The Pennsylvania ledger, or, The Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, & New-Jersey weekly advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-03-09 00:00:00, page 3

Extract of a letter from Newbern (N. Carolina)
February 13.
“ An express arrived here yesterday from the
hack country, informing us that the Regulators
and Tories were making head there, and intended
marching to Crofs-crtek, and from thence to Cape
hear. lam of opinion they will get well Hog'd
before they reach Cape Fear, provided they will
fight. Our minute men and part of the militia
march to morrow, and will join Col. Cafwell in
Dobb's county, from which place he will march in
two or three days with near a thousand men under
his command. Col. Rutherford informed me this
day that Col. Afhe, in New-Hanover county, was
on his march two days ago against the Regulators,
&c. with near two thousand men. If three or four
more of our Colonels, in this province, raise as
many men, which I expert will soon be the case,
they will be able to attack ten thousand regulars
aud beat them too I think, as our men will fight
with great reiblution."
COMMITTEE CHAMBER, March 6.
The leveral diftrid Committees having returned
their reports relating to the engrossing Salt, rum,
sugar, spice, pepper, molasses, cocoa, and coffee, it
clearly appears that the scarcity of thole articles are
artificial, and that several perlons whole names are
returned to this committee (but from tendernels to
their families are not published) have formed a cru
el design to add to the di/treffes of their buffering
fellow citizens and country, by collecting great
quantities of and exacting exorbitant prices tor, the
above articles.—A condud at any time ihameful,
but at a period of public calamity moll barbarous
and opppeffive, more especially on the poor and
middling ranks of life.
Resolved therefore, That this Committee are
bound in duty and justice to the inhabitants of this
city and province, to give an immediate check to
such bale and mercenary practices, and for that
purpose have fixed the undermentioned prices as
jud, reasonable and generous, refped being had to
the public, as well as the feller of such goods; and
if any persons fliall be io loft to virtue, honor, and
the public good, as to demand greater prices for the
above articles (now imported) than are herein after
limited, or shall refute to fell such articles under
falfe pretences of exportation, pre-engagement or
otherwise, in order to avail themselves of the scarci
ty of such goods, and enhance the price, this Com
mittee do declare that they will expose such perlons
by name to public view, as sordid vultures, who
are preying on the vitals of their country in a time
of general distress, the committee therefore, do re
quell all persons of whom demands are made above
the prices limited, or who shall be refufed to pur
c afe as above, immediately to make their case
known to some of the Committee, when such of
fender being convicted before a general meeting of
the Committee, will soon experience what are the
feelings and resentment of an injured and insulted
people.
that the Macaroni privateer had taken a transport
fliip from London: it is said that there were found
on board orders for General Howe only to ad on
the defenfive, till further orders.
We hear a number of troops are evacuating Bos
ton, and embarking on board the transports; and
it is thought they intend to visit New-York very
shortly.
We are just informed that our army at Roxbury
had regained possession of Dorchester Neck, and
had brought with them some mortars and battering
cannon.
PHILADELPHIA, March 9.
Extract of a letter from New-Turk, dated March 6.
" A'letter from Cambridge, of the 29th ult. in
forms, That preparations 'were fill making for get
lag to ©work on Dochefer neck and Boston; that the
enemy were well acquainted with their designs, and
had lately thrown up federal works to weaken our fire;
that on the 2^th, they (the enemy) cowpleated a bomb
battery and a three guu fetch oppofte Lecthmorc's
point, and promise our folks a vijit as soon as they
break ground on Derchefer; that the principal part
of their heavy cannon, hospital fares, &c. are on
board Jhip; all the Jquare rigged vessels in the har
bour are taken up, and received two months advance
to transport the troops and tory inhabitants, ij neces
sary to a lejs hofile fore; that Monday or Tuesday
next will be the important day; that we have forty
five bateaus, each to carry eighty men, and two float
ing batteries, fationed at the mouth of Cambridge ri
ver; ij the enemy make aferious affair of Dorcbefer,
we may rush into the wef part of Boston; the enemy's
frength (marines, Tories and negroes included) a
bout 7000 — our's about 2Q,000; that two of our pri
vateers had fallen in with an armed brig of 13 guns,
engaged her for three hours, and font her of on the
careen."
Common Wefl-India Rum, 4s 6d. per gallon by
the hogshead, or greater quantity.
Molafes, 2s. per gal. by the hogshead.
Coffee, iid. per pound by the bag or bale.
Cocoa, five pounds per hundred.
Chocolate, sixteen pence per pound.
Pepper, ss. per pound, by the bag or bale.
