Some Battalions from Virginia are now on their march to Join you, and are ordered to take the upper rout, in order to avoid Philadelphia where the Infection now prevails. It is submitted to your Excellency whether they ought not to stop somewhere in order to undergo Inoculation. The Committee request your Excellency to give the Necessary orders if it be your Opinion that they can be so long spared from Service. We beg leave to remind you that the Southern Troops are greatly alarmed at the Small Pox, and that it very often proves fatal to them in the Natural way. This Suggestion we doubt not will, with regard to this object, draw your particular attention to the Troops who may be ordered to Join you from those States We hope Sir this attention may prevent the Danger and Inconvenience apprehended by Congress, and we have the most perfect reliance on your Excellencys well known Humanity, and singular regard to your Troops for carrying their Intention into Effect, if it be adviseable. I have the Honor to be with the utmost respect (in the name of the medical Committee) Your Excellency's most obedient Servant B: RUSH. Chairman 355. BENJAMIN RUSH, DIARY.1 Feby 14, 1777. Upon the question whether the Congress should recommend to the States to adopt the plan for reducing and regulating the price of labor, Manufactures, imports, and provisions which had been adopted in the four new England States." It was said in the negative by Mr Jas Smith. That such a recommendation would interfere with the domestic police of each State which were of too delicate a nature to be touched by the Congress. Dr Rush. I am against the whole of the resolution. It is founded in the contrary of justice, policy and necessity as has been declared in the resolution. The wisdom and power of goverment have been employed in all ages to regulate the price of necessaries to no purpose. It was attempted in Engd. in the reign of Edward II by the English parliament but without effect. The laws for limiting the price of every thing were repealed, and Mr Hume who mentions this fact records even the very attempt as a monument of human folly. The congress with all its authority have failed in a former instance of regulating the price of goods. You have limited Bohea tea to of a dollar, and yet it is daily sold before your eyes for 30/. The Committee of Philada limited the price of West India goods about a year ago. But what was the consequence? The merchents it is true sold their rum, sugar and molasses at the price limited by the committee, but they charged a heavy profit upon the barrel, or the paper which contained the rum or the sugar. Consider Sir the danger [355] Library Company of Philadelphia, Ridgway Branch, Rush MSS. 2 See no. 336, ante, also the references in no. 323, note 2, ante. of failing in this experiment. The Salvation of this continent depends upon the Authority of this congress being held as sacred as the cause of liberty itself. Suppose we should fail of producing the effects we wish for by the resolution before you. Have we any charecter to spare? Have we committed no mistakes in the management of the public Affairs of America? We have Sir. It becomes us therefore to be careful of the remains of our Authority and charecter. It is a common thing to cry aloud of the rapacity and extortion in every branch of business etc. among every class of men. This has led some people to decry the public Virtue of this country. True Sir there is not so much of it as we could wish, but there is much more than is sometimes allowed on this floor. We estimate our Virtue by a false barometer when we measure it by the price of goods. The extortion we complain off arises only from the excessive quantity of our money. Now Sir a failure in this Attempt to regulate the price of goods will encrease the clamors against the rapacity of dealers, and thus depreciate our public virtue. Consider Sir the consequence of measuring our virtue by this false standard. You will add weight to the Arguments used at St James's to explode patriotism altogether, and by denying its existence in this country destroy it forever. Persuade a Woman that there is no such thing as chastity, and if there is that She does not possess it, and She may be easily seduced if She was as chaste as Diana. Sir, The price of goods may be compared to a number of light substances in a bason of water. The hand may keep them down for a while, but nothing can detain them on the bottom of the bason but an Abstraction of the Water. The continent labours under a universal malady. From the crown of her head to the Soal of her feet She is full of disorders. She requires the most powerful tonic medicines. The resolution before you is Nothing but an Opiate. It may compose the continent for a night, but She will soon awaken again to a fresh sense of her pain and misery. Col: Richd Henry Lee, in the affirmative. Mr President, The learned Doctor has mistook the disorder of the continent. She labours under a spasm, and Spasms he knows require palliative medicines. I look upon the resolution before you only as a temporary remedy. But it is absolutely necessary. It is true the