The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1778-02-23 00:00:00, page 1

Monday, February 2s, 1778/ T H B ,• (N0.1374]
N E W-Y OR K ^p^ GAZETTE:
AND THE
W E EK'L Y ) M ERCU R Y.
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«~ ^.^ ik tatUeff juices foreign anu.Dcmcßtcfo
PRINTED HUGH GAINE, at the BIBLE and CROWN, IN HANOVFR-SQUARR
PROCLAMATION.
Beelzebub,R.
WHEREAS it is necessary to
the extension, flipport, and
population of our infernal
kingdom, that all and every
species of its commerce,
arts, sciences, and princi
ples, fnould prevail, flourish, and have a free
and uninterrupted reception upon earth : And
whereas we, and cur council, have received
certain and undoubted information, as well
through the laudable and zealous communica
tions of our own agents employed for the
purpose, as by the personal appearance and
testimony before our throne of many thousand
persons, who. lately belonged and profeffed
allegiance to the newly erected nates of North-
America, framed by our suggestion and by the
help of our agents aforefaid, that there is at
1 . rk in the said states the most happy Dif
poil ' for the full and perfect admission and
ent^a ament of all our famous arts, sciences,
priori les and commerce ; and that our lo
ving ids and hearty allies, their leaders
and p- Merit governors, do give their most
ready allidance and furtherance to that end
and purpose: We therefore, in order to pro
mote all measures which may tend to establish
the dignity of our crown, the power and in
fluence of our realm of darkness, ^nd. the
greater population of our Vast territories by
mere rapid migrations from the regions of the
earth, do hereby proclaim, and engage to
bestow, the following rewards and bounties
for the encouragement of such persons, pro
feffing fubjeelion to out cordial and undoubted
allies the states aforefaid, as by their affidoity
and labourin our service, or affection to our
principles and interefis, may be found to de
serve them, <vi^.
. For the most plahfible pretence of loyalty to
a fovereign,penned with the fullcft defigri to
deceive him, and pervert others from their
loyalty.: — A fiaming rilb^nd of the order of Ma
chiavel, quit! the grant of 200,000 acres of the
mos fertile foil yet unlocated, nearer to our royal
city o/J^pfemoiiium.
For the most hollow profeffions of attach
ment to a constitution, which can belt answer
the purpose of subverting it.— Ditto.
For the most fophifticai arguments to prove
the right of fubjeds to forfwear themselves,
to take contrary oaths pro renata, and to assert
their liberty of destroying those who differ
from them in the notion cf liberty.—7%e pri
vilege of the next feat in our council to our avell
beloved cousin and counsellor Belial, with 100,000
acres in the warmest regions of Tartarus.
For. the most virulent perverfibn of truth
and reason, which can fuppprt any of cur be
loved factions.' X p°f bf Employment near
our person, and our most burnings attachment and
regard.
To' evdty person profeffing to preach the
gospel of Chrifl, our most dangerous enemy,
who Ihall subvert its pernicious intention of
promoting peace, order and fubjedion among
men, and ffiall, instead thereof, promote our
cause and service by inculcating sedition and
difeord.—^ robe of the darkef Jables in Erebus,
warm apartments in our imperial palace, and a
double portion of our unceafng favour.
For th.e mod rhetorical panegyric upon any
cf our faithful friends, fubjedts cf the states
our allies aforefaid, who may happen to be
sent down to our kingdom earlier than usual
by the Britilh arms.— r /in honorary degree in the
infernal academy of Sophi/ls, with ajuitable benefit.
For the most perfe& specimen of impudence
and avarice, cowardice and faction, pride and
meahefs, connected, which can be produced
by any natural or adopted fubjed tof our al
lies aforefaiep— A collar of founding SS, with a
separate allotment in Tartarus, leaf Pande
monium itfelf be endangered by the complication.
For the belt invention to delude a whole
people from their real interests, and destroy
them by rebellion.— The frf pof of honour next
to our person.
