The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1778-01-19 00:00:00, page 1

And that it may be known what quantities
of the above articles of grain, the farmers
upon Longrifland and Staten-Island have for
sale, I do further order and direct, that they
do, without delay, make a return, according
to the best estimate they can form, to the
rorhmanding officer of the Militia of their
refpeCtive counties where they reside, of the
quantities they have of the aforefaid refpeCfive
kinds of Grain : and also that they do de
clare how much thereof they think they may
want for the use of themselves and families,
until the ensuing crop shall come in ; and in
order that those who may Hand in need of fop
plies of the)above articles, may seasonably have
the benefit thereof, I do further order and di
reft,that the aforefaid farmers do immediately
thrash out ere third part of their present crop
of Wheat and Rye, and that another third
part thereof be thraflied out, on, or before
the firft day of February next, and that the
residue thereof be thraflied out, on, or before
the firft day of May next. And that any
perfonnegleChing tomake such return as afore
laid, dr to th^alh out his grain as aforefaid,
or refufing to fell such part of any or either
of the said kinds of grain, Flour or Meal,
which he ^ail not want as aforefaid for him
felf and family, at the refpedive prices above
limited, or any person whatsoever, who shall
-either at the city of New-York, Long-Jfland,
or Staten Island, presume to demand a greater
price for any of the above mentioned articles,
or refufe to fell the fame at those prices, shall
be fubjeCl to have his whole crop of grain, or
quantity of manufactured Flour or Meal con
cerning which such offence shall happen, seized
and confi feared, A and himfclf liable to impri
sonment for such offence.
GIVEN under my Hand at the City of New-
York, the 20th Day of December, 1777, in
the Eighteenth Dear of his Majefy's Reign.
HENRY CLINTON, Lt. Gen.
By his Excellency's Command,
John Smith, techy
ASSIZE of BREAD. Flour at 30s. per Cent.
A White Loaf of the fineft FLOUR, to weigh
3 lb. 40Z. for 14 Coppers, and in the fame
Proportion for Loaves of a lesser Weight.
Published 'January 10, 1777.
upon the articles above mentioned will be libe
ral arid generous, have thought fit to issue this
Proclamation, and do hereby order and direst,
that the prices to be hereafter demanded for
the faid' articles Shall not exceed the follow
ing rates,
A Bulhcl of Wheat weighing Fifty Eight
Pounds, ‘Twelve Shillings, with an Allowance,
or deduction in proportion for a greater or
lesser weight.
A Bufheb of Rye, or Indian Corn, Seven
Shillings.
Merchantable Wheat Flour, Thirty foe Shil
lings per Cwt.
Rye Flour, Twenty Shillings, per Cwt.
Indian Meal, Seventeen Shillings, per Cwt.
Sir HENRY CLINTON,
Knight of the most Honourable Order of the
Bath, Lieutenant-General of his Majesty's
Forces, &c.
PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS it is consonant not only to the
common principles of humanity, but
to the wisdom and policy of all well regulated
dates, in certain exigencies to guard against
the extortion of individuals, who raiie the
Decenaries of life, without which otlier parts
of the community cannot subsist ; and where
as the farmers on Long-lfland and Staten-
Island are possessed of greatquantities of Wheat,
Rye, and Indian Corn, for sale, beyond what
they want for their own consumption, and it
is highly unreasonable that those who may
hand in need of those articles, Should be left
at the mercy of the farmer; and whereas it is
equally just and reasonable that every encou
ragement Should be given to the industry of
the husbandman, and that in all public regu
lations refpefting the price of the produce of
his lands, regard Should be had to that of the
conveniencies which he isqb'iged to purchase ;
and whereas the prefect rates at which Wheat,
Flour, Rye-Meal, and Indian. Meal are fold,
do vastly exceed in proportion the advanced
price of those articles which the farmer hands
in need of purchasing, and I being well fatis
#iied from the belt information, and the most ac
curate estimates made, that the following prices
RK
KLY
^ Printed by HUGH GAINE, at the BIBLE and CROWN, in HANOVF*-SQUA
By his EXCELLENCY
Containing tbe catlieft aonices
, Some imagine that trade is necessary to
make a country rich and flourishing. But this
if at all true, is only where the trade is pro
fitable: Whereas in America th°e ballance of
tradeis always against her. It is profitable for
other countries to trade with us, and hence
the laws were made, to restrain our trade.
