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Petition to the General Court from the Town of Dracut

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Commonwealth of Massachusetts

To the Hon.ble Senate & House of Representatives in
General Court Assembled.

The Petition of the Inhabitants of the town of Dracut Hum=
bly Sheweth, that We: many of us, in the course of the late War,
by Means of the repeted calls of Government for Men & Money,
which we ever Endeavoured with Exertion & Punctuallity to obey
we became Indebted by Private contracts as well as by our large
Public Debt: and altho we attend ever so closely to Oeconemy Fruga=
lity & Industry, unless Debtors are Permitted to pay their Private
Debts with Property, both real & Personal, we conceive it will be out
of the Power of a great part of the Community, as well as the In=
habitants of this town, to Extricate themselves from the Labyrinth
of Debt into which they are fallen; for Money which at Present is
the only tender to discharge Debts, seems to have taken its flight
to some other Country; or hid itself in the secret Confines of those
who have a greater love of their own Interest, then they have to that
of their Neighbours: while Individuals are Constantly hauled
away to Goal for Debt, without any regard to the offers of ?
Debter to discharge the same by resigning up his Property, ?
to remain untill they spend their Estates, or part with the ?
for a very small Proportion of the real Value; and in either case
their Families reduced to Poverty & Distress which we esteem?
a Grevious burden that ought to be removed. We do not wish any
thing to be done that will Prevent the honest Creditor from receiving
his dues; but desire that Justice may take place, even if Ruin
should be the Consequence. And that oppression may be discoun=
tenanced by the Legeslature; and the Oppressed releived from the
Grueling Yoke We Earnestly request your Honors to Pass an Act
early in your next Setting: Making Personal Estate of all kinds
and real Estate where there is no Personal (except the Necessary
utentials