AND, in order to display and extend our
imperial magnificence in the most ample man
ner, and to Ihew our most congenial attach
ment to our allies, the present ruling powers
of the states aforefaid, We do further promise
and engage, that all and every of their fub
je&s or confederates, who Ihall most ftr'ongly
inculcate and improve the arts and sciences
firft invented in our kingdom, and. now, of
ASbizC of BREAD. Flour .it „s. per Cent.
Published February 2, 1778.
AWhite Lcaf of the fineft FLOUR, to weigh
2 lb. 6 oz. for -14 Coppers, and in the fame
Proportion for Loaves of a lesser Weight.-
JAMES ROBERTSON, M, G.
our especial grace, motion, and favour, im
ported from thence into the laid states, so as
most exactly and extensively to assimilate and
unite their fubjefts to our fubjeds now in the
realms below, and to render their country in
all quietness, freedom, and fatisfadion, the
most like of any other to our own ; so that, in
due time, they may become prepared for their
final removal to us, by which means our em
pire may be further strengthened and popula
ted, and the independency of our territories
more perfectly established (in which last mea
sure we hope and expert, above all things, the
aid of our dear allies aforefaid); shall not
only hereafter receive every reward proporti
onate to the merit cf their refpe&ive >fervices
when they defeend to our court and appear in
our presence, but Ihall also obtain, at present,
from us and our agents, our most hearty sug
gestions and recommendations to our dearly
beloved and loyal cousins, the congressional
re prefentatiyes of the high and mighty states
aforefaid, and to our no less loving and belo
ved friends the commander in chief, and other
right noble and worthy commanders, officers,
committee-men, fele&-men, and men of all
forts invented with illuftribus authority under
them, from whose cordial attachment to our
interests and views, as well as affinity to our
person, we doubt not they will receive the most
indulgent attention and advancement.
Given at our court at Pandemonium, in the
5847th year of our reign, and in the year
called by Mortals, 1778-
Py his Infernal Majeffs command,
MOLOCH.
From a late Rebel Paper.
The General Assembly previous to their ad
journment, passed the following Address,
to accompany the Articles of Confederati
on and Perpetual Union Between the States
of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts-Ray,
Rhode-Illand, and Providence Plantations,
Connecticut, New-York, New-Jerfay, Penn
fylvaria, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia,
North-Carolina, South-Carolina and Geor
gia; ^ubhjbed by order of Congress.
To the INHABITANTS of the STATE of
MASSACHUSETTS-BAY.
Friends and Felkiv Countrymen !
IT is with concern and attention that the
House of Representatives find, that an
ad, intitled an ad, for drawing in the bills
of credit of the feyeral denominations, &c.
passed the last feflion, has given uneasiness to
any of the good people of this State; A
number of towns have presented their peti
tions stating such grievances, as they appre
hend will erife from the execution of that
ad, and pray relief:
The knowledge which the good people
have of the disposition of their Representa
tives, must induce them to believe (what most
of the petitions express) that the legislative
body in puffing that law, and in all their con
dud, have it fmcerely in view to promote
the welfare of this State, by these measures
which upon full advisement and confederation I
of all circumllances and exigencies, appear
best adapted for that essential purpose; in
purfuanch of that disposition, the House of
Representatives have,proceeded to a consider
ation of the substantial parts of the petiti
ons, and to explain to their constituents, the
reasons upon which the said ad was enaded.
It is well known that the present necessary
and expepfive war in which we are involved,
for the preservation of every thing valuable,
was firft enkindled in this State, and in so
sudden a manner, that without magazines or
finances, we were obliged instantly to raise
pay and support a large army by our own
efforts, before the American Congress could
take mealures to relieve us; this occasioned
the emission of large and repeated quantities
of bills of credit in the unsettled State of Go
vernment, and the disinclination of many of
the inhabitants to call in any of the bills of
credit, to prevent the emillion of more by
taxation, reduced the legislative body to the
alternative, either to fuller our liberties to
be destroyed for want of defence, or else to
continue the emission of paper bills, to the
depreciation of what was then current; the
fame situation of government, and disincli
nation or taxation taking place also in the
HIGH-WATER atNEW-YORK, this Week.
