USA > New Jersey > Documents relating to the revolutionary history of the state of New Jersey, Vol. III > Part 23
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I sincerely declare, that it appears evident to me, this aggravated injustice will be inseparable from the plan of Congress, if carried into effect. Some however may perhaps urge in support of this plan,
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That the faith of the nation is pledged to make this money good to its possessors .- This I. deny. It cannot be proved. The nation has pledged its faith that the money shall be sunk by the community, but it remains still with them to devise the most equitable, just and advantageous means for effecting it. The matter in question is here mistaken. The question is not whether real property shall be taxed to pay the real national debt? but whether real property shall be taxed to make depreciated nominal property good to depreciators? The evil is unprecedented and singular, and so ought the remedy to be.
Also, that the farmer get monstrous prices for their produce, and therefore may and can well pay it. This hardly deserves an answer, after it is considered what I have before advanced. If farmers have got such monstrous prices, they also will have monstrous quantities of this money, and pay monstrous taxes ; for their farms will pay still as great in this, as the money instances in the former example. The five hundred acres of the farmer was equal in the present value to the fifty thousand of the monied-man ; but after the deduction of nineteen in twenty depreciation, this man has twenty-five hundred true value, and the farmer's land is now worth just the same, and no more.
After I have endeavoured to place the plan Congress seems to have adopted, in this true point of view, I must observe by way of caution, that I sincerely beg not to be understood as if I intended to insinuate any apprehensions of a premeditated design in that august body, for subverting the democratick government as now established by and on the authority of the people, or of injuring any class of their constituents in favour of another. It is highly probable that there are among them a few abandoned libertines and atheists, who, as they have no God to trust to, ought to be trusted by none in the community, yet that body has given us such proofs of their skill, sound judgment, consumate prudence, patriotic and disinterested zeal for their country (one or two self-interested instances perhaps excepted) as demands from their constituents becoming reverence and due respect, and a firm confidence that they will most readily adopt any measures which their own penetration, amidst all their accumulating business, or the more leisure thoughts of their patriotic constituents may suggest, for the real benefit of this empire.
As I have sincerely and candidly stated both plans in their proper position, I think the contrast plainly shows that the plan of the real farmers to lay the tax for retricving the value of the money, on the money itself, is much more politic, equitable and just, and so more salutary to the community than the other.
The third plan is that of borrowing gold and silver from foreign powers, in order therewith to redeem our continental currency .- To borrow a sum sufficient to exchange all the emitted paper money, dollar for dollar, would be one of the wildest schemes imaginable : because the procuring so large a sum is manifestly impracticable ; and if it could be had, it would compleat all the national mischiefs before- mentioned. Its surplus in circulation would set these champions to run ever a more fatal race, and America sold to the power so large
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a sum was borrowed from. It appears however that the borrowing a competent sum would answer a most valuable end, for a remedy of the evil and damage of the empire. Let us suppose that the depreciation is only fifteen for one at a medium, and I am positive it is that throughout the continent, if it is one farthing. Then if our internal debt is at this value an hundred and sixty millions of dollars, the true debt, at the reduced value, would be ten millions of dollars. If in this case fifteen or sixteen millions of dollars could be borrowed, and when obtained all the bonds, bills and notes within the several classes before-mentioned, being previously exempted, and then ten millions of the gold and silver distributed in just proportion for all the paper money and loan certificates emitted in the empire, and then immediately burnt and destroyed ; in such case each would receive an equivalent to what was the general true value of his money. The danger of counterfeit not to be so great, five or six millions be in hand for the immediate exigencies of the war, whilst the empire was collecting necessary taxes in the usual method for the support of the war. The whole of the sum, with what is laid up as yet among the community, might be sufficient medium for trade, in the present scarcity of articles. If in such case regulating laws were passed and vigorously executed and the civil or staff department of the army brought within proper limits ; then would monopoly, forestalling and extortion be prevented, and we thus become a happy people .- The balance of trade being against us, would probably diminish this circulating medium; but necessary annual taxes would probably help a sufficiency of it till the conclusion of the war; and then, if necessary, the different states might emit bills of credit safely than now, as heretofore .- If hard money cannot be obtained, this measure might be carried into execu- tion by new continental emissions, as the Real Farmer proposes it : That is, let all the emissions of money and bank-notes be called in by a given period, and new emissions ready, different places be appointed convenient for the citizens, and bring all the money and bank-notes in their possession, and receive for them the new emission, except their respective proportions, which is supposed to be held back as so much per cent. to be sunk. The Real Farmer proposes to make trial, first by thus raising a tax of twenty-five per cent. But as all the money and bank-notes are emitted on our national debt, and their present value is by common consent brought down, at the lowest medium we . can compute, fifteen for one, the real and true national debt is ten millions, I see no well-grounded objections (on condition of exemp- tions as before observed ) to paying that equivalent in full, and destroy the whole of the other ; and what is more necessary for circulation to be kept of the new emissions for the immediate necessary exigencies of the war; and then yearly taxes, regulating acts, &c as in the case of borrowed hard cash before observed, and as soon as gold and silver could be obtained, to exchange dollar for dollar.
