The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1779-06-15 00:00:00, page 2

About the fame time the Americanem :
pire, which now gives law to so many r&
gions, were fubjeft colonies, who beirig
treated more like aliens than fellow fub
jeds, caused great disturbance, which end
ed in your ruin, and their imperial gran
deur. For whilst the important matter of
right was in dispute, and the now imperial
Americans were remonstrating, your mi
nisters were running horses atNewmarket.
These, with many other ads of dissipati
on, intemperance, injustice, violence, ig
norance, and despotism, all introduced by
a baneful favourite, are the true causes of
your present forlorn and wretched condi
tion. Adieu.
Rationalis.
PHILADELPHIA, May 27.
At a general meeting of the citizens of Philadelphia,
and parts adjacent, at the statehouse yard in this ci
ty,Gen. Roberdeau was unanimously requeued to
take the chair, who introduced the business with
the following ADDRESS.
Gentlemen;
ALTHOUGH I feel pain from the filiation in
which you have been pleased to place me, it is
with pleafare I meet you, my fellow citizens, to
confider and determine upon measures for our mutual
and public happiness. A beneficent God has hither
to blessed us with success and carried us through a
four years war with as few misfortunes as could pos
sibly be expected. We have much to be thankfull
for; and though many worthy individuals, have
greatly fuffered, yet, as a nation, we have bat 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 feorns, the thought of getting rich
by fucking the blood of his country ; yet. alas, this
unnatural, this cruel, this defirudive practice, is the
greatest cause of our prefect calamities. The way to
makeour money good is to reduce the prices of goods
and provisions. Ie 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 monopoli
zers and foreflallers 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 law to
prevent such regulations being made, and therefore
the whole rests upon the virtue and common consent
of the community. I have po doubt but combinati
ons 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 fudh
combinations, and to set limits to evils which affe&
themselves.,
It is impossible, gentlemen, to cure the disease all at
once, but it must be begun 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 firft applied. Do you, gentlemen, set the
example, and I think there is little doubt but others
will follow it.
Within these five or fix months goods and provifi
ons 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. B,
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 (hops with; and
all the town people's money to go to the 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 underhand, is to be laid before you
at feme future meeting. For my own part, gentle
men, I shall joyfully assist in any judicious measures
for the public happiness, and have no doubt but you
w, 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 ne
cessary to inquire into. But the greet point is to be
gin. 9
The paper I have in my hand contains some reso
lutions which have been drawn up and agreed on by
a committee of citizens, which, with your approba
tion, I will read. I propofc firft to read the whole
through, and then read it a second time by paragraphs,
to order to take your sense thereon,-^
The paper being read, after some amendments, was
agreed to as follows ;
Whereas the prices of goods and provisions have,
within the space of five or fix months, risen to an en
ormous 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 Inching
the prices, have railed them
Resolved, That rhe public have a right to inquire
into the causes of such extraordinary abuses, and pre
vent them.
And whereas, foce the late importation of a cargo
of goods laid to have been since purchased or con
signed to the management of Mr. Robert Morris,'mer
chant, or others, the prices of all kinds of dry goods
have been greatly advanced to the injury of the pub
lic and the great detriment of trade.
Resolved, That this meeting, juftifying their con
duct on the necessity of the measure, and being deeply
affected and injured by tkofe increasing evils, will ap
point a committee to enquire of Mr. Robert Morris,
or others, what part be or they have afled refecting
the said cargo, and to require from him or them their
answers in writing to such questions as the committe
may find it necessary to put, and to report the fame at
the next general town meeting. .
And whereas the prices of rum, fugir, flour, coffee,
and tea, have greatly arisen within this week pad,
without any real or, apparent cauQ ; and as it is our
determination not to be eaten up by monopolizers and
fc•G^lers, therefore
Resolved, That we do unconditionally insist and
demand, that the advanced, or monopolized; price of
the present month be instantly taken off, and that the
prices of those articles be immediately reduced to
what they were the firft day of May raft.
Resolved, That a committe be appointed to ascer
tain the real prices of rum, sugar, flour. Coffee, and
tea, aPthey flood on, the firft day of May inst. and to
publish the fame for the.government of buyer and fel
ler, and to receive in -writing any complaint against
such dealers as may refufe to comply with, or shall
obftrua the execution of this necessary regulation, and
to report the fame at the next general town meeting.
Resolved, That the said committee, when chosen
do ascertain what the prices of the above, or any other
articles, were on the firft day of January last, and like
wise on the firft day of every month freer that time to
the present inst.
Resolved, That a committee be appointed to pre
pare a plan for regularly proceeding in this business,
and for tarrying it into execution throughout the Uai
ted 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 du'y. encourage fair and honest
commerce, and suppress to the utmost of our power,
and at the hazard of our lives, engrossing, monopoliz
ing, and foretelling and depreciation.
Resolved, That as it is theintereft both -of the town
and country to concur in measures for the mutual relief
of both, that the proceedings of this meeting be print
ed and sent to the several counties for their considerati
on and assistance therein
And whereas complaints of a very extraordinary na
ture have, at different times appeared against persons
intruded, or who have been intruded by congress with
the disposal of public money, and the execution of pub
lic commissions to which complaints, ia some instan
ces, no answer have been given, or any denial made.
