I Have peruſed your Letter, Intituled, The Diſtreſſed State of the Town of Boſton, and think the Title doth anſwer the Matters of Fact therein contained; which are too obvious to every Man to be deny'd, and therefore I believe all Men will be of Opinion that it was high time ſome body did begin, and ſhew the Poverty and Oppreſſion which is breaking in like a Flood upon us. I have lately Travell'd into livers parts of the Country, and convers'd with many Principle Men there, and find them all to be very different in Opinion from thoſe who have pretended to give Anſwer to yours in the News-Letter, the 18th of April, and ſince in a Pamphlet dated 23d. of ſame Month, Intituled, Some Remarks on yours, and indeed I think the Author did well to put in the Word, Some: for thoſe Things which there was moſt need of clearing up, he hath not thought proper to touch upon, perhaps he ſaw he was not able to give any ſatisfactory Anſwer thereto, and ſo thought (as any wiſe Man would) that it would be moſt prudent to paſs them over in ſilence, and indeed no Man of common underſtanding, who compares your Letter with the pretended Anſwers will ſay, that the Anſwers any way clear up the Difficulties you complain of. So that your Letter ſtands good, and will do ſo in the Opinion of every Judicious Reader, until a clearer and fuller Anſwer appear. I have alſo ſeen a piece of ſulled paper, Intituled, The Poſtcript, which I haſtily ran over, but thought it not worth while to give it a ſecond reading, being ſenſible that none but ſome very mean wretch could be ſo ſimple to think the Cauſe (of which he would be thought a Patron) could receive any benefit by the railing of ſuch a Rabſhica. However, I put it in my Pocket, thinking it might ſerve (as dirty as it was,) for a neceſſary occaſion; but Sir, I can aſſure you, you'l ſuffer nothing by ſuch Scurrility, for I find you are juſtifyed by Men of every Rank and Order, and it is the cry of (by far the greateſt part) both of Town and Country, that your Letter was a word in ſeaſon, and that you have done well in appearing in this critical Juncture.

I think it no Difficult matter to Anſwer the Anſwer's, but it will take up too much of my Time, and indeed what they have written, are moſtly Evaſions, Miſrepreſentations and Amuſements, and perhaps ſome Miſtakes, to which the Gentleman owns he is as liable as you are. He ſaith you have repreſented Things in a ſmart and moving manner, by which I perceive he thought that the Town felt the Truth of what you have written, and therefore would readily fall in with it; This ſeems to be his great fear and perplexity thro' the whole Epiſtle, and therefore he ſaith your heart waxed hot within you, and inliven'd and ſharpen'd your Expreſſion: Though I confeſs I don't ſee you have exceeded that way any more than the nature of the Thing required; for it being ſo Melancholy a Theame you were upon, I think it look'd well enough to ſhew your Reſentments againſt ſome Evils you complain of by a ſuitable warmth of Expreſſion.

As to the ill uſe which have been made of our Province Bills, and the unhappy Conſequences reſulting therefrom, I ſhall not run into the Argument, it being nothing to the preſent Caſe, but I can't but obſerve that it is the Opinion of every Body I hear diſcourſe on that Subject, that the Province Bills received their deadly wound the Day they were firſt invented, but had they been then made a lawful Tender, or had there been then a Law made that no Man ſhould have been Impriſoned who tendered the Province Bills for ſatisfaction, the Poor Men who received 'em for Wages in the Canada Expedition would not have loſt Fifty per Cent, by them: And indeed I am of Opinion if Merchants had then made a Bank, and given out their Bills, theſe Poor Men would have fared much better then they did with the Province Bills, for the Merchants would have been for ſupporting the Credit of their own Bills, whereas it was their Intereſt to run down the value of the Publick Bills, in order to get Money by them; and this hath always been the great Argument with me why a Private Bank muſt be better than a Publick; A Private Bank would be in the hands of a multitude of Men whoſe Intereſt it would be to ſupport the Credit of there Bills, whereas it is and always will be the intereſt of every private Man to undervalue the Publick Bills, by ſelling his Silver to the higheſt bidder: And it is this in a great meaſure that hath raiſed the price of Silver to Twelve Shillings per Ounce.