What I have further to observe, I shall reserve to my next concluding essay on this subject. I am, sir,
Your's and my country's true friend, and ready to serve,
A TRUE PATRIOT.
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TRENTON, April 28.
. Last evening His Excellency Mons. Gerard,1 the . Ambassador from the Court of France, with his suite, arrived here, accompanied by Don Juan De Mirrallias, under the escort of a corps of Philadelphia Light Dra- goons, being on his way to Head-Quarters, at Middle- Brook.
We hear the Commissioners, who lately met at Amboy to agree upon a cartel for a general exchange of prisoners, have broke up without settling it.
At a Court of Oyer and Terminer held in Bergen county on the 12th ult., William Cole and Thomas Welcher alias Straw, were convicted of felony, and executed on Friday the ninth inst.
These are worthies by Mr. Robertson, of New-York, in his Royal American Gazette of the 15th instant, called loyalists. They were famous all over the country for rob- bery, house-breaking, pocket-picking and horse-stealing, few so eminent in that vocation .- Americans may per- haps wonder, but they will be pleased to know these are recommending qualifications in a loyalist.
On Saturday the 17th instant, two of the militia of Bergen county, who in conjunction with several others had been out as a reconnoitring party, suspecting from the con- duct of a boy. they saw running in great haste towards a
1 Conrad Alexandre Gerard de Rayneval, the Sieur Gerard, the first French minister to the United States, arrived with the French fleet and troops off the Delaware Capes, July 8, 1778. He produced an excellent impression in America (except among the friends of Thomas Paine), and seems to have won the esteem of Washington. He set sail on October 20, 1779, for Europe, in the American frigate, Confederacy, being accompanied by John Jay, the first American minister to Spain. On November 7-8, the vessel was so badly crippled in a violent gale off the banks of New- foundland, that it was decided to make for Martinico, which was only reached on December 18. Thence he sailed by another vessel and reached
/ France in safety early in 1780. He d. at Strasbourg in 1790.
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house on the bank of Hudson's river, about a mile above Wiehawk, that some of the infamous gang of robbers that have for some time infested this country and the neighbor- ing parts of the state of New-York, were concealed there, advanced as fast as possible to the house; one of them entered immediately and discovered five or six in the house, several of whom had arms, and with admirable presence of mind calling aloud to his companions, as if a large party had accompanied him, discharged his musket and killed the chief of the gang on the spot. Retiring to load his piece, the rest of the villains took to their heels, but were fired upon by him and his companion, by which one of them was supposed to be wounded.
Friday last two soldiers were executed at Camp for de- sertion. Let such as are instrumental in debauching and spiriting away the soldiers from their allegiance reflect upon their infamous conduct and let others be warned and on their guard how they listen to their solicitations.
On Sunday night the 28th ult. a party of about 30 men, belonging to Lieut. Col. Van Buskirk's1 corps of tories and embodied refugees stationed at Hoebuck in the county of Bergen, who came out as far as Closter, for the purpose of stealing horses, and of robbing the inhabitants, were attacked and put to flight by nine of the militia, com- manded by Lieut. J. Huyler, leaving their plunder behind them, and one of their officers, the noted Peter Myer, Ensign in Capt. David Peak's company, dead on the field. Another of their officers was wounded in the arm, and the infamous Weart Banta, so notoriously known for his com- plicated villainies, thefts and robberies, was shot through the knee, and it is supposed will, by the amputation of a limb, be disabled from kidnapping and plundering the loyal subjects of this state in future.