And whereas the public by delegating their powers,.
havea 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'
Resolved, That a committee beappointed to colled
together the charges or complaints which have been
made against persons intruded by congress, with the
expenditure of public money, or the execution of pub
lic commission, and to require of the delegates of this
state what proceedings congress have made therein to
wards afeertaining the truth of such charges or com
plaints,or punishing the persons if guilty ; and to transmit
the fame to the several counties, in order that they may
be enabled to give inftruaions to their representatives
in assembly at their next meeting, or for such other pur
poses as may be necessary in the interim.
Resolved, That it is the opinion of this meeting
that no petfon, who by fufficient testimony can be prov
ed inimical to the interest and independence of the
United States, be fuffered to remain amongus and that
the committees be directed to take measures for carry
ing this resolution into execution.
The following gentlemen wereappointed on the com
mittees, to inquire refpeding the cargo lately arrived,
and said to be purchased by or consigned to the man
agement of Mr. Robert Morris, or others.
Timothy Matlack, David Rittenhoufe, Capt. Blew
or, Thomas Paine; Charles W. Peale, Col, J. B
Smiths
And the following gentlemen, together with the for
mer were appointed a committee for carrying the
other sefolves into execution.
% Col. Henry, Col. Bradford, George Scblcffer, Col.
Will Col. Jehu Eyre, Capt Heyffiam, Maj. Boyd,
Philip Bebra Jedidiah Snowden. Nathaniel Don
nel, Capt. Robert Smith, Capt. Lang, Dr. Hatchiq.
son William Brown Paul Cox Edward Pole, Tho
mas Cafdrop, Capt, George 0/4 Jinxes Skinner John
King, William Thorn, William Coats tanner, Jo
seph Dean, Capt, John Young, Cadwalhder Dick,
infon, Capt. Thoraas Moore.
Signed by order of the meeting,
DAN EL ROBERDEAU Chairman;
The thanks of the meeting were unauimoufly re
turned to the chairman for his noble and disinterest
ed manner of conducing the bufiuefs.
COMMITTEE ROOM, May 26, 1779.
AGREEABLE to a resolution of the general town
meeting held in the statehouse yard the twenty-sis h
inhabit, The Committee for afeertaining the prices
of rum sugar, flour, coffee and tea, as thy flood on
the firft day of the present month, do hereby publ.fh
the following:
Weft India rum, 1 per gallon, £6 15 0
Country rum, per do. 5 0 0
Tea by the chest,. per lb. 4 10 0
Brandy by the keg, per gallon, 7 0 0
Molars by the hhd,. per do. 4 12 6
Coffee. per lb. 0 17 0
Loaf sugar whelefale, per |bi 2 12 6
Mufcovado from £lO5 to£ijo per hundred
Turk's fluid fait. 10 0 0
Common French salt, 6 10 0
Merchantable flour, 20 go
Middling do. 15 co
Ship Huff, 15 0 0
Shorts, per buffial,, 4 10 0
Bran, pt do. 3 L 5 °
To our fellow citizens in town and country
Convinced as we all are of the absolute neceffny
of lowering the prices, in order to raise the value of
the currency, and seriously anxicus of cariying the
revolutions of the meetin, into efftßual execution,
we dp earnefly recommend in the firft inflance a
chearful compliance with the above revives; and
likewise, that as few puichafes as p ffi' le be nude
for the present, either of dry goods or ary oiler
kind of imported goods otherwise it will embarrafs'
the object hoped to be obtained
It is only by degrees that ev^s of this kind can
be remedied, and no plan appears more rational t> an
to lower the prices in the fame proportions they have
been advanced. As soon as the business 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 pteafure of i; f nn^
ing the public, that molasses and salt a»e chc^fr
this day than they weie on the firft cf May. Te
prices as printed above, have been uon E^ t^
merchants and traders bonks.
COMMITTEE ROOM, May 28. 1779
RESOLVED, That the retail prices of tie un
derwritten articles, on the firft day of May, were ^s
follow:,
Coffee, per pound © 17 6
Bohea tea, per do. 4 If 0
Leaf Sugar; per do. 2 I 5 0
Mufcovado,.-from i Bs. gd. to 255. according to qua
lity.
W~ft India rum per gallon or quart, 7 0 0
Country rum, do. ~ 5 5 °
Wfolkey, per gallon,, 2 0 a
Rice per pound, 0 30
' Anatib ^ ^ ^bfohitety neceiiafy urri &v, "ds,
and all other commodities, whe her imported, or the
produce of this country, mould fall in price as well
as those articles which are already published,
Therefore Resolved, That this committee do ear-'
neftly request and expefl that no petfon de kb any
commodity whatever, at an higher price than the
fame was fold for on the firft day of this month,
By order cf the committee
WILLIAM HENRY Charman;
t. The committee meet at nine o'clock precifej
Xy on Monday morning next, at the court house.
M a y, 29,
On Wednesday last a petition, signed by near 600
refpe&able inhabitants of this and other States, on the
fubjeft of the Continental Currency with assurances
of their most ffienuous concurrence in such other
means in addition to taxation for eftablifhwg its cre
dit, as Congress may recommend, was preferred to
that Honorable Body. At a meeting of the petition
ers, his Excellency Joseph Reed,Bq; President of
this State, the Hon. John Bayard Esq; Speaker of
the Affably, the Hon. Colonel Smith, of the Coun
cil, With four other gentiemen; had been requeued
to prefect it ; they had the honour of being admitted