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PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE.
Committee-Chamber, March 6, 1776.
The several District 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 those articles is artificial, and that several persons, whose names are returned to this Committee, but from tenderness to their families are not published, have formed a cruel design to add to the distresses of their suffering fellow-citizens and country, by collecting great quantities of and exacting exorbitant prices for the above articles; a conduct at any time shameful, but at a period of publick calamity most barbarous and oppressive, 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 base and mercenary practices; and for that purpose have fixed the under-mentioned prices as just, reasonable, and generous, respect being, had to the publick as well as the seller of such goods; and if any persons shall be so lost to virtue, honour, and the publick good, as to demand greater prices for the above articles, now imported, than are hereinafter limited, or shall
The Committee, therefore, do request all persons, of whom demands are made above the prices limited, or who shall be refused to purchase as above, immediately to make their case known to some of the Committee, when such offender, being convicted before a general meeting of the Committee, will soon experience what are the feelings and resentment of an injured and insulted people.
Common West-India Rum, four Shillings and six Pence per hogshead, or greater quantity.
Molasses, two Shillings per hogshead.
Country Rum, two Shillings and six Pence per hogshead.
Coffee, eleven Pence by the bag or bale.
Cocoa, five Pounds per hundred.
Chocolate, sixteen Pence per pound.
Pepper, five Shillings, per pound, by the bag or bale.
Loaf Sugar, single, fourteen Pence per pound.
Lump Sugar, one Shilling.
Muscovado Sugar, first, sixty-five Shillings per hundred, and other qualities in proportion.
Salt, Lisbon, four Shillings per single bushel, or greater quantity.
Liverpool Blown Salt, five Shillings per single bushel, or greater quantity.
Jamaica Spirits, of common quality, five Shillings and six Pence per gallon.
The prices of goods, hereafter imported, will be put on a proper footing by the Committee, according to the circumstances of such importation.
Ordered to be published by the Committee of Inspection and Observation for the City and Liberties of Philadelphia.
J˙ B˙SMITH, Secretary.
Prices of Sundry Articles of Merchandise
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refuse to sell such articles under false pretences of exportation, pre-engagement, or otherwise, in order to avail themselves of the scarcity of such goods, and enhance the price, this Committee do declare that they will expose such persons, by name, to publick view, as sordid vultures, who are preying on the vitals of their country in a time of general distress.