But it never was any advantage for America to
trade with any of them, only for a few neceffa^
ry things, and instead of making the country
rich, it has been a principal means of keep
ing us poor, and will be so while the ballance
of trade is so greatly against us. Merchan
dise encourages idleness, luxury, and gayety;
these things may enrich'particular gentlemen,
bait they irhpoverilh and weaken the people at
large. Frugality and industry make a people
hardy and brave. These are the virtues which
rendered the Spartans and Romans powerful
and flourishing, and among them merchandise
was Scarcely known for several hundreds of
years.
From a Rebel Paper.—
J. CAESAR to CATO, S. P. D.
SIR,
YOU have in sundry papers made
many just observations, which de
serve the attention and thanks of
your country. —However, I appre
hend that some things have esca
ped your notice, and that in others you have
not fully considered them, or Sufficiently
explained and guarded yourfelf.
If we would think and reason justly about
farmers and Merchants, we should confider
the importance of their respective employ
ments to their country. Superficial thinkers
and talkers are very ready to give the prefer
ence to the merchant. And I will grant that
this may be the case in some countries, as in
Holland, where they dont raise bread enough
to supply the tenth part 6f the inhabitants,
but procure it from their neighbours by tra
ding. There indeed the merchant is necessary
for the support of the State, and trade is
to be greatly encouraged. Yet even there,
though they are immediately supported by
their own merchants, they are ultimately
supplied by the farmers, I mean those of other
nations. For were it not for farmers, there
would be no supplies of bread to be procured
by the wares of the merchant. So that high
Mightiness, as well as the K% himfelf are
fed by the field: from this it appears that the
farmers are the most necessary and ufeful set
of men to the support of the world in general,
on whom all others depend. Suppose then
that merchants are very necessary in such a
country as Holland, where their immediate
dependence is upon trade, it does not follow
that they are equally necessary, or that good
policy requires, that they should be equally
encouraged in such a new country as this,
where land is plenty, and a great scarcity of
hands to subdue and cultivate it. We have
in this country a rich Efficiency of all the
necessaries and comforts of life, if we had a
fufficient number of labourers to procure and
manufacture them. We have then no need to
import any thing from other countries, unless
at present warlike dores, and wool, and some
very few things to carry on our husbandry and
manufa&ures.
There are many who exclaim against mer
chants in general, as not only a useless, but a
most covetous set of men, the contrivers and
authors of all our internal difficulties and
distresses. But the truth is their temptations
are oply greater, because their occupations is
so much employed in calling up accounts, and
profit and loss, they are more quick in decern
ing the importance of money, and how they
may make something out of their neighbours.
Too many of them are doubtless overcome by
the temptations of their calling. He is a
merchant, the balance of deceit are in his
hand, he loveth to oppress, is an old observa
tion of an unprejudiced author. But there
are among them some gentlemen of honour and
probity, as well as in other profeffions. Such
are refpe&able characters indeed, who are
enabled to refill their daily temptations, and
overcome the love of money that root of all
evil. It is very absurd to condemn a profeffion
by wholesale.
We Should then carefully diflinguifh be
tween the Fair Dealer, and the Rum Jockies,
and Engroffirs, The honest merchant fold off
Monday, 16 Min. after 2
Tuefdar, 56 Min. afte> 2
Wednesday, 36 Min. after 3
Thursday, 19 Min. after 4
HIGH-WATER atNEW-YORK, this Week.
T HE
Friday, 59 Min. after 4
Saturday, 46 Min. after 5
Sunday, 35 Min. after 6
Lafi ^ua. to-morrow.
The honest merchant, the farmer, &c. be
held this feene with indignation and astonish
ment. They waited for the best part of a
year before they began to rife in the price of
their provisions, expelling that as it was not
verydifficult, the legislature would have done
fomethiug. But nothj/g effectual has been
done, as the laws have not nor are like to be
,put in execution ; so that about a hundred
or two (harpers and rum jockies were like to
ruin the whole state. About last harvest the
farmers, many of them, fold their wheat at
fix (hillings per bushel, when rum was fold
for thirty (hillings per gallon, and yet the
prime cost and expences of it were not above
ten (hillings. Oh horrid and abominable ?
