Passed June 7, 1779

Whereas one Robert Allen,1 late a Captain in the Continental Regiment raised by this State, late commanded by Col. Ichabod 2 Alden deceased, is apprehended upon a Charge of Forgery and defrauding several Towns within this State of large Sums of Money, upon Pretence of having inlisted divers Soldiers into the Continental Service on their Account, and as the Attorney-General has informed this Court that the Witnesses against the said Allen cannot at present be had, by reason of their residing at a distance from Boston, where the said Allen is now committed to Gaol for further examination; and whereas there was found upon the said Allen, when he was formerly apprehended and made his Escape, a considerable Sum of Money which by the Council was ordered into the keeping of the Sheriff of the County of Suffolk, and another Sum of Money, together with a Loan Office Certificate has now also been found upon him; and whereas it is highly reasonable that the Government should be reimbursed the Costs and Expences they have been at in apprehending the said Allen, and may further expend in prosecuting him upon the said Charges: Therefore

Resolved, That the said Allen be and remain committed unto the Gaol aforesaid until the Attorney-General may have an opportunity to procure the Witnesses against said Allen, provided that he shall not stand committed for that Cause after the next Term of the Superior Court of Judicature, &c. to be held at Boston in and for the County of Suffolk. And be it further

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Resolved, That the Sheriff for the same County be and he hereby is directed to receive and retain in his Hands all the said Monies and Certificate, to the End that the Costs, Charges and Expences aforementioned be paid and satisfied out of the same, and the Residue, if any, be subject to the future Order of the Court.3

Printed as Chapter 58 [1779–1780] in The Acts and Resolves, Public and Private, of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay, 1779–1780 (Boston, 1922), 30.

1.

Robert Allen was commissioned as captain in the 7th Massachusetts Continental Regiment under Col. Ichabod Alden, on Jan. 1, 1777. He resigned on Sept. 3, 1778 (Heitman, Officers of the Continental Army, 59, 61).

2.

Brackets reproduced from the 1922 printed edition of Acts and Resolves, which supplied Alden’s first name from Mass. Soldiers and Sailors of the Rev. War, 1:107.

3.

This case was not heard at the subsequent session of the court, which occurred on Aug. 31 or thereafter (Superiour Court of Judicature Minute Books, Suffolk County, Aug. 1779. Massachusetts Judicial Archives, Boston, Mass.).

June 1779? 1 Freinds and Fellow Citizens,

Your Representatives in General Court Assembled The General Assembly of this State have already expressed their high Sence of the Importance of the late address of Congress to the Inhabitants of the United States of America by directing the most effectual measures to have it made known to the Inhabitants of this State with great pleasure we find the public attention so rouzed by the Importance of the Subject matter thereof The depreciation state of our Currency hath often been the Occasion of Laws & regulations of Government for remedying that evil, but the various Sentiments of the Good People of this State & the other States on such expedients have been so various as to render them all abortive. Can the best Laws without the Support of the People suppress an Evil or produce a Good? If the Legislative Body of the United States or of any perticular State point out to the Inhabitants the necessity of their spirited Exertions for their own Preservation where must the blame be thrown if the good end be not produced? is it not evident that an Attention to private Interest has been carried to that length as to reduced the public Welfare to distressing Circumstances? Can Private 94 Interest be secure when public credit is tottering? it is therefore with great pleasure that we find the public Attention so far rouzed engaged by the late Address of Congress. Can you give a more convincing proof of your Approbation of the Same, of your Country Love to your Country & your Countrys Cause and even of your Love to your selves & private Interest than by a spirited attentive Endeavour Exertion to carry into execution the recommendations of it, can he be a freind to his Country or even to himself who doth not? if the prices of all Commodities are equally reduced is not every Man as rich as he was before if the quantity of Money be reduced in the Same proportion? is not a want of Confidence not only between Merchant & Farmer but also between Merchant & Merchant & Farmer & Farmer between a man & his Neighbour a prevailing obstacle to the reducing prices by Agreement? will not general Engagements Conferences sincere Engagements & Spirited Inspections remove this Obstruction? Can the public Treasury of the United States be supplied witho. Taxing, loaning, or Emissions, will not further emissions have a tendency to injure the bills already Current; must not our Taxes be large in proportion to the quantity of circulating bills, must not the remainder of the sum necessary for current public Expence of the War be made up by loaning? Can therefore the holders of money bills Apply them to a better use then by placing them in the Continental Loan Office in such quantities as to prevent the necessity of further Emissions? if the depreciation of bills of Credit has Arisen from the largeness of the Emissions must not further emission be prevented, & can that be done but by returning the bills to the public Treasury. To the speedy & spirited Attention of the good People of this State We recomend these Matters expecting that Answer by corresponding Conduct to the above Queries wch. your good Sence, self Interest & love to yr. Country must dictate, expecting that Simular exertions will take place thrô the other States that our evils which arise from that general behaviour of the people will be speedily relieved by their Good Will & Virtue. And that the Influence & Assistance of the Legislative Authority of this State may not be wanting to promote & support the exertions of the Good People of this State it is hereby Recomended to the Good people of this State of all Orders & Occupations to assist Countenance & support by public Conferrences, Sincere Engagement & prudent spirited inspections & all other discreet ways in their power the carrying into execution the important matters recomended by the late address of Congress & particularly by Appoint­95 ing Suitable persons in the Several Towns to recieve from Any persons therein Such Sum or Sums of money Current Bills of Credit of the United States of America as they are willing to put into the Continental Loan Office for the purposes aforsaid.

Dft. ; endorsed: “Draft of Address of Genl. Court to People in aid of Address of Congress—on the Currency.”

1.

This appears to be a response to a congressional address, dated May 26, which was presented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives on June 11 and printed in the Boston Gazette of June 21. The address resulted in a convention at Concord on July 14 to set prices. RTP, then a member of the House, probably intended this to be a newspaper response, but it was never published.