regulations formerly recommended by Congress were not faithfully carried into execution, but this was owing to the want of regular governments. New and regular goverments have been instituted in every part of America, and these will enable all classes of people to carry the resolutions into execution. Mr Saml Chase, in the Affirmative. Mr President This is a necessary resolution. It is true it failed formerly in Philada. because it abounded with tories. But it succeeded in Maryland. It must be done. The mines of Peru would not support a war at the present high price of the necessaries of life. your Soldiers cannot live on their pay. It must be raised unless we limit the price of the cloathing and other articles necessary for them. Mr Seargant-Negative. The price of goods cannot be regulated while the quantity of our money and the articles of life are allowed to fluctuate. This is and must be the case with us, therefore we cannot regulate the price of anything. Col James Wilson, Negative. Mr President, I differ from the gentleman from Virginia about the possibility of carrying the resolution before you into execution. The modern goverments I am sure have not half the vigilance or authority that the conventions and committees formerly had, and yet these failed in this business. Connecticut where the influence of good laws prevail greatly, adopted this plan with diffidence. There are certain things Sir which Absolute power cannot do. The whole power of the Roman Emperors could not add a single letter to the Alphabet. Augustus could not compel old batchelors to marry. He found out his error, and wisely repealed his edict least he should bring his Authority into contempt. Let us recommend the resolution to the consideration of the States only without giving our Opinion on it, that they may discuss it with unbiassed minds. Foreign trade is absolutely necessary to enable us to carry on the war. This resolution will put an end to it, for it will hang as a dead weight upon all the operations of external commerce. Dr Witherspoon, negative. Sir, It is a wise maxim to avoid those things which our enemies wish us to practise. Now I find that our enemies have published the Act of the Asembly of Connecticut for regulating the price of necessaries in the New York paper in order to shew our distress from that Quarter. I believe the regulations would be just, if the quantity of money and the scarcity of goods bore an exact proportion to each Other. But the price of goods is by no means proportioned to the quantity of money in every thing. The encrease of price began 1st upon the Luxuries 2ly Necessaries, 3rd Manufactories and 4ly grain, and Other produce of the earth. Now the reason why it has reached the grain etc last, is owing to thier quantity being plentiful and to an overproportion of money. Remember laws are not almighty. It is beyond the power of despotic princes to regulate the price of goods. Tea and Salt are higher in proportion than any Other Articles of trade owing entirely to thier price being limited. In Pensylvania salt was limited to 15/ but was sold for 60/ per bushel, while at the same time it was sold in Virginia where there was no limitation for 10/ a bushel. I fear if we fail in this measure we shall weaken the Authority of Congress. We shall do mischief by teaching the continent to rest upon it. If we limit one article, we must limit every thing, and this is impossible. Mr John Adams, Negative. Perhaps I may here speak agst. the sense of my constitutents, but I cannot help it, I much doubt the justice, policy and necessity of the resolution. Its policy and necessity depend upon its practicability, and if it is practicable, I beleive it will be unjust. It amounts to the same as raising the value of your money to double its present value and this experiment was tried in vain even in the absolute goverment of France. The high price of many Articles arises from their scarcity. If we regulate the price of imports we shall immediately put to [sic] stop to them for ever. Dr Rush. Sir, It has been said that the high price of goods in Philada. arose from the monoplies, and extortion of the tories. Here I must say the tories are blamed without cause. A similar Spirit of Speculation prevails among the Whigs in Philada. They are disposed to realise thier money in lands, or goods, But this is not owing to any timidity or disaffection among them. They fear the further depreciation of your money by future emissions. Stop your emissions of money and you will stop Speculation, and fill your treasury from the loan Offices. I beg leave to inform Congress that the committee of Philada. was supported by the country people in thier Attempt to regulate the price of West India goods, but were notwithstanding unsuccessful. Now Sir, the country people are equally concerned with the merchants in keeping Up the price of every thing, and in eluding laws for reducing them. I am not apt to reply to words much less to play upon them. The gentleman from Virginia has miscalled the malady of the continent. It is not a spasm, but a dropsy. I beg leave to prescribe two remedies for it. I Raising the