The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1779-11-17 00:00:00, page 2

IN your Gazette, No. 79, I recommended to Con
gress, &c. the great necessity of laws to regulate
traffi as a sure remedy to secure property, encourage
industry, and make .trade exceeding ealy. All who
regard the publick good, more than their own private
advantage, do allow it would have been very happy
for America, had it been gone into when firft recom
mended from Congress. Happy would it be for the
United States to come into it now ; it would not only
expel from our ihores the British savages, but that
monstrous off-fcouring of America, in which alone
they are outdone. Unhappy are the people who
fuffer thole things their friends fear, and their enemies
wish. I know not a man who is a real friend to his
country, that is not for a general regulation of prices;
nor one difaffeded wretch, who is not against it: —
There needs no better criterion to distinguish our
friends from our foes. Is there any thing then that
ought to hinder us from making use of the only re
medy in our power? It is sometimes that Providence
blinds the understanding of those whom it defines to
deftruftion, but God forbid that those at the helm of
affairs, should ever not fully and repeatedly confider,
or that they should, from any unhappy impulse,
scruple or hesitate to flay and to stop the measures
that please, and are of so much service to their ene
mies, and injury to themselves. Particular accidents
have caused States to lose their liberty, but this cala
mity is generally owing to the decay of virtue. A
people travel faft to deftrudion, when individuals
confider their interest, as diftinft from those of the
publick: such notions are fatal to themselves and
country. Miserable men ! of whom it is hard to fay,
whether they ought to be most the objects of pity or
contempt. —Tho' I always refled with a high pleasure
on the integrity and understanding of my coun
trymen, which joined with a pure and humble devo
tion to the great Author of every blessing they enjoy,
will, I hope, ensure to them and their posterity, all
temporal and eternal happiness ; yet when I confider,
that in every age and country, there have been bad
men, I am constrained to believe, that there are some
here, against whom we ought to be upon our guard.
It is needless to numerate the many evils the want
of wholesome laws, to restrain the prevailing and
enormous vices of the present day, have occasioned;
hence we are under the necessity of having commit
tees, vainly endeavouring to do the business of the
Legislatures ; hence we have heedless petitions,
proving in the publick papers, that the depreciation
is twenty to one, and thereby causing our enemies to
rejoice, and publish it by handbills in the streets of
Afkelon,* that all would soon be over with America;
hence you have given us a publication from the Penn
fylvarfia Packet, in your Gazette, No. 82, the author
of which, T. S. tells us, has thought on our finances
with some degree of attention, whose plan refolding
the loan, is too futile to deserve a serious refutation.
I would inform this author, as well as others, that
there are thousands of tenants in this State, (and
doubtless throughout America) who pay very high
rents, and must likewise pay the land tax, who, in
the beginning of these times, had their whole patri
mony at interest, have received the whole since in
Continental money, and their all, which many of
them have on loan, is original value. Such plans
therefore can only have a tendency to annihilate the
remaining value of our currency. In a word, does
not his plan, like the Patriot's, require Congress to
divest themselves of justice, of virtue, of honour, of
fidelity and truth? Are not their plans inconsistent
with the resolutions, the dignity and justice of the
firft assembly on earth? May that august assembly
ever look down with contempt upon all and every
plan, so derogatory to their honour and resolutions.
These great points of honour no doubt Mr. Addi
son had in view, when he made the Numedian prince
to fay,
ft " Honour's a sacred tie, the law of kings,
" The noble mind's distinguishing perfection ;
" That aids and strengthens virtue, when it meets
" her,
" And imitates her actions, where Ilie is not:
" It ought not to be sported with."
Which seems to be better spoke than understood by
Mr. Addison. The ancients certainly had no notion
ofhonour, as distinct from virtue: moreover, I should
be glad to fee the performance of those eminent wri
ters, more comportable to the dignity of Congress,
and interests of the community at large.
The Legillature of this State, in my opinion,
ought to have taxed the loan itfclf, instead of the cer
tificates, for which none but the honest man will
pay; besides numbers from Pennsylvania, &c. have
put money in the loan here: however, to tax the
loan, consequently will have a tendency of destroying
the publick fund, while cash remains untaxed: it
appears to me, that if the landed man is to pay the
tax, or in other words, the farmers, for in this sense,
the freeholder and tenant are the landed men, the
proprietor will pay no tax for land on lease; hence
the tenant will never be able to purchase a freehold,
and the possessors of freeholds now will be obliged to
fell to the engrosser and foreftaller, who, in all pro
bability, will, according to the present mode of tax
ation, be able to purchase whole townships. It is
true taxes on possessions are levied without expences,
buthave every other disadvantage; and because ofthe
• enormous unequal division of property, in this case,
* City of New-York. || Tragedy of Cato.
