Commonwelth } To The Honourable Senate and the house
of massachusetts} of Representatives in Genaral Court assembled
att their Next session.
A Petition of the Subscribors Humbly Sheweth--
That in the time of the Late War being desirous to defend secure
And promote the Wrights and Liberties of the people We spared
no pains but freely granted all that aid and assistance of Every
kind that our Civel fathers Required of us
We are sencable also that A great Debt is Justly brought upon
Us by the War and we are as Willing to pay our share towards
itt as We are to injoy our shars in independancy and Constatutional
priveledges in the commonwelth if itt Was in our power
And We believe that if prudant mesuers ware taken and A moderate
quantety of medium to Circulate so that our property might sel
for the real Value we mite in proper time pay sddebt
But with the greatest submittion we beg leave to informe your Hon.
that unless something takes place more favourable to the people in
A Little time att Least one half of our inhabitents in our oppinion Will
Become bankerupt how can itt be otherwise. the tax collector?
Vandoing our property, both Real and personal our Land after
itt is prised by the best Judges under oath is sold for about one third
of the Value of itt our cattle about one half theValue the best ingles?
Hay thirteen shilings pd tone intervale hay att six shillings pd
tone and other things att the same Rate: and we beg leave fur-
-ther to informe you honours that sutes att Law are very numerous
and the atturneys in our oppinion Very Extravigent and oppresive
in their demands: and when we Compute the taxes Laid upon us the
five preceeding years the State & County town and class taxes the
ammount is Equil to What our farms Will Rent for sirs in
This situation What have We to Live on: No money to be had: our
Estates dayly polled and sold as above Described What can your honours
Ask of us unless A paper Currancy or some other meadium be provided
so that we may pay our taxes and Debts suerly your Honours are
not Strangers to the Distresses of the people but Doe know
That maney of our good Inhabitents are now Confined in
gole for Debt and for taxes: maney have fled others wish-
-ing to flee to the State of New york or some other
State and we believe that for Five years past four inhabitents
have Removed from this State to some other state to one that
has come from ones other state to settle in this state.
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