1 For notices of Lieut. Col. Abraham Van Buskirk and the Van Buskirk family, of Bergen county, see N. J. Archives, 2d Series, 1: 55.
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Tuesday last 28 sail of square-rigged British vessels put to sea from Sandy-Hook.
On the 12th instant a detachment of the enemy, con- sisting of about 60 men, belonging to Buskirk's corps, commanded by a Capt. Van Allen, by taking a circuitous rout surprised one of our guards posted at Little Ferry, near New-Barbadoes in Bergen county. It consisted of two non-commissioned officers and 10 privates of the Caro- lina brigade, and one of our militia; two of the former escaped, the others were made prisoners and carried to New-York.
We are told that the price of wheat, from the present prospect of very fine crops the ensuing season, has fallen Six Dollars per bushel; and we have no doubt this cir- cumstance will operate forcibly with respect to importa- tions from abroad, as the French, Dutch, and other nations, will be the more readily induced to come to our markets when they find the produce of the country falling so considerably.
On Saturday last Col. Bodo Otto, a Representative in Assembly for the county of Gloucester, was unfortunately thrown from his horse in this town, by which he was hurt so much as to be confined to his bed ever since. We are told, however, that he is at present in a likely way to recover.
We are sorry we cannot oblige Z, it being incon- sistent with our plan to admit pieces under the title pre- fixed to his performance. ยท His correspondence in another line would be very acceptable.
The piece for celebration of the festival of St. Tam- many, although far from being destitute of merit in it's way, may not be much relished by our moral readers.
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To whom it may concern :
THE subscriber being informed there are still remain- ing some of the nine months men of this State, who have not been furnished with their October bounty of cloath- ing :- These are therefore to inform such persons, that by procuring a certificate, signed by one of the Colonels of the New-Jersey brigade, signifying in what company they have served, the cloathing will be delivered to any one bearing such certificate, by applying to me at my house in Princeton.
Aprinl 26, 1779. ENOS KELSEY.
CAME to the plantation of Benjamin Skillman, at Grigg's-town, innholder, a red roan horse, his age uncer- tain, neither brand nor mark, his sides much rubbed with traces. The owner is desired to come and prove property, pay charges and take him away.
BENJAMIN SKILLMAN.1
The people concerned in capturing the sloop Success, are desired to meet me at Mr. Daniel Grigg's, at Tom's- River, on Thursday the 13th May next, to receive their proportion of the monies arising from the sales of said sloop and cargo.
All persons indebted for goods bought at the above sales, are requested to make immediate payment to Mr. Aheil Akin, at Tom's-River, or the subscriber in Cran- bury, that he may be enabled to close the accounts by the time above-mentioned.
JOS. POTTS, Marshal.
New-Jersey, April 26, 1779.
1 For some acount of the Skillman family, see N. J. Archives, 25 : 223.
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For SALE.
A TRACT of land containing 200 acres, lying near Mount- Pleasant, in the county of Monmouth, State of East New- Jersey, mostly woodland; there is some fresh meadow cleared and in fence. Any person inclining to purchase may view the land at any time, by applying to the sub- scriber, If not sold before the 8th day of May next, it will that day be set up at public auction, at the house of the widow Amy, at Middletown-Point, at which time and place the conditions of sale will be published by
RICHARD HARTSHORNE.1
April 19th, 1779.
RUNAWAY the 4th day of April last from the subscriber, living in Hunterdon county, State of New Jersey, a mu- latto negro man named Jupiter, a likely, tall, slim fellow, about 20 years old : Had on when he went away a French wool hat, about half worn, black and white mixed home- spun coattee, brown waistcoat, buckskin breeches, flannel shirt, mixed black and white homespun stockings, good shoes, and strokes his hair back. Whoever takes up the said negro and secures him in Trenton gaol, or delivers him to his master in the township of Amwell, shall receive Forty Dollars reward if taken in the county, if out of the county, Sixty Dollars.
DAVID JONES, Captain.
April 26, 1779.