Mr. COLLINS,
will always be converted into punishments on indus
try; exorbitant taxes, like extreme hecefftty, destroys
industry by producing despair. A disinterested Lc
giflature will observe the point, when the emolument
ceases, and the prejudice begins.—There are many
advantages can only be secured to our country by
agriculture, which is the true basis of national health,
riches and populousness: it is impossible to tell from
history, (under equitable laws) what will be the
effect of agriculture, industry and commerce, urged
on by the competition of States, united in the fame
general pursuits, in such a vast extent of country. —
America is the theatre where human nature, in all
probability, will receive her last and principal literary,
civil and military honours.
It is generally agreed, that property of whatsoever
kind, ought to bear its proportional part of the taxes,
why then should cash be neglected ? I would desire to
recommend it to my fellow-citizens and farmers,
either through their committees or othefwife, to pe
tition the Legislatures, praying them to petition
Congress to call in all the money they have emitted
once every two or three years, and let it bear a tax
of Two-pence per dollar per year, at the least. Let
new emissions be ready for exchange, so that the poor
ma^ not want their money: here assessing and col
lecting is easily performed at the fame time. I con
ceive this mode would give credit to the currency, and
may be necessary, because of counterfeits, once in
three years. This, my countrymen, is a tax easily
paid, equal upon all, and can be demanded of none,
but what are able to pay: there is no method so
equitable and easy as to tax cash, in order to extricate
ourselves from so enormous a debt ; therefore, no
trouble too great to accomplilh it.
Stilus populi fuprema lex.
Mr. COLLINS,
I Have accidentally met with the general orders of
our amiable Commander in Chief, of the 29th of
July last ; an extract from which will, I am persuaded,
be highly agreeable to your readers.
Extract from General Orders.
Head-quarters, Moore's House, July 29, 1779.
' MANY and pointed orders have been issued a
gainst that unmeaning and abominable custom of
swearing, notwithstanding which, with much regret,
the General observes it prevails, if possible, more
than ever: his feelings are continually wounded by
the oaths and imprecations of the soldiers, whenever
he is in hearing of them.
‘ The name of that Being, from whose bountiful
goodnefswe are permitted to exist, and enjoy the
comforts of life, is incessantly imprecated and pro
faned, in a manner as wanton as it is fbocking. For
the fake, therefore, of religion, decency and order,
the General hopes and trusts, that officers of every
rank will use their influence and authority to check a
vice, which is as unprofitable as it is wicked a rd fbame
ful. If the officers would make it an unavoidable
rule to reprimand, and if that does not do, to puni/b
soldiers for offences of this kind, it would not fail of
having the desired effect.'
Amsterdam, July 26. We are informed that the
Court of Lisbon hath given orders for equipping with
all fpecd, several ships and frigates of war, that they
may not be unprovided in the present trouble in Eu
rope.
CHARLESTOWN, (South-Carolina) Oct. 6.
It is now said, that the British general officer taken
on board the Experiment man of war, is the fame
Gen. Garth, who has so remarkably distinguished
himfelf, on the late expedition into Connecticut, by
humanely burning the defencelefs towns of Fairfield
and Norwalk in that state: and that the sum of money
found on board the fame ship, to pay the British troops
in Georgia, amounts to 80,000 guineas.
The fallowing intelligence may be depended on as authen
tic. Camp before Savannah, Oct. 2, 1779.
" When the French fleet firft appeared on the coast,
a number of the enemy's vessels, (among them two
armed sloops of 10 and 12 guns) with the remaining
part of Sunbury garrison on board, took shelter in
Ogechee river, and landed near the plantation of
Thomas Savage, Esq.—The night before last Col.
White, with his servant and five others, summoned
the commanding officer, Capt. French, of Delancey's
ift battalion, to surrender, suggesting to him the con
sequences of a ftorin, should he refufe. Intimidated
with the threat, he capitulated; and thus 5 vessels,
with 14 j prisoners, have fallen into our hands.""
M A DRI D, July 6.
THE King has notified to the Ambassadors of the
Courts of Vienna, Sardinia, Portugal, Venice
and Malta, and the Ministers of Ruflia, Sweden,
Holland and Denmark, that one of the measures he
has taken against Great-Britain, is the blockade of
Gibraltar by land and fca, and that in consequence
thereof, no ship of war or merchantman of any na
tion will be permitted to enter that port.
July 13. We are at present entirely occupied in
making the necessary preparations for the liege of Gi
braltar. The number of troops destined for that ex
pedition, consists of 15,000 infantry and 12 squadrons
of cavalry; the artillery amounts to 200 pieces of can
non. A numerous corpsis also to march towards the
frontiers of Portugal. We flatter ourselves, that by
the measures taken for the attack of that place both
by land and sea, the liege cannot last above four or
five months.
A FARMER.