I am fully of the Gentlemans mind, that the Diſtreſſed State of the Trade of Boſton is not owing to the want of Province Bills, for I ſay it was an unhappy Day wherein they were firſt invented, but the diſtreſſed State of the Town of Boſton, which is what you talk of, is owing to the want of ſome better Medium of Exchange, and I am ſure you are right in ſaying, that it is impoſſible the Town or Country can ſubſiſt without ſome Medium or other, And Two Hundred Thouſand Pounds in this large Country is but as a ſprat in a Whales Belly; One would think there could not be leſs that that in the Countrymans Cheſts to buy Land with.

The Gentleman don't wonder the Trade of Boſton declines, and expects it will yet do ſo, And I am of his Opinion. He ſaith ſeveral other Places in this and other Provinces are got into a foreign Trade of late; But he dont tells us that our Burthening Trade with heavy Duties, hath been in a great meaſure the cauſe of it, whilſt our Neighbours court Trade, and endeavour to encourage the Trader, and find their Account therein, for by under-ſelling us they ſupply thoſe Places who formerly depended on us, ſo that we have loſt the advantage we formerly reap'd by ſupplying our Neighbours, and thoſe alſo who they now ſupply.

But the Gentleman makes a great noiſe about our giving Twelve Shillings per Ounce for Silver, and ſaith we have Province Bills to buy up all the produce of the Country and all the Silver and Gold beſides; By which I find he knows little of Trade of this Country. As to the Silver and Gold, I ſuppoſe a ſmall Sum of Money will buy up all that comes in; I don't believe there is Three Thouſand Pounds per Annum, comes into the Province, ſo that could it all be kept and not a Penny Ship'd off again, unleſs it came in faſter then it doth now, we ſhould not have Silver enough for a Medium to manage our Trade, in leſs then Two or Three Hundred Years. But further I muſt tell that Gentleman, that if the Fiſh which is made in the Country in one Year lay in one Pile, and all our Province Bills in another, I am of opinion that the Bills would not be ſufficient to pay for that one Article, ſo vaſtly ſhort is the Gentleman in his Computation.

The Gentleman ſeems very much concern'd at your touching upon the Law made to ſhorten Credit. I find it is a tender point by the Treatment you have lately met with on that account; and therefore I ſhall wave it, and only ſay, That in my apprehenſion no Man could have juſtify'd the good intentions of the Government more than you have done; you only ſhew the Advantages ſome People have taken therefrom to oppreſs their Neighbours, and your Anſwerer don't deny the Truth of what you aſſert. I hope none will blame you for comparing it with the Scriptures, that being the Eternal Rule of Righteouſneſs, by which we muſt all be juſtify'd or condemn'd.

The Gentleman ſeems afraid that every Bodies Belly is not full of the Publick Bank, but I am fully of your Opinion that it is ſo; And joyn alſo with your Anſwerer that it never did no good; and add further, nor never will do any: For which Reaſon I hope if ever we have any more Bills, they will be on another foot, and as that Gentleman ſaith, they imagine a vain Thing who think the Loan Money they have Borrow'd will be paid by the Province. I think it very unjuſt for any to deſire it, and very idle for 'em to expect it.

The Gentleman tells us, That the Silver and Gold will always be Bought up and Shipp'd off while we have ſuch plenty of Bills. As if the plenty of Bills were the cauſe thereof, no my Friend, it is the ſcarcity of Returns is the cauſe. He does not conſider we have loſt our Bay Trade, which was a great Article in our Returns. Our Newfoundland Trade and other Branches are in a great meaſure cut off by the high Prizes our Proviſions bare here of late, and this hath run up the Prizes of Returns, and the reaſon European Goods are ſo high of late, is (1) Becauſe there is not near ſo many Imported as formerly, though the Country is growing daily, and Expends vaſtly, and (2) The Scarcity of Returns help alſo to keep up their Prizes, and what Silver comes in is accounted as Merchandize, and Bought up as other Returns are, and ſo hath been for a long time. We all know that there hath not been any Silver paſſing in Pay 〈◊〉 theſe many Years.

