduß will enable
us to contend with all forts of reverses in our circum
stances, (since nothing is more fluctuating in its events
than commerce and manufactures;) and our success in
this particular will farther put it in our power to fend
out able seconds into every quarter of the world, so as
to improve our trade and dominions at a difianCe.—A
second article equally necessary to us, is to keep our
provisions always cheap, even by a gradual importa
tion, whenever it should become necessary; and if this
should bear hard on landed estates, in such case wemuft
ease them in their land-tax ; for where would be the in
jury to the landed gentleman, if, by allowing the free
admission of grain, England were to become the feat of
such a conflux of persons, as to be turned into one
continued village? His land would grow more valu
able by the increase of buildings upon it, and by the
additional number of bidders for it, and thre would be
a double demand for that part of its productions (as
gafs for cattle, and vegetables for man) which could
not bear importing from abroad ; not to mention that
he would enjoy the advantage of finding more people
to divide his taxes amongst, besides having his proper
ty better defended by means of the increased levies of
people ready for our fleets and armies. An article
therefore, like prov.fions, which more or less enters in
to the composition of every manufacture and every
species of labour in the empire, and the want of which
must keep down our population, both native and im
ported, ought,moft diligently to be superintended
But Bill more zealously ought we to cheapen our car
rying trade; because it is there that we are mod ex
posed, or mod defective. Our port charges are enor
mous, and our forms in them too imperious and dilato
ry; our ports also are improperly lituated, now that
commerce has fhifted her fceue of action ; our (hipping,
compared with that of other nations, and considered as
a mere implement, is too costly ; our merchant-captains
ae too expensive; and our sea provisions, when found
too dear at home, are not permitted to be imported
from foreign parts. We should likewise, and upon the
fame principle, seek to shorten the time and lessen the
expence of our legal faits and various government pro
ceedings, and to fimpify every tax that relates to
commerce. In short we should diilinguifh which are
the hands of the fiate, and which the back of it, so as
not to apply the load we fix upon it in the wrong place,
or burthen our fubjefts in the course of their operati
ons, when our taxes ought rather to share in their
ultimate profits
But above all we should resolve to relieve our ta'e
from the shackles of needless legiflativereftriHions. The
Dutch make their nation richer by seeking to colled
their wealth from all the word ; while Brians, by bear
ing hard upon their fellow fubjeds, seem to ai n at no
thing beyond equalizing their internal wealth at home.
If every thing however were once thrown open, we should
share in the profits that wonli attend the putting eve
ry body else into happier domeflic circumflances. And
why we should be afraid of entering upon an open
game, where we are certain of becoming winners in it.
I cannot comprehend, especially where the play is so
peculiar, that no party in it could be seriously the
loser as to wealth. Our merchants surely are fufficiently
verfarile for any competition that might arise from it
as they have always their capitals, their skill in figures',
and their habits of business, ready for turning over to
new employments, and we have artificers and mariners
also who are equally fkilful and prepared to meet a
rival in any fhapeand quarter. Let us then refolutel y
cancel our trading prohibitions, hand in hand, with
the different Rates of Europe; certain that we shall
forfeit no advantage by it, which we shall not in some
form or other soon replace. And if we ultimately find
that European Rates will not annul these reftriflions
on their fide, let us at all events annul a number of
them on ours. In being the single party in doing this,
we should lose indeed by having removed only half
the evil ; but by taking the firft flep on our fide, we
give away nothing, for we should dispose abroad of
what was comparatively common at home, and import
from abroad what was here comparatively rare- and
the few individuals among us to whom the change was
injurious, must in future be taught to direct their
views to better objects. Old nations, however, have old
errors, the very extent of which obliges us to refpeft
them. If Britain were suddenly to allow a freedom to
all consumption, it would create so unjust a revolution,
in the situation if individuals, and so serious a dittur
bance i, that of the public taxes, that the whole fociet,