The prisoners above-mentioned are, 1 Captain, 1
Lieutenant, 1 Surgeon, 5 Sergeants, 6 Corporals, 1
Afliftant Commissary, 87 Privates, (mostly of Delan
ccy's corps) Moses Kirkland and Son and 38 Sailors.
Last Saturday three notorious counterfeiters of
continental money, viz. Benjamin Cock, John Stein
and W. Strother, (part of a chain of near 500, dis
persed from one end of this continent to the other,
supposed by the British government, or its generals in
America) were brought to town under a strong guard
with their press, some printing types and other im
plements, and properly secured.
" I should have informed your Excellency before
this time, ofthe extraordinary and precipitate evacu
ation of Newport, by the British troops; but the ne
cellity of providing for the fafety of our army, by e
recting some of the works the enemy destroyed, to
prevent our annoying them, in case they should re
turn —the pulling down others which they left stand
ing, and the disappointing monopolizers, and secur
ing us against the machinations of the tories left be
hind; in these avocations my attention has been
wholly engaged.
" The enemy left 1400 tons of good hay in one
parcel, and about 400 belonging to the stock of the
artillery, a large quantity of pit and sea coal; but
they carried away the records.
" I arrived here yesterday evening, and shall return
to-morrow to Newport, where Head-Quarters are
fixed." ——
PHILADELPHIA, November 10.
Extracts of a letter from Major General Gates, to the
Prefdent of Congress, dated Newport, O&. 27.
S I R,
" I have the honour to acquaint your Excellency,
that this Island was evacuated by the enemy's troops
on the night of the 25th inst. and the next morning
the army under my command, took possession ofthe
town of Newport. I have further the pleasure to in
form your Excellency, that the enemy did not com
mit any wanton deftrudtion upon their leaving the
Island; the batteries and defences towards the fea
line only being demolilhed ; about 1400 tons of hay,
450 cords of fire-wood, 600 cords of peet, and a
large quantity of draw were left in the enemy's ma
gazines.
Extraß of a letter from Providence, dated the 28th infl.
" This town is forfaken nearly since the evacuation
of Newport ; all the army (with the worthy General)
except Jackson's infantry, have quitted us, and
marched on the Island. Gen. Gates, it is said, has
effectually baffled the intentions of speculators from
all quarters, by prohibitions."
Extrafl of a letter from the Hon. Maj. Gen. Gates to
bis Excellency Gov. flrumbull, dated Providence,
October 30, 1779.
The fleet of ten fail of transports, with three regi
ments on board, which failed the beginning of Sep
tember last from New-York for Halifax, under con.
voy of the Renown man of war, is disposed of in the
following manner: Four of the transports returned,
much fhattcred, the Renown returned difmafted, two
of them taken by Capt. Taylor, (as mentioned some
time since) one of them funk at sea, (the troops taken
out by some New-York privateers) two miffing and
one arrived at Halifax.
We are told from New-York, that the British army
has been very sickly this summer, so that at one time,
(our informants fay) above one fourth part of the
army were incapable of duty, and that there has been
great mortality among them.
SIR, Charlefown, Oft. 22, 1779.
In niy last of the sth ult. I had the honour of in
forming Congress, that Count D'Eftaing was arrived
off Savannah:
Orders were immediately given for assembling the
troops—they reached Zubly's ferry and its vicinity on
the iith, and some were thrown over-—the 12th and
13th were spent in crossing the troops and baggage,
which was effected, tho' not without great fatigue,
from the want of boats, and badness of the roads
through a deep swamp of near three miles, in which
" If the United States do not receive every advan
tage that can be made from the enemy's precipitate
retreat from this Island, it will not be for want of
faithfulnefs and assiduity therein; for I assure your
Excellency, that neither myfelf nor the officers under
my command, have any object but the public good.
" I am now wholly employed in securing the ad
vantage we have gained, by fixing batteries of heavy
cannon to the sea line, and in fortifying every post,
that commands the harbour: this so entirely engrosses
all my time, that I must beg your Excellency will ex.
cufe my referring you to my Aid de Camp, Major
Armstrong, for the further particulars relating to the
evacuation and re-possession of Rhode-Ifland.
“ Before I close my letter, I must, in justice to the
whole army under my command, fay that I have ever
difeovered in them the utmost zeal and alertness in
their obedience to all the orders I have given. Civil
liberty and the rights of mankind are well supported
by such gallant men." Published by order of Congress
CHARLES THOMSON, Sec.
The Hon. John Bayard, Esq. is re-appointed
Speaker, and Thomas Paine, Esq. is chosen Clerk of
the General Assembly for this State.
Nov. 11. On Saturday last arrived at Chester, a
cartel brig from New-York, with 160 seamen, car
ried in there by the British cruizers.
HARTFORD, November 2.
BOSTON, October 30.