interest of the money we borrow to 6 per cent. this like a cold bath will give an immediate Spring to our affairs-and 2 taxation. This like tapping, will diminish the Quantity of our Money, and give a proper value to what remains. The resolution was amended. The plan of the 4 New England States was referred only to the Other States, to act as they tho't proper.3 356. THOMAS BURKE, ABSTRACT OF DEBATES.1 Feb. 15th. Yesterday was consumed in desultory debates upon a report of a special committee upon the proceedings of the four New England Governments above mentioned, and it was recommitted. This day it was brought in under a form agreeable to what was the sense of the House on what was yesterday considered. At first it expressed the opinion of Congress, that the proceedings were founded in justice, policy and necessity, and merited the warmest approbation. The second declared neither approbation or opinion, except particularly relating to the New England Governments, because of their peculiar circumstances, but proposed laying it before the other States for their imitation if they thought proper, avoiding as much as possible any expression that might suggest to the States that Congress approved or disapproved. In this form it passed without a negative, and it was voted that several States should be advised to confer with each other on this subject: viz: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia: North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Nothing very remarkable happened in this debate except that Virginia insisted on being connected with Maryland, and refused to be connected with the Southern States. The delegates present from Virginia were Richard Henry Lee, Francis Lightfoot Lee and Man. Page, all residing on Rapahanock and Potomack rivers. The Delegate from North Carolina represented that great part of the exportation of North Carolina was through Virginia, that her market was therefore in that State, and that she ought undoubtedly to be consulted in regulating the 3 The resolve in its final form was passed Feb. 15. Cf. nos. 356, 368, post. [356]1 N. C. State Recs., XI. 390. 2 See no. 355, ante; also no. 323, note 2, ante. prices since she was so much interested therein that it was unjust and ungenerous in Virginia to endeavour to regulate them without her, and evidently shewed she was willing to do what would affect the interest of North Carolina without her knowledge or consent. Virginia persisted, and the vote passed for her conferring with Maryland etc. The question was now proposed for the conference of the Southern States; the Delegates opposed it, alledging that their articles of exportation would be always very low, by reason of the danger and difficulty of exporting; that none had provisions to spare but North Carolina, and her market for them being chiefly to Virginia she was precluded from regulation in that article by the regulation made in Virginia, of which as she would have no notice she could not accomodate herself thereto, and her Delegate declared she had too much vigilance and sagacity to make regulation since it might preclude her from taking advantage of circumstances to defend herself from the injustice of her neighbor Virginia; that since Virginia chose to confer with other States in making regulations which might affect North Carolina, and refused to confer with her where her interest was so nearly concerned, Virginia was entitled to no attention from North Carolina, and she ought to have it in the power of her citizens to avail themselves of all advantages which circumstances might throw in their way. The question put-all voted for the conference of the Southern States except their own Delegates. R. H. Lee privately told the Delegate from North Carolina that he need not be disturbed on this occasion, because Virginia could make no regulation but what must affect herself. The Delegate replied that it was arrogantly assuming to judge of her affairs, and affect them without her consent; it was taking advantage of her situation to be arbiter of the commerce of North Carolina, and it was shewing an entire disregard to her interest and circumstances, and having them entirely to depend on the decisions of the Northern States, without even being consulted. The Delegate declared he thought this such an instance of contempt and disregard in Virginia, that he could not but receive it with indignation.* Sir THOS. BURKE, 357. WILLIAM ELLERY TO THE GOVERNOR OF RHODE ISLAND BALTIMORE Febry. 15th. 1777 Before this Time the Loan-Office Certificates sent to our State I hope have reached it. I should be glad to be informed as early as possible what Sum will probably be collected among Us; and what the Sentiments of the Assembly are on the Interest which Congress have ordered to be given for Money borrowed by them. It seems that the Committee of the States of New England tho't the Interest of Four pr. Cent sufficient for the 3 See the Journals, Feb. 15, and no. 368, post. 4 Cf. no. 359, post. [357]1 MSS. of the late William D. Ely, Providence, Declaration of Independence, III.; Harvard Univ. Lib., Sparks MSS., LIX. 145 (copy of part). |