The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1779-06-09 00:00:00, page 4

P 111 LADELPHI A, May 2%
At a General Meeting of the Citizens of Philadelphia,
and Parts adjacent, at the State-House Yard in this
City, General RoBERDFAU was unanimvfo reqaeJled
to take the Chair, who introduced the Bujinefs with
the following ADDRESS:
Gentlemen,
ALTHOU GH I feel pain from the situation in
which you have been pieafed to place me, it is
with pieafure I meet you, my Fellow-Citizens, to
confider and determine upon measures for our mutual
and public happiness. A beneficent God has hitherto
blessed us v ith success, ^w.d carried us through a four
years war with as few misfortunes as could poflibly
be expe&ed. We have much to be thankful for; and
though many worthy individuals have greatly fuffered,
yet, as a nation, we have but little to complain of.
The dangers we are now exposed to arise from evils
created among ourselves. I scorn, and I hope every
Citizen here scorns, the thought of getting rich by
fucking the blood of his country; yet, alas! this un
natural, this cruel, this deftruGive practice, is the
greatest cause of our present calamities. The way to
make our money good is to reduce the prices of goods
and provisions. It is not the quantity of money which
any man gets —but how far that money will go when
he comes to lay it out again, that makes him poor or
rich.
The tax that has been laid upon us by monopolizers
and foreftailers within these fix months past, for it
may justly be called a tax, amounts to more money
than would carry the war on twelve months to come.
There is at present no law for regulating the prices
in the shops and markets, neither is there any lawto
prevent such regulations being made, and therefore,
the whole rests upon the virtue and common content
of the communitv. I Have no doubt but combinations
have been formed for railing the prices of goods and
provisions, and therefore the community, in their
own defence, have a natural right to counteract such
combinations, and to set limits to evils which affect
themfelyes.
It is impossible, Gentlemen, to cure the disease all
at on e, but it must be began upon; and as this city
appears to be the place in which the disease was firft
bred, this likewise is the place where the remedy ought
to be firfl applied. Do you, Gentlemen, set the ex
ample, and I think there is little doubt but others
will follow it.
Within these five or fix months goods and provisions
have risen week by week Surely, Gentlemen, we
can do as much as the monopolizers have done, and
bring the prices down again week, by week. By this
means there will be money to spare to pay taxes with ;
for at the rate things now are, it takes all the country
people's money to go to the shops with, and all the
town people's money to go to market with, and the
whole community is growing poor under a notion of
getting rich.
Some worthy citizens who have the success of our
glorious cause at heart, have undertaken to form a
plan for regularly reducing the prices of goods and
provisions, and keeping up the value of the money,
and this plan, as I understand, is to be laid before
you at some future meeting. For my own part,
Gentlemen, I shall joyfully # assist in any judicious
measures for the public happiness, and have no doubt
but you will do the fame.
It is a surprising thing that the more goods we have
had brought into this city, the dearer they have been;
and this is one of the evils which it is absolutely neces
sary to enquire into. But the great point is to begin.
the paper I have in my hand contains feme reso
lutions which have been drawn up and agreed on by
a Committee of Citizens, which, with your approba
tion, I will read. I propose firft to read the whole
through, and then read it a fecund time by paragraphs,
in order to take your sense thereon.
The paper being read, after force amendments,
was agreed to as follows:
W IIE REAS the prices of goods and provisions
have, within the space of five or fix months, risen to
an enorrmo. height, far beyond what they ought to
be in proportion to the quantity of the money. The
prices of dry goods have arisen when they ought to
have decreased, and every new cargo, instead of lessen
ing the, prices, have raised them.
Refolded, That the publick have a right to enquire
into the causes of such extraordinary abuses, and
prevent them.
And whereas, since the late importation .of a cargo
of goods, said to have been fir.ee purchased or con
signed to the management of Mr. Robert Morris,
Merchant, or others, the prices of all kinds cf dry
goods have been greatly advanced, to the injury of
the public, and the great detriment of trade.
Refolded, That this meeting, jollifying their con
duct on the necessity of the measure, and being deeply
affected and injured by these encreafing evils, will ap
point a Committee to enquire of Mr. Robert Morris,
or others, what part he or they have adted refpeding
the said cargo, and to require from him or them their
answers in writing to such questions as the Committee
may find it necessary to put n and to report the fame
at the next general Town Meeting.
TRENTON: Printed by Isaac Collins. Advertisements of a moderate Length are inferred for Four Dollars etch
the firft Week, and Two Dollars for every Continuance ; and long Ones in Proportion.