Loaf Sugar single fourteen pence per pounds
Do. Lump, one Shilling.
Mufeovado, do, firft quality, 655. per hundred,
and other qualities in p ^portion.
Salt LiJbon, 4s. pe, single bushel, or greater
quantity.
Liverpool Blond, do. five shillings, do.
Jamaica Spirits, of common quality, ss. and 6d.
per gallon.
The prices of goods, hereafter imported, will be
put on a proper footing by the Committee, accord
ing to the circumstances of such importation.
Ordered to be published by the Committee of
Inipedion and Observation, lor the city and liber
ties of Philadelphia. J. B. SMITH, Sec.
Atafpecial meeting of the St. George's Society,
Monday, March 4. 1776.
Motion, That Dr John Kearfley, having shewn
himfelf inimical to the Liberties of this country, and
thereby rendered himfelf unworthy of being a mem
ber of this Society, be expelled.— Resolved unani
mously, That the said Dr.john Kearfley be expelled
and no more considered a member of this Society;
and the Secretary is directed to publish this Minute
in the public News-Papers of this city. Publilhed
by Order, Richard Petfrs, jun. Seci etary.
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To the PEOPLE of Pennsylvania.
LETTER I.
My dear Countrymen.
TH E wisdom of some nations has been greatly
commended, because they never enabled any
new law, nor buffered any innovation in their an
cient constitutions, without firft proposing the mat
ter to the people, and giving them a full opportu
nity to express their approbation or dislike. It is
true, we have never come up to the perfection of
this rule, yet in the former happy days of the pro
vince, it was a good and salutary custom among us,
freely to difeufs and examine all public affairs, in
conversation as well as writing, when occasion re
quired. And although, since the commencement
of our present troubles, this rule could not always
be observed, yet every unnecessary deviation from
it, has but added to the affliction of many real
friends of America.
Grievous as the least restraint upon the Press
mull always be, to a people entitled to Freedom,
it must be the more so, when it is not only unwar
ranted by those, to whom they have committed
the care of their liberties, but cannot be warranted
by them, confident with liberty itfelf. Nevertne
lels we readily submitted to it, while any colourable
pretext could be offered for requiring such a sub
mission. Nay, we have done more—we have too
quietly yielded to afew, who have been claiming
one power after another, till at length, encouraged
by their fuccels, and prostituting the cry of pub
lic necessity to cloak an ambition, which needs as
much to be checked in the lowest as the highest, they
have now the aftonilhing boldness, to aim at a total
deftrudion of our charter constitution, and seizing
into their own hands, our whole domestic police,
with legiflacive as well as executive authority.
To prepare the way for effecting this most ruin
ous design, the Majesty of the People of
Pennsylvania has been grievously wounded, in
the persons of their legal Reprelentatives, by re
peated attempts to intimidate them in the difeharge
of the great trull committed to them by the voice of
their country, and the most fcurri'lous miirepre
fentation ofpatriotic exertions which have not been
exceeded by any other body upon the continent.
Since the Press is at length become so free, that
such publications are thought tolerable on one fide,
it cannot but be judged reasonable, that it should
be equally free on the other fide also. especially
where charges are to be answered, apd innocence
defended. At all rifles lam determined to make
the experiment, and to offer one appeal to the re
mainder of our ancient virtue. Nor need any per
sons be alarmed ; for an indecent or angry exprefli
on shall not dishonor my pen, nor yet a single senti
ment, which is not calculated to cement all
parties in the province, upon fafe and popular
grounds, more firmly than ever, in executing
the Resolves of Congress, and maintaining /Ame
rican Liberty. So far as our Committees confine
tliemfelves to the purposes of their appointment,
which are meerly executive; so far as they are
exerting thetnielves to effect what is well ex
pressed in the Evening Post of last Thursday,
to have been their original design, viz. “ a faith
" ful execution of the association entered in
" to by the Continental Congress, relieving and
'affixing those who may fuffer by the fubpenfion
" of trade, promoting reconciliation upon condi
" tutional principles between Great-Britainand her
“ colonies; the encouraging the manufactory of
“ such articles as are necessary for our existence,
" eloathing and defence, -the preventing manufac
“ turers or venders of goods and merch mdize from
“ felling the fameat unusual or extravagant profit,
and holding up transgressors of every rank to pub
lic censure, without fear or affection —so far, I fay,
they ought to have the thanks of their country, for
generously bellowing their time and attention tojts
service, and ought to be supported by all good men.