The Gentleman tells us, That there is a Cry made of hoarding up the Bills at ſome Convenient Seaſons, but don't ſay what Seaſons thoſe are, ſo that we are left in the dark as to that matter. But he goes on and talks of the Merchants hoarding up the Bills to buy Silver, and putting off there Tradesmen with Goods, and keeping 'em out of their Money part with this Excuſe, that the Bills are hoarded up; as if it were the Men who employ'd the Poor who hoard up the Bills, But I muſt tell the Gentleman, it is not thoſe who are concerned in Shipping and employ the greateſt part of the Town that drive this Trade; it is a Sett of Men among us who live only by Buying up Bills of Exchange, and Silver and Gold, and bid upon one another, and ſo advance the Exchange, and the Price of Silver and Gold alſo, and theſe are the Men who Import the fineries and gue gaus he ſpeaks of, who indeed ſerve more to hurt us than to help us.

Well, I find the only Project the Gentleman can contrive for a Medium of Exchange to paſs amongſt us is, To leave of truſting, That he tells us will do the Buſineſs; But I can put him in a way which will do our Buſineſs much ſooner, and a way as likely to take Effect and that is to leave off Eating, Drinking, and Wearing, and then there will be an end of Buying and Selling, and this is as likely for ſuch a Place as this, or indeed any other Place who lives by Trade, to live without Truſting. Perhaps the Gentleman is a Sallary Man, and ſo don't know much about Truſting: But if ſo I believe I may venture to tell him, if we have not ſome Medium or other contrived, Sallary Men will feel it as much as others very quickly.

〈◊〉 to the Reaſons the Gentleman gives againſt a 〈…〉 think they are not unanſwerable. How •••• 〈…〉 enter upon the Argument leaſt I ſhould be thought to drive that matter too far: I only far, That I always was and ſtill am of your Opinion, that a Private Bank under the Inſpection of the Government would have been much better than the way we have been in, and ſo you ſay in your Letter; you there propoſe that the Government ſhould Encourage and Support it by ſuitable Laws, whith takes off the Force of the Anſwerers great Objection againſt it, Viz. That it will be in the Power of the Bankers to accompliſh any of their own private Deſigns, without the Governments being able to reſtrain 'em.

But I find the Gentleman miſtakes your Propoſal of Fortifying our Expoſed Settlements, and ſaith, Peoples going into New Plantations where they could not raiſe their own Proviſions hath raiſed the Price with us, and ſo far he is right: But you only propoſed ſecuring what are Setled from the Inſults of the Heathen who are ready to devour them. But though it may have been ſome inconveniency that there have been ſo many New Settlements of late I hope we ſhall ſoon find the good Effect thereof, and doubt not but that they will now feed themſelves and help feed us alſo.

I muſt own with the Gentleman in the News-Letter, that we have been too Extravagant in our Buildings, Cloathing, Furniture, and Tables, and I confeſs it is a fault to exceed in theſe Things; But Solomon tells us, That there is nothing better under the Sun then for a Man to Eat and Drink, and Enjoy the good of his Labour: So that I believe we ought not to be ſordidly Covetous, and deny our ſelves the Comfort of what we Work for, but Eat and Drink as our Circumſtances will afford, ſo as not to abuſe the Favour of Heaven to Voluptuouſneſs. But this wretched Trade of Half Money and Half Goods hath inſenſibly run People into this Extravagancy, and ſtill keep 'em in it; for what ſhall they do with their Notes to Shops, they can't Eat or Drink them, they muſt improve 'em in ſuch ways as I have before mentioned or utterly loſe 'em: And the Country will by and by feel as great, if not greater miſchiefs from this want of a Medium then we have felt, and in matters of greater Conſequence, for when the Bills are all in (which will not be long firſt) they muſt ſell their Produce for Shop Goods, or keep 'em and eat 'em all themſelves; and that we can't allow of neither, for then we muſt ſtarve, and rather than do ſo, we ſhall be ſo wicked as to Borrow of our Country Friends and never Pay. And if they Sell them for Goods they muſt wear 'em, they can't Merchandize with 'em becauſe there will be no Money to Buy with: What then will be the Conſequences but Sloth and Idleneſs, they will have no Uſe for their Wool or their Flax, their Shop Notes will be more than they will Expend. Their Children will be viciated for want of Buſineſs, and in another Generation will looſe all that Spirit and Life which diſtinguiſhes Free Men from Slaves, and will be brought to that ſordidneſs and meanneſs of Soul, which appears in Ireland, and ſome other Places, where the Poor couch like an Aſsunder his Burthen at the ſigh of one of there Land-Lords, though the Man (ſet his Eſtate aſide) is no better than the meaneſt of them And theſe I fear will be the miſerable Conſequence reſulting from the want of a Medium.