The farmers then found themselves obliged to
rife in their demands, or throw up the busi
ness ; since these (harpers were profocuting
such a wicked plan to ruin all but themselves,
and no effectual measures used to prevent
them. Thus necessity not choice drove them.
It is to be observed that by the losses we
have sustained at one place and another, great
quantities of provision have been loft, as at
Peeks-Kill, Danbury, Ticonderoga. These
things have occasioned a greater scarcity of
beef and pork than usual, and greatly raised
the price of cattle. A farmer cannot pur
chase a good live cattle team, plow and cart
under £. 150, whereas in former times he
could have furnifhed himfelf with these for
forty pounds at the outside. Iron is scarce
so that it is eight or ten times the price it
used to be. Hence the smith must rife pro
portionably in his demands on the farmers,
or he must quit his business. The hides are
also grown scarce, and high in price, from
the fame causes that cattle are. Hence the
shoemaker and the fiddler cannot follow their
business unless they are allowed proportiena
bly for their labour. And when these trades
men rife, others must also, or they cannot
live by their trades. Cloathing is also very
scarce.
Thus the farmer has to pay a very advanc
ed price to his smith, his shoemaker, his wea
ver, his taylor, &c. And if he was to fell the
produce of his farm at the price he used for
merly to get, he could not live by his busi
ness, but must be undone in a Short time,
which must inevitably ruin the country, by
bringing a famine.
I have Shewed there is not meerly an ima
ginary but a real scarcity of Sundry articles,
as iron, cattle, leather, &c. A little consi
deration will Shew that there is not such an
unparallelled plenty as is imagined. Ever
since the war commenced there have been a
vast many laborers taken into the public Ser
vice. And the year before last the militia
were called for to New York, and detained
in the Service, till lowing time was chiefly
over. Some suppose there was not above half
as much sowed as common. It is probable
enough, there was not so much by a quarter.
This deficiency must certainly render grain a
quarter part Scarcer than it would have been
had it not been for this, though the year I
suppose was fruitful as.commoa. The wretch
ed vermine called tories don't raise much that
so they may distress the country.
The farming business is under great difeou
ragement from the want of laborers; and
from the necessity there is of calling the inha
bitants into the public service. If a farmer
should lay himfelf out to raise a great crop, it
is as likely as not, that he will be called into
the Service a month or two in harvest, or Sow
ing time. Hence the greater or part are
forced to content themselves with raising only
for themselves and families. Men have not
what goods he had Upon hand at the beginning
of these times, and then shut up lhops and
went into some other business, as farming, &c.
But the sharper and rum-jockey forefeeing that
Weft India produce, &c. would be scarce im
mediately, immediately raised his tea to ten or
twelve (hillings per pound; the rum which
cost him about two (hillings he fold at fix.
His plan was not a reasonable profit, but how
much he could get out of the country with
out being mobbed ; and thus these gentry have
gone on pillaging and robbing' the country,
till they have acquired such immense fortunes
as enable them to set laws and taxes at
defiance. For it has been an easy thing for
arum jockey, &c. to make two or three hun
dred pounds clear in a week, some more, some
lefs.'
Wheat per Bulhel, 12s. od.
Flour, 355. Qd.
Brown Bread, 20s. od.
Weft^lndia Rum, , 6s. 64.
New-England do. ss. od.
PRICE CURRENT, in.NEW-YORK.
GAZET
T HE/
MERC U R .
foreign ano DemcOicß.
, Mufeovado Sugar; 51. 10S.
Single refin'd ditto, 2s. 2d.
Molasses, 2s. 6d.
I Beef per Barrel, 90s. od^
IPork, 51. lOS.I
the resolution to prefecute labor, as tie • used
i to have.
Add to all this that New-York, :jo
fey, and Pennsylvania, have been jpe^fe ra
vaged by the armies,' and all then: era
parts above Albany ; and I cannot but q^e
hend that the plenty so much talked of
many is not real but imaginary. I (had < >-
serve but one thing more at present, viz. ri at
there are some other things to be taken into
the estimate as well as the real scarcity and
plenty of provisions. Certainly the lab r aod
expence, and profit of any business are mat
ters to which all wife men pay some attenti
on ; and when they find any b. finefs colts a
great deal of labour and 'expence, and affords
but little profit, they will leave it, and take
to what will bring them in more gain.