Monday, 13 Min. after 6 Friday, 32 Min, after 9
Tuesday, 59 Min. aftei 6. Saturday, 19 Min. after 10
Wednesday, 50 Min. after 7 Sunday, 58 Min, after 11
Thursday, 39 Min. after 8 ' New Moon the o.6th.
other States, occasioned large and repeated
emissions of bills of credit from them, which
obtained a general circulation among us ;
from all this it is obvious, that the American
Congrtfs being the collected power and will
of the United States, could, do no otherwise
than repeat their emissions cf continental
currency, as the general good of the whole
required, expelling when the governments
of the feyeral States should be so established
as that taxation ffiould relieve ns'from the
great evil of repeated emiffioris of paper cur
ien^y: It is also notorious, that numbers of
eur enemies have counterfeited large quanti
fies of the paper currency of this and the
neighbouring States, and that by means,of
all this, the quantity of circulating paper
,medium, has long since encreafed v^ftly be
yond all pretensions of ufefulnefs, and mani
festly to the enhancing the demand of all
commodities to an extravagant price: This
alarming situation of our currency and com
merce induced the General Assembly of haft
year, to meet by their delegates in conven
tion, the neighbouring States at Providence,
and on their report .the monopoly bill (so
called) was enabled, but being unaccompani
ed'with taxation, loaning, or any other me
thod of reducing the overgrown quantities of
paper currency, it. failed of answering the
valuable purposes for which it was designed ;
the suppressing the.prices of commodities at
a time when the quantity of currency was
vastly too great and still encreafing: inevi
tably threw the bulk of money out of circu
lation and use, and of course inclined the
holders, offuch useless quantities of money,
to give a much larger price for commodities
than the monopoly , bill allowed; and when
the buyer is willing what can retrain the
feller ? This growing evil not being redressed
by, the monopoly bill, the present General
Court in their firft session, 'appointed a com
mittee to meet in convention at Springfield,
the committee of the five northern States,
to confer upon the best methods of redrei
fing these evils, the amount of whose report
was, the only method from which we could
reafopably expert relief was, reducing the
quantity of currency by loaning, taxation,
and rgp-emiffion of bills of credit : Your
Representatives therefore, taking into confe
deration the amount of, the paper currency,
of this State, the quantity of it that is coun
terfeited, the difficulties that arise from
the numerous- forts of it, of knowing the
good from the bad ; the great advantages of
having but one species of currency, viz,
the continental, the exceeding quantities of
that fort which will remain when all the
States money is destroyed; found themselves
under a neceflity of flopping the currency of
the bills of any lingle State, and calling in
thole of our own in the speediest manner.
Your Representatives being desirous, to give
full fatisfaflion to tlieir constituents, upon the
fubjec iof their petition, think it the readiest
way to state the objections contained in the
whole of them, and to obviate the seeming
grievances.
One prevailing objection against the aft is,
“ that the leaning the States money will dis
tress us, by. the encreafing debt arising from
the intereftof the fame.'' That the inter,eft
of a sum added to the principle, makes a
larger sum than the principle is certain, but
that the debt will be encreafed thereby in
certain cases, will not appear upon explana
tion; for by loaning thole bills, the circu
lating quantity is lessened ; this has a natu
ral tendency to prevent the high prices which
arise from the furplufage of money, and this
ip a short time will amount to a saving of
more than the whole principle ; the reducing
the quantity of currency, is certainly the
regular method of curing the evils, which
arise fromfuch undue quantity; when there
fore, such evils appear, the regular remedy
should be applied in the speediest manner,
i. e. the States money being particularly in
strumental of producing those evilty mull be
funk as speedily as possible ; that it should
be funk by loan rather than by taxation will
further appear, by considering that the ex
pences of the war are dill pressing us, that
they are unavoidably encreafing by the en
creafed price of all necessaries, and therefore
that the treasury must be supplied with larger
sums; this can only be done either by emis
sion of more bills of credit, by taxation or
Wheat per Bulhel, tzs. od.i
Flour, 355. 6d.1
Brown Bread, 20s. od.