In this view they deserve the greatest commendati
on, for their late vigorous endeavours to refeue
their injured fellow-citizens, from the avaricious
gripe of engroffers and forefullers.
But, if instead of being confined to such purposes
as these, any individuals of our Committees, who
I trull will never amount to a majority, should, by
the bait of power thrown out to them by dtfigning
men of this or. any other province, be led out of
their line, to interfere in matters foreign to their
appointment, I am persuaded, that when they se
riously confider what may be offered on this head,
they will perceive, that luch a condu& (as it nev r
can be submitted to by the people of this province)
would give a more effectual stab to our domestic
harmony, and to the public cause, than all the ef
forts of all the; difaffcßed perlons in America can
give.
In carrying on our great controversy with Eng
land, Pennsylvania has no need, either to make the
lead facrifice of its constitution, nor yet to yield in
zeal to the foremoft of the colonies. It has been
our singular happiness from the beginning, that we
have been able to grant, and have actually granted,
as large sums for the common service, as any of
our neighbours, in proportion to our numbers;
and that these grants have been made in a way to
which the people were accustomed, and to which
they have given their fandion, by re-electing the
fame men, since the contest with England had ad
vanced into open war; thereby pledging themselves
to submit to whatever mode may be adopted by fu
ture Assemblies lor finking the immense sums with
which the province is charged, as well as fignifying
the fulleft approbation of the measures, which have
been concerted for our defence.
This great privilege which we enjoy, of giving
our free unbiased voice annually in the choice of
an Assembly, who, from that moment, by charter,
become a constitutional body, veiled with the au
thority of the people, and can meet when they
please, and fit as long as they judge necefiry—.
This privilege, I fay, and the eale and quiet with
which our public business has been tranfa&ed, dur
ing the present contest, have been the envy and ad
miration of our neighbours, who, enjoying no
such perfection in their civil conititutions, have
been driven into the measure of Conventions, and
forced to hazard the emission of money, and other
ads of state, under disadvantages, which need not
be mentioned here, as we are yet happily free from
them. Would any wife people, enjoying such a
constitution, ever think of deltroying it with their
own hands; or does any other colony, whose As
semblies can exercise their authority, ever think of
committing the condud of affairs to Conventions?
But luppofe our Assembly really chargeable with
any culpable negled of duty, with what face could
those of our present committee, who are so loud in
their clamours against them; pretend to step into
their feats? Were they chosen for that purpose?
No. They were considered as chosen for the
purposes already mentioned; and although they
consist of a hundred members, they had not two
hundred votes. Few people gave themselves
any concern about the election, being well fatisfied,
that any number of refpe&able citizens who would
take the trouble of a Committee of InfpeCtion, should
be thankfully indulged with the office. But would
this have been the case, had it been imagined that
any among them, would ever aspire at the powers
veiled in an Aflembly, fairly and constitutionally
elected, tc represent two or three hundred thousand
people ? For, whatever may be pretended about the
nectffity of a Convention, it is certain, that if such
a body were to meet, and could succeed in affirming
the powers of government, they mult all at length
be veiled, lor the lake of execution, in the hands of
a few men, who confider themselves as leaders, ia
the city or Philadelphia; and the province in ge
neral have J>ut little to lay in the matter.
J liele are veiy lerious and alarming considera
tions, to many ; and therefore, after dilcuffing a
certain point c>f equal importance in my second let
ter, I will proceed in the lucceeding ones, to en
quire into the justice of such complaints, as have
been made against the fffembly. In some instances,
probably, these complaints may appear to be well
founded. Where they are so, I Ihall be ready to
confefs it; and as perfection is not to be expeded,
in the firft hasty essays of any public bodies, provide
ing for new and unprecedented cases, I doubt not,
they will readily make such amendments, as may
appear necessary to themselves, or be fuggefled by
reasonable men. In tome instances, I ]hall ffi e w,
that they^ deserve public thanks, for relufing to
comply with some requifiticns formerly made, -and
that others are now made, which they cannot assent
to, without a manifell violation of our confutation -
such as blending the military and civil power, and
giving Field Officers, who may hold their places
for life, the power of determining appeals, and
difeharging assessments, which is now fafely lodg
ed in the constitutional way, with commiffionets
chosen by the people.
CA T O.
*%**%.% *%%s *--%***-*-*.*.%
THIS is to give notice to the public that WIL
LIAM REDMAN, of the townfnip of Mil
ford in Cumberland County, and Mary his wife,
hath divided tlieir estate, and tins is to forwarn all
persons from truhing her upon my account, for I
will pay no debts cl her contracting alter this dat^
RALLIriM REDMA I '