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REPLY TO NEW CASTLE.

GENTLEMEN,

Boston, August 25th, 1774.

Your favor of 2d instant came to the hands of the Committee of Correspondence this week, and was by them handed to the Committee of Donations for an answer.

The state of this once flourishing and highly favored metropolis, is truly affecting, and we may say alarming; for Boston, though first struck at and oppressed, will hardly be the only Town, or Massachusetts the only Province, that shall feel the weight of ministerial vengeance. The Town really feels it at this present time, as it already hath almost three months, but, through the goodness of our God, who has all hearts in his hand, and can encourage and strengthen, or depress and intimidate as he pleaseth, we remain firm and undaunted, and through the kind influence of the same Infinite goodness and Almighty power, we shall go on and persevere, until we, though more immediate sufferers, and all our friends and brethren on this widely extended continent, shall reap the fruits, the happy fruits of our faith and patience, our zeal and firmness in the glorious cause of truth, righteousness and freedom.

It seems somewhat difficult for us to determine whether the oppression and cruelty of the Boston Port Bill, or the Christian sympathy and liberality of our dear friends and countrymen, (particularly in New Castle,) be most affecting. We must sum up what we have to offer on this head by saying, that you have greatly refreshed our spirits, and strengthened our hands, and we hope we shall not do any thing that shall incur a forfeiture of the love, confidence and affection of our brethren in New Castle and elsewhere. Your letter lays us under an additional obligation, by an implicit offer to furnish us with cash or raw materials, after having heard from us. 'Tis a well known saying, that money answers all things;" and yet, so it happens, sometimes, that some particular articles cannot be had for money. Either cash, iron, hemp or flax, may be sent, as our friends shall find most convenient. It is not easy, on first thought, nor indeed after considerable inquiry, to say with any

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degree of precision, what may be "the number of poor inhabitants distressed by means of the Boston Port Bill, and what sum might be necessary to relieve them annually."

Thus much we can say, that before the Port Bill, the annual charge for support of the Town's poor was about twenty-four hundred pounds, our lawful money. But the number of the poor, by means of the humane Port Bill, is doubtless increased in a twofold, if not threefold proportion, and considerable numbers, who, three months ago, lived very comfortably, are now spending on the little they had laid up against a rainy day, but have not yet made their cases known.

We have not time to add, save to request your acceptance of our most grateful acknowledgments for such expressions of benevolence and generosity; and that you will daily supplicate the throne of grace, that God would show us his mercy, and cause us to rejoice in his great salvation.

We are, with great esteem, Gentlemen,

Your much obliged, humble servants,

DAVID JEFFRIES, per order.

P. S.-You will please to transcribe so much of this letter, and forward our brethren of Kent and Sussex Counties, as you may think proper.

To Thomas McKean, Esqr., and others,

Committee of Correspondence for New Castle.

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GENTLEMEN,

LETTER TO KENT COUNTY.

Boston, August 25th, 1774.

A very kind, affectionate, sympathizing letter from the Committee of Correspondence for New Castle, Delaware, dated August 2d inst., has this week come to hands of the Committee of Donations, through the Committee of Corresfpondence for this Town, to whom said letter was directed. The Committee of Delaware write that "the Committee of

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Correspondence for the Counties of Kent and Sussex,' have adopted the same measures with them, and expect our answers also; and, that if we are pleased to inclose our letters for you, to them, they shall take care to forward them.

As we are straitened for time, we hope you will excuse us if we refer you in part to our letter to said Committee for Newcastle, Delaware, and transcribe some part nearly of what we wrote to them, as follows: Your letter lays us under an additional obligation, by an implicit offer to furnish us with cash or raw material, after having learned from us. 'Tis a well known saying, that "money answers all things," and yet, so it happens, sometimes, that some articles cannot be had for money. Either cash, iron, hemp, or flax, may be sent, as our friends shall find most convenient. It is not easy to say, with any degree of precision, what may be the "number of poor inhabitants distressed by means of the Boston Port Bill, and what sum may be necessary to relieve them annually."

Thus much we can say, that before the Port Bill, the annual charges for support of the Town's poor, were about twenty-four hundred pounds, lawful money, but the number of poor by means of the humane Port Bill, is doubtless increased in a twofold, if not threefold proportion, and, considerable numbers who three months ago lived very comfortably, are now spending on the little they had laid up against a rainy day, but have not made their cases known.

We have not time to add, save to request your acceptance of our most grateful acknowledgment for such expressions of benevolence and generosity; and that you will daily supplicate the throne of grace, that God would show us his mercy, and cause us to rejoice in his great salvation.