would be thrown into confufion, and be found wanting
in the virtue necessary to set it to rights again. Unhap
pily we have just loft a masterly statesman from the
helm of government, who was discreet enough not to
have attempted too much of this (yftem, and yet was
firm enough in this corrupt and timid age not to have
executed too little of it, and who, next to the peace,
meant to have made it the fundamental objeft of hist
adminiflration. But though we should decline to make
free ports for our consumers upon this plan, we ought
nevertheless without delay to make free" ports for our
speculators; and in particular we £iould colled &
magazine of goods somewhere, thaCTnould invite the
Americans to come to us for an assortment of the arti
cles of Europe, and Europeans for an assortment of the
articles of America. By this means we should get new
commissions and profits, besides the carrying trade at
tending the collection and distribution of the cargoes;
and refpeding Americans particularly, we should
lessen the temptation for their visiting other foreign,
countries, by the dispatch and good information we
should offer them here; and oftentimes, by means of
piefenting our articles to them, we should tempt them
to make purchases which they would otherwise not have
thought of, and induce them io other cases to take up
with what they found on the spot in order to compleate
a cargo, rather than seek a frefh port burthened with
new expences and delays. As France by treaty has
promised one or more European free ports to Am rica,
besides those (he has already allotted to them in the
Weft-Indies, I think England may coll ft a hint from
it, not to be as flow to do herfelf a benefit with Ameri
ca, as she has of late years been prompt to do herfelf
a mifehief there.
It is in part because I am an enemy to hazardous in
novations, that I wish to fee the trade of America put
into a liberal situation; this alone being the means of
making the two countries approach to any thing like
their ancient* footing. There are some among us,
however, who appear to dread the Americans, as detai
ned to be our natural enemies; and tnat we may suc
ceed in making them our enemies, is certain; but sure
ly upon a wife system, our chances for attaching that
country to us, are infinitely better than those of
France, notwithflanding a seven years feene of cruelty
on our fide. Injuries certainly require time to wear
out, but a shorter time is often necessary with the in
jured than with the jnjurer. Besides this mistake,
however, we fall into a second equally owing to habit,
and which has already in part been noticed; I mean
that of supposing that we have exclusive favours to
giant America. But times are much changed since we
fat fnpreme in legislative power, assuming a monopoly
of privileges, and granting diferetionary indulgences
according to our pleasure ; for the parties having be
come equal, if we chufe to treat the Americans as fo
reigners, we must necessarily look to be treated as fo
reigners in return. The true idea then to entertain of
the Americans is that of an aflive nation, fui juris ;
who, though irritated, may yet be reconciled ; who,
conGderH as consumers, have large and flable demands,
with fufficiently solid means of paying ; who have old
habits in favour of us which rivals are now aiming to
extinguish ; who have more to give than to receive from
us ; who are far more calculated to injure us as ene
mies than undermine us as commercial rivals; but who
by our unmanly jealoulies may easily be fixed both as
enemies and as rivals, while attentive management
might convert them iuto harmless and beneficial friends.
As to cheapness, though it greatly aids the sale of im
plements and necessaries, and of such articles as are
not susceptible of any preference or dißinHion when
applied so uses, yet we find it is by no means the single
law of consumption, which has additional principles
to influence it infinitely more aerial. It is in this vew
then that I conceive America's attachment is not to be
trifled with, even as a trading consumer.
An annual order from thence for a million of silk
handkerchiefs would make Spitalfields flourifn inflead
of Flanders; and the fame fluctuation of benefit would
attend a passion for Manchester goods instead of silks,
or for cloth cloaks fur their farmers wives, instead of
velvet or silk, and fcr a thousand other articles, which
* For what can be more new than always feeing
the American trade loft to England, or the Wefl-In
c?ies languishing from wanting American supplies, or
Britovs and AmericansJnot accommodating each other
by partial exchanges of their carrying trade, or Ame
ricans feeling cold or hoflile to us when we become
plunged in foreign wars?
t Sugar for instance, in cases of fim:!ar quality
and Salt.