Tie following Gentlemen were appointed on the
Committees, to enquire, refpe&ing the cargo lately
arrived, and said to be purchased or conligned to
the management of Mr. Robert Morris, and others.
ZFimothy Matlack, David Rittenhoufe, Capt. Blewer,
T homas Paine, Charles M. Peale, Col. J. B. Smith.
Arnd the following Gentlemen, together with the for
mer, were appointed a Committee for carrying the
other Resolves into execution.
Col. Henry, Col. Bradford, George Schloffer, Col.
Wii) Col. Jehu Eyre, Capt. Heyiham, Major Boyd,
Phillip Bcehm, Jedidiah Snowden, Nathaniel Donnell,
Capt, Robert Smith, Capt. Lang, Doctor Hutchinson,
William Brown, Paul Cox, Edward Pole, Thomas
Cafdrop, Capt. George Ord, James Skinner, John
Kling, William Thorn, William Coats, tanner, Jo
seph Dean, Capt. John Young, Cadwallader Dickin
son, Capt. Thomas Moore.
Signed by order of the Meeting.
DANIEL ROBERDEAU, Chairman.
The thanks of the Meeting were unanimoully re
turned to the Chairman for his noble and disinterested
manner < f conducting the business.
COMMITTEE-ROOM, May 26th, 1779.
AGREEABLE to a resolution of the General 'l'own
" Meeting held in the State-house yard, the 25th infl.
The Committee for afeertaining the prices of rum,
fu&ar, floar, coffee and tea, as they flood on the firft
day of the present month, do hereby publish the
following:
Welt-India Rum, per gallon, £.6 15 0
Cbun try Rum, per do. 5 00
Tea by the Chest, per lb. 4 10 0
Brandy by the Keg, per gallon, 7 0 0
Molahhs by the J-logfo. per do. 412 6
Coec, per lb. 0 17 6
Loaf Sugar, wholesale, per lb. 2 12 6
Refolded, That we do unconditionally insist and de
mand,, that the advanced, or monopolized, price of
the! present month be instantly taken off, and that the
prices cf thofc articles be immediately reduced to what
they were the firft day of May instant.
Itydlwed, That a Cor^mittee be appointed to ascer
tain the retail prices of rum, Sugar, Hour, codec and
tea, as they Rood on the firftday of May instant, and
to publish the fame for the -government of buyer and
feller, and to receive in writing all complaints against
such dealers as may refufe to comply with, or shall
obstruct the execution of this necedary regulation, and
to report the faip^at the next general Town Meeting.
Refilled, That, the said Committee, when chosen,
do ascertain what .tne price of the above, or any other
articles, were on the find day of January lad, and
likewise on the ,firft day of every month from that
time to the prefect instant.
Refolded, That a Committee be appointed to pre
pare a plan for regularly proceeding in this bulinefs,
and for carrying- it into execution throughout the
United States, and to report the fame at a general
Town Meeting to be held for that purpose.
Resolved, That we will support the Committees in
the execution of their duty, encourage fair and ho
ned commerce, and suppress to the utmost of our
power, and at the hazard of our lives, engrofiing,
monopolizing, and forestalling, and depreciation.
Refolded, '1 Lat as it is the interest both of town and
country to concur in measures for the mutual relief
of both, that the proceedings of this meeting be
printed and lent to the several counties for their con
lideration and abidance therein.
And whereas complaints of a very extraordinary
nature have, at different times, appeared against per
sons entrusted, or who have been entrusted by Con
gress with the disposal of publick money, and the ex
ecution of publick commissions, to which complaints,
in some initances, no answers have been given, or
any denial made.
And whereas the publick by delegating their powers,
have a right to call on their Representatives to whom
that delegation is made, to know in what manner the
trust so reposed in them, is executed. Therefore,
Refolded, That a Committee be appointed to colled
together the charges or complaints which have been
made against perlons entrusted by Corgreri, with the
expenditure of publick money, or the execution of
publick commifiion, and to require of the Delegates
of this State, what proceedings Congress have made
therein, towards afeertaining the truth of such charges
or camplaints, or punching the persons if guilty, and
to tr^nfmit the fame to the several counties, in order
that they may be enabled to give instructions to their
Representatives in AfKmbly at their next meeting, or
for such other purposes as may be necehary in the
interim.
to folded, That it is the opinion of this Meeting that
no [ erfon, who by funicient testimony can be proved
inin deal to the interest and independence of the United
States, be fuffered to remain among us, and that the
Cot amittees be directed to take measures for carrying
this resolution into execution.