We are, with great esteem, Gentlemen,

Your much obliged, humble servant,

DAVID JEFFRIES, per order.

To the Committee of Correspondence for the County of Kent.

N. B.-A copy of this letter was sent to the County of Sussex, on Delaware.

SIR,

LETTER TO BROOKFIELD.

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Boston, August 3d, 1774.

The Committee appointed by this Town to receive donations for the relief of our poor, suffering by the shutting up this port, have this day received by the hands of Mr. Roger Willington, 8 bushels of rye and 10 bushels Indian corn, as a donation from several gentlemen of Brookfield; but as we received no letter advising us who we are particularly obliged to for this kind present, we take this opportunity to request you will please to return the sincere thanks of this Town to all those Gentlemen that contributed towards this donation. We esteem it a

confirmation of that union and friendship which subsists at this time, and is of the utmost importance to secure the rights and liberties of this Province and indeed of all America. We shall endeavor to distribute the donations of our friends to the best advantage to promote industry 1 and harmony in this Town. Wishing you the rewards that attend the generous,

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We are, with great respect and gratitude, Sir, your friends and servants,

Mr. Joseph Gilbert, of Brookfield.

SAM. ADAMS.

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LETTER OF THE COMMITTEE.

Boston, August 3d, 1774.

You are desired by the Committee of the Town of Boston, appointed to receive and distribute the donations for the employment and relief of the sufferers by the Boston Port Bill, to ship one hundred casks of the rice shipnped from South Carolina for that purpose, now at Salem, to this Town, and to sell the remainder, or any part of it, for cash, if you can, at a suitable price.

ent.

By order of the Committee,

EDW'D L'D SANDERS, Clerk.

Capt. Fortisque Vernon, and Mr. Thomas Crafts, Jun.

GENTLEMEN,

LETTER FROM BALTIMORE.'

Baltimore, Aug. 4th, 1774.

By order of the Committee of Correspondence for this Town, we have shipped on board the sloop America, Perkins Allen, master, three thousand bushels of corn, twenty barrels of rye flour, two barrels of pork, and twenty barrels of bread, for the relief of our brethren, the distressed inhabitants of your Town, being in virtue of a subscription raised by the inhabitants of Baltimore Town, on that

account.

1 In Maryland, the intelligence of the passage of the Port Bill, excited general indignation. On the 18th of May, at a meeting of "a number of gentlemen" at Talbot Court House, it was resolved to unite with their fellow-subjects in any constitutional way "to avert the evils" threatened Boston, by this Act. On the 25th of May, a meeting of "the inhabitants of the city of Annapolis," resolved "it was the unanimous opinion of this meeting, that the Town of Boston is now suffering in the common cause of America." Charles Carroll, William Paca, and Samuel Chase, were of the Committee chosen at this meeting.

Public meetings were subsequently held in all the Counties. On the 30th of May, the inhabitants of Queen Anne's County declared "that they look upon the cause of Boston, in its consequences, to be the common cause of America." On the 2d of June, the inhabitants of Kent County, met at Chestertown; chose a large Committee of Correspondence; and directed this Committee to select delegates to meet the delegates from the other Counties, "in one grand Provincial Committee" at Annapolis. The official account of this meeting reads:— "The gentlemen of the Committee, being moved with the most tender sympathy for their suffering brethren of Boston, particularly of the laboring poor, who are deprived of the means of supporting themselves and families, by the operation of the Act for blocking up their harbor, opened a subscription for their relief, which in a short time was filled up to a considerable amount, and is left in the hands of the chairman to be collected and shipped to them in such articles of provisions as may be most wanted, whenever it shall be necessary." At a meeting of the inhabitants of Harford County, on the 11th of June, it was " Voted, That we will join in an association of the other Counties, to send relief to the poor and distressed inhabitants of Boston, to enable them firmly to persevere in defence of the common cause."

The Essex Gazette of June 27, contains the following extract from a letter written by a member of the Chestertown Committtee, dated 7th June, 1774 :— "The Inhabitants of this County had a general meeting the second instant, and it gave much pleasure to see how heartily they sympathized with Boston. Twenty-five gentlemen were appointed a Committee of Correspondence, among whom I have the honor to be named. After the business was over, a subscription was proposed to the Committee, which was most cheerfully adopted, and they subscribed, some £20, others £10, and none less than £5, to be laid out in provisions, and forwarded for the use of such poor people as are reduced to necessity by the cruel hand of oppression. My advice was to send off a load of corn, without giving any notice of it, which I concluded would be an agreeable surprise to Boston. Words are said to be cheap, but it is universally allowed, that

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