Weft-Inti ia -Rum, 6s. 6JJ
New-England do. ,ss. od.|
PRICE CURRENT, in NEW-YORK.
Mufeovado Sugar, 51. ios.|
Single refin'd ditto, 2s. zd.|
Motaffes, 2s. 6d. :
Beef per Barrel, 90s. od.|
Pork, 5b los.|
borrowing on loan ; of the firft too much has
I been done already; for a calculation between
I the advanced prices of goods,- and the inter
left of money, must fatisfy every unprejudiced
person, that had we been able to hire the
money necessary for our expenditures, instead
of making new emissions, above half the ex
penses would have been saved, i. e. eight
times the interest, the emission of more bills
will render of less value what is already cur
rent, i. e. will raise the price of all ne
cessary articles, and by that means encreafe
our expences, to a much greater amount than
the interest of such a sum of money, as, if
borrowed, would have prevented the necessity
of such emissions.
Taxation and borrowing on loan, only re
main as methods to supply the treasury ; the
exigences of affairs, forbid the fifquing the
flow, uncertain method of supplying the trea
sury wholly by borrowing, and made it ne
cessary that all the money that could be raised
by taxation, should be paid into the treasury
in Continental money for the support of the
war, and of course no other method was left
of finking the States money than that pre
scribed in the aft, of drawing it in by loan :
Had.the States money been called in by taxa
tion, it would have cost all the tax that could
conveniently be railed for the year 1777, and
then there would have been no method left
of supplying the treasury, but borrowing Con
tinental bills on interest ; and with regard to
the increase cf debt, as is obj c &ed, there is
no odds upon the loan of what money the
interest is paid, whether States bills or Con
tinental : Whence it appears, that your Re
presentatives were reduced to the choice of
the following cases; either to call in the
States money by taxation, and then pay it out
again for current charges, after it was known
to be so counterfeited as to deceive the good
people; or to call it in by tax and destroy it,
and then endeavour to supply the treasury by
borrowing on loan, or by making more e
. millions of money, or else to fink the State
bills by loan, as prescribed in the ad, and
appropriate the tax to the supply of the trea
sury, the latter was adopted as being the most
beneficial of either.
But it is said, “ that this method will
throw the interest money into the^hands of
evilly disposed monopolizers who have occa
sioned the depreciation of our currency."
Whether those persons called monopolizers,
have not undervalued the money, and whe
ther the great furplufage of money has not
occasioned the monopolizing of commodities,
are questions easily determined, and whether
the receiving interest for States money, will
benefit such persons more than receiving in
terest for Continental money in the Continen
tal loan office, where draughts for silver mo
ney in France is paid for interest, and whe
ther it is possible to carry on this necessary
war, without borrowing large sums over and
above all our taxation, and whether the tak
ing money of particular persons into our
.funds, will not engage the abilities of such
persons to the American interest, and whether
ve can possibly punilh these unworthy per
sons by Suffering the currency to grow useless
in their hands, without distressing the worthy
part of the community ; and whether the tax
ing such persons in proportion to their inter
est, will not reduce their newly acquired pro
perty to public benefit, are questions worthy
of confederation.
" It is said '' that the time for executing
the ad is too snort, and that distress will be
occasioned thereby," but it will be considered,
that the circumstances of ouraffairs required a
speedy remedy, and the depreciation of our
money was in some measure owing to an
apprehension that it would not be called in by
taxation, loaning or otherwise, and mucn
greater evils must have arisen to the credit of
our State bills, by protracting the currency of
them, than can arise by the suddenness of the
change, for an addition to what has been said,
'vaft quantities of counterfeited bills have been
prevented getting into circulation thereby:
It is also objeded^that the method of taxing,
prescribed in the aft, will not answer the pur
pose of putting the money out of circulation
though we pay interest for it: but doth not
the experience of those notes now on interest
prove the contrary, the continual encreafing
value, prevents their paging as a currency,
uniefs in cases of great occasion, and then
IFine Salt, !% od
ICoarfe Salt, Ss. od
llndian Corn per Bu. 73. od
ICoffee, is . 9I
|Chocolate, 265. per Do.