And whereas the prices of rum, sugar, flour, coffee
and tea, have greatly arisen within this week pad,
without any real or apparent cause ; and as it is our
determination not to be eaten up by monopolizers
and foreftailers : Therefore,
Pastime is a beautiful bay, with black legs,
mane and tail, two white feet, a star and a snip ; he
is of a full size, fifteen hands high, well set for his
height, and is allowed by the belt judges to be the
belt moving, gayest and handsomest horse in the State,
This colt was bred by Col. Horatio Sharpe, was
got by Othello, who was got by Crab, and is brother
in blood to the following eminent racers, viz. Bastard,
Orenocko, Black and all Black, Sheperd's Crab, and
many other horses of high fame. Othello's dam was
got by the Hampton Court Childers, his grandam
by Hobgoblin, his great grandam by Old Snake. The
dam of this colt was Mariamna, got by Old Figure,
allowed to be the best blocded horse and fwifteft ever
in America, which is indisputable. Pastime's gran
darn was Col. Talker's Selima, Ihe was got by the
Godolphin Arabian, her dam by Flying Childers, her
great grandam by the Bolton Sloven, her great-great
grandam by the Duke of Bolton's Bay Bolton, her
great-great-great grandam by Brimmer, her great
great-great-great grandam by Dodfworth, out of
the Leater Barb mare. j. RIDOUBT.
All persons who choose to have their mares covered
by Pastime, shall have good pasture at a reasonable
race, and proper attendance given by a good groom,
_ AMOS SWAN.
WHEREAS the Legilhture of this State have, by
a law passed the 26th of May last, raised the
fees of the Prerogative Office to five times as muc\
as they were heretofore : The Surrogates in the dif
ferent counties are desired to take notice thereof, and
govern themselves accordingly.
BOWES REED, Sec.
Trenton, June I, 1779.
ISAAC SIDMAN in Eattoii, will pay the Imercit
due on Loan-Office Certificates, dated at any
time before the firft day of March, 1778.
r rHE creditors of John Bainbridge, late^f^cw",
I Jersey, deceased, are desired to call upon the
subscriber, in Market-Street, near Second-Street,
Philadelphia, in one month from the date hereof, for
a dividend of the monies now in my hands ^iftfe
who do not apply, will be excluded. • •
May 14, 1779. 4 w* C. CLAY.'
Muwn^do, f-om £.ics to £.130 per hurdree.
Turk's Mwai Salt, 10 per bulhel.
Common French Salt, 6 10 per do.
Merchantable Flour, per hundred, £.20 co
Midd'i; gdo. 'sco
Ship Stun, *3 00
Snorts, per bufhelr 4 100
Bran, per du. 3 15>
2b cur Fellow-Citizens in Town and Country.
Convinced as we all arc of the absolute neceility of
lowering the prices in order to raise the value of the
currency, and seriously anxious of carrying the refc
lutions of the Meeting into effectual execution, we do
carneftly recommend in the fn£ iuftance, a chearful
compliance with the above refol er, and likewise, that
as few purchases as possible be made for the present,
either of dry goods, or any other kind cj impoi ted goods,
otherwise it will embarrass the object hoped to be
obtained.
It is only by degrees that evils of this kind can be
remedied, and no plan appears more rational than to
lower the prices in the fame proportion they have
been advanced. As soon as the bulinefs for the next
General Town Meeting can be prepared, notice will
be given of it in the papers.
By order of the Committee,
WILLIAM HENRY, Chairman.
N. B. The Committee have the pleasure of inform
ing the publick, thht molallcs and salt are cheaper
this day than they were on the firft day of May.—
The prices, as printed above, have been taken from
the Merchants and Traders books.
r r HE Subferibers who are indebted for this Ga-
I zette for 1778, will oblige the Printer by dis
charging their reipecrive Arrears. To facilitate this
Duty, Accounts have been made out and transmitted
to the Gentlemen to whom the Packets were direct
ed, and with whom the Individual Subferibers of
each Packet are requeued 'lf/tle their Accounts.
The noted elegant HORSE
PAS T I M E,
CIX years old this grass, is now in excellent order,
and will cover this season at the plantation of the
subscriber at the Scotch-Plains, at Forty Dollars the
season, and Twenty Dollars a tingle leap, the money
to be paid at the stable door.
P A RCHMEN T,
CORK S, and
FLOUR of MUSTARD,
TO BE SOLD at the Printing-Office.
3 TEPH E T'LOlr-REf
Ai the Rev. Mr. Spencer's, Trenton, gives the
highest price for Loan-Office Bills on the Com
missioners in France. gw*