Hence several mechanicks, and some farmers
'have left the proper occupation and become
(harpers, rum-jockies aud engroffers, becauf'
they can make vastly greater gains by tr;
sicking.
After all, I don't pretend that the farmer
are not to blame for railing so excessive high
in their demands: But this appears clear tha'
they were forced to it, and were neither ring
leaders nor promoters of extortion, that the
produce at present must be high, or they can
not live by their business, becauf^of the
many difeouragements they labour under,
especially from (harpers and jockies. If the
poor, if the army, if the assembly would ra
tionally desire and hope for better,times, let
them all join, together, and encourage in
duftry and flop fliarping and jockeying.
J. CAESAR.
C<?&^#BW^C-#^
^©SWWSSW©W^S^©'3
$^K E Y S E R's &
^Famous Pills,
^ C° we " known all over Evrope, fortheir
h dSuperior Efficacy and peculiar Mildnefs,i % f
perfectly eradicating every Degree of a certain ''^
so) Disease, withoutthe least Trouble or Con
(g finement.
&1 AThe Public may be affured,that this ex
g cellent Medicineis beyond any Thing, in allX
Foulnefiand Impurities of the Blood, having ,)
performed many aftoni/hlng Cures (in tbisand
the neighbouring Colonies) in Scorbutic Etup-
Ml tionsfLeprofies, White Spellings, Stiff Joints, _\
Gout, and RheumatieDiforders,&c.
I A late Supply, |
-'(Directly from PARIS)
g Of the above Pills,g
May now be had of fr,
© HUGH GAINE, ©
© In Boxesof 105.205. and 40s. each,
© Who has in his Hands a Letter from the ©
) Widow Keyfer, and a Certificate from under ^
h her own Hand, of their Genuineness ; which —<
any Parson may have the Perusal of by ap
plying to him at his Book Store in Hanover
© Square.—Where the Public in generalcan be ©
^) supplied with most Sorts of
© Books and Stationary Ware. ©
^)@
r^ESERfED <rom on bqard ttye Susannah, C plain
Matthew Woodhoufe, an apprentice lad named
Walter Adam, about 18 years old, abtut 5 tect 5 inches
high, flout built, frelh complexion, and wears bis. own
straight hair : Had on when he deferred, a blue waiftepat.
ar d lsng trowfere. Whoever will brifig the laid appren
tice on board the Susannah, at the Walabough, or to Mr,
Dickinson's, No. 200, Q^een-ftreet, Ihall receive FOUR
DOLLARS reward
Just imported from London and Briflol, and to be fola
By JOSEPH TOTTEN,
Living at the corner of Beekman-fireet, in ^een-ftreet.
No. 169, ihejollowing gouds, which be avid fell
wbolefale and retail, very lowjor ca}b, via:.
SCARLET, blue, green," white, black, claret and
mixt broad cloths, with trimmings fyitable; coat
ings of all kinds; blue, green,^nd fed beys; role and
stripe blankets ; lerges, halfthicks, frizes, fagothies, black
ladings, corduroys, fhallWns, darantr, tammies, pla^
and stripe camblets, callicocs, c^mbricks and a&ne, 7-^
and yard wide cotton checks, men and women's worftec
hole, women's callimancoe ffioes, wiltons, blue and white
lace, fattens, peelongs, mode, taffety, silk and liner
handkerchiefs, best double-glazed bonnet paper, Bd. rod
and i2d. nails per calk, 8 by 6 and 9 by 7 crown winhov
glass, brass and ir r n candlesticks, pewter tea pots, dither
plates and bafons, brass Retries, pinchbeck Ihoe buckle
tapes, bindings, ribbons, threads, &c. &c, _____
William Brownejohn,
HA S imported in the Pomona, Cape . Whyte, fron
London, a large quantity of MEDICI NES
which will be fold at the lowed prices,
1 Fine S?lt,
ICoarfe Salt,, ^
Indian Corn per Bu. . 01
Coffee, 9:
Chocolate, , 265. xr Dfi