State of New Jersey, WHEREAS, by virtue of an act of Hunterdon county. this State, the justices and free- holders of this county are empowered and directed to take charge of certain military stores belonging to said county,
1 For a sketch of the Hartshorne family, of Monmouth county, see N. J. Archives, 20 : 150.
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purchased by certain monies raised in consequence of an order of the Convention of this State, for raising Ten Thousand Pounds-NOTICE is hereby given to all persons within the county, with whom any part of said stores are lodged or entrusted, to attend their Board with full in- ventories thereof, at their annual meeting in May next, at which time also (that they may with more certainty learn in whose hands said stores are) the Chairman and Clerks of the county and township Committees who have any knowledge of the same, are desired to attend. And whereas by an ordinance passed in Trenton the twenty- eighth of October, 1775, the Captains of militia of this State were ordered to recover fines for neglect of military duty, and lay it out for arms: Those Captains who may have received any such fine or fines are desired to attend said Board at the time aforesaid, with a full and true account of all such fines and forfeitures, as also an account of all such sums laid out by them for arms.
By order of the Board,
JARED SEXTON, Clerk
April 26, 1779.
Burlington, April 26th 1779. To be sold by vendue on Tuesday the 18th day of May next (if not sold by private sale before) on the premises ;
THAT large and commodious house and lot in this city, known for a number of years by the name of the Stage- House, pleasantly situated on the river Delaware, near the town or market wharf .- The house consists of 6 rooms on the first floor, one of which fronts the river, and is large enough to dine 50 persons at once, and has an elegant gallery outside: The second story has 8 bed rooms. There is a kitchen with a pump of good water in it, a bake-house, stables and granary, and a wharf running back of the house, which with little expense in lengthening, would
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afford conveniences for shallops and flats to load and unload. The lot is 78 feet on River-Street, and extends that width to low water mark. The vendue to begin at 12 o'clock on said day. The title indisputable.
JOHN WILLS.
One Hundred Dollars Reward.
STOLEN out of the subscriber's stable, on the night of the 2d instant, April, a brown mare, 5 years old, trots and canters well, has neither brand nor artificial mark. Who- ever apprehends the mare with the thief, shall have the above reward, and for the mare only Fifty Dollars, and reasonable charges paid by me.
CALEB SWAYZE.
Oxford township, Sussex county, April 3, 1779.
STOLEN,
Our of the stable of Hugh Hunter, a dark brown horse, about fifteen hands high, a blaze in his forehead and snip, wall-eyed, switch tail, and docked late last fall, 5 years old this grass. Whoever takes up said horse so that the owner may have him again, shall have Forty Dollars reward, and all reasonable charges paid by me.
Hugh Hunter. Amwell, Hunterdon county, April 13th, 1779.
NOTICE is hereby given to all persons concerned, that the inhabitants of the township of Woodbridge and Pis- cataway, intend to offer a bill to the Legislature of this State at their present sitting, pursuant to leave [given] them by the honourable House of Assembly, for preventing persons living in the interior parts of the country from turning out their cattle to range on the uninclosed grounds
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within the said townships and the north ward of Amboy, and also for preventing the owners of lands in said town- ships from turning out more cattle than in proportion to the quantity and quality of land they possess.
Middlesex, April 27, 1779.
TO COVER,
At the subscribers, living in Somerset county, about two miles from Kough's-town, and adjoining the place where John Garrison, Esq, formerly lived, the noted HORSE
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SCIPIO,
FORMERLY kept by Mr. Gershom Lee, at Fifty Dollars the season. Good pasture will be provided for mares at a reasonable price, by
ROBERT LANNING,
N. B. As it is reported by designing persons that the above horse is not the noted SCIPIO, which Mr. Gershom Lee and T. Stout formerly owned. If so, those Gentle- men who put mares to him shall have the season gratis.
TO BE SOLD at public vendue, on Tuesday the 11th of May next, at two o'clock, at the house of Moses Tuttle, at Mount-Pleasant, twelve miles from Morris-Town and three from Mount Hope iron works, on a very public road, within a quarter of a mile of a good grist-mill;
FIVE-HUNDRED acres of land, with a small frame house ; 250 acres of which is excellent meadow, a great part has been, a black ash swamp, 200 acres ditched and in good fence; 150 acres cleared fit for the scythe and tilling. The whole is easily watered in the dryest season: It will produce as good hay, hemp, corn or rye as any land on the continent. The remainder is timber land, and a good out- let for cattle in the summer season. It will be sold alto-
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gether or in lots, as best suits the purchaser. A map of the whole will be shown on the day of sale, and an indis- putable title given by
April 19, 1779.
MOSES TUTTLE.
To be sold at private sale,
A VERY good four horse team: The horses are good, the waggon is as good as any in the State, and the gears are extraordinary good. Any person having a mind to purchase may know the price by applying to the sub- scriber living in Cranbury.
JOHN VAN KIRK.
Maidenhead, April 26, 1779.
ALL persons indebted to the estate of John Bainbridge,1 deceased, late of Height's-Town, in the county of Middle- sex, are requested to pay off their respective accounts, bonds, bills, &c., on or before the first day of June next ensuing, as after that day means will be taken for the recovery thereof, by
William Phillips, Surviving Executor.
N. B. Information is also given to those persons who have heretofore had their mares covered by LOFTY, that it is expected immediate payment will be made for the same to the subscriber, as he wants to close the partnership accounts. '
WILLIAM PHILLIPS.
1 John Bainbridge, perhaps the father of the above, was one of the signers, August 26, 1703, of an agreement of the settlers of Maiden and Hopewell, assenting and consenting to an agreement made April 20, 1703, between Dr. Daniel Coxe and Thomas Revell on behalf of the purchasers of the land within those places.
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THE subscribers who are indebted for this Gazette for 1778, will oblige the Printer by discharging their re- spective arrears. To facilitate this Duty, accounts have been made out and transmitted to the Gentlemen to whom the Packets were directed, and with whom the Individual Subscribers of each Packet are requested to settle their accounts.
It may not be amiss, here to remark, that the Price of this Gazette hath not exceeded one Half its Value ever since the regulating act was suspended, compared with that of the Necessaries of Life.
-The New Jersey Gazette, Wednesday, Vol. II., No. 73, April 28, 1779.
I TF ROBERT BOOTHE, Butcher, formerly of Tren- ton, who some years ago lived in New-York, and AGNES his wife will apply to William Backhouse, in New York, they will hear of something greatly to their advantage from Thomas Marsden, of Lancaster in Eng- land.
William Backhouse will be much obliged to any person who will inform him where Robert Boothe or Agnes his wife now live .- The Royal Gazette, No. 269, April 28, 1779.
TRENTON, April 28. We hear the commissioners, who lately met at Amboy to agree upon a cartel for a general exchange of prisoners, have broke up without effecting it.
Philadelphia, April 30. On Monday last, the 26th inst. about break of day, a detachment of British, consist- ing of seven hundred men, were discovered by a scouting party of col. Ford's coming up the North river, about half a mile below Red bank, who immediately gave the
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alarm. The enemy directly landed four hundred men at Painter's point, and about forty of them marched up to Shrewsbury; the remainder went about half a mile to the westward, and came out about Wm. Wardill's place, with a view to cut off the retreat of near three hundred of our people posted on that station. Col. Ford's party (un- certain of the enemy's force) retreated, and got about four hundred yards ahead of them; the enemy pursued them to the Falls, firing all the way, but could not overtake them. They then set fire to high sheriff Van Breenck's house, and a small house the property of and adjoining to col. Hendrickson's dwelling house, which were burnt to the ground. They also fired the houses of capt. Richard M'Knight and John Little, esq; but they were extin- guished by the activity of the inhabitants, before they had suffered much damage. The enemy then returned to Shrewsbury, plundering all the way to col. Breeze's whom they robbed of all his money and most of his plate, and at justice Holme's where they plundered and destroyed every thing they could lay their hands upon; and then retreated to their boats, a few militia firing on them. Then then went to Middleton, and joined three hundred who had crossed over there, when the four hundred marched to Shrewsbury, and staid till evening, burning a house and barn, and plundering some of the inhabitants. Col. Holmes had by this time assembled one hundred and forty of the militia, who drove them to their boats near the gut dividing the Highlands from Sandy Hook. One of the enemy was killed, and another taken prisoner. The enemy carried off with them justice Covenhoven and son, like- wise several others. They got off by sunset, and returned to New York, taking away some cattle and horses.1
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