I muſt joyn with the Gentleman in this that it was or the preſſing Importunity of the Trading part, that the General Aſſembly conſented to the Publick Loan or Bank and therefore I ſuppoſe it was them you allude to when you talk of there being ſhort ſighted. But I preſume the Gentleman will acknowledge, that the Reaſon of there urging that matter was becauſe the ſaw they ſhould be ruined in their Trade if they had no Medium, and the Government had cruſh'd the Private Bank, and therefore their Caſe being almoſt Deſperate they were glad to lay hold of any thing to ſave themſelves from Drowning.

Again that Gentleman tells us, That at a Town Meeting in Boſton, the Private Bank was rejected by a great Majority of the Voters; I well remember I was there but I could not ſee ſuch a mighty diſproportion in the Votes; had it came to a written Pole, I am of Opinion they would have proved pretty equal. Put if the People did not ſee ſo clearly into the Difference then, I am well ſatisfied they have felt it ſince by an unhappy Experience that there Underſtanding was then in the dark.

The Gentleman goes on and ſaith, That the Private Bank hath been Burried a great many Years; and I make no doubt but it hath ſo been with himſelf and ſome others, and they have ſo far Burried the Publick Bank alſo that both Town and Country are half ruin'd, and if a Private Bank or ſome other Medium be not Brought on to ſupport us, we ſhall ere we are aware, be plunged into the moſt direful Circumſtances that ever poor People were in. He talks of endleſs miſchiefs and confuſions the Private Bank would have involved us in, but gives us no one Inſtance wherein: I find they are all for General Terms when they come upon that Head and don't care to deſcend to Particulars.

The Gentleman ſeems ſorry for our Diſtreſſed Circumſtances, But don't project any thing for our Relief; This is only ſaying to us, Be ye warmed and be ye cloathed; But where is the charitable Samaritan that Binds up our Wounds, and takes Compaſſion on us. I am ſure I am fond of no Bank of one ſort or other, if any thing elſe can be projected which may Effectually Relieve us, but I am not for Lying down and Dying in theſe Circumſtances. We are Bare and muſt be Fed, and if one Project will not do, we muſt try another, and then another, as the Phyſician doth with his Languiſhing Patient; and not neglect until Death ſeize us and we be paſt Remedy, which will ſoon be our Caſe.

But what could the Gentleman mean by ſaying, That by your Projecting the Building Bridges, Fortifications, &c. one would not think our Circumſtances ſo diſtreſſed as you pretend: Could he think any Man of common ſenſe could read that part of your Letter and not charge him with triffling; is not your Propoſal all along to bring out a Medium of Exchange, that the Poor may be employed & their Families kept from ſtarving, which they muſt do if there be not ſome Medium to Buy Neceſſaries withal. I am as uneaſy as others at the thoughts of Intailing a Debt on my Poſterity, but better be in Debt than Dye, Skin for Skin, all that a Man hath will he give for his Life: But I confeſs I don't ſee ſuch a mighty Inconveniency neither, in leaving my Son an Hundred Pounds to pay if I leave him ſo much the more to diſcharge it. I acknowledge it is juſt to pay our Debts, and wiſe and prudent to pay the Old Score, but I think it as prudent to look forward and conſider how we ſhall Live when the Bills are all in. There will not be then a Farthing of Money to Buy a morſel of Bread for this great Multitude.

Well, the Gentleman joyns with you in Opinion in one Article, he tells you he is for incouraging Manufactures But I am ſorry to ſee his mean contracted Spirit; he tells you he hopes they ſhall Raiſe their own Proviſions, and Wear their own Clothing, and ſo live out of Debt, ſo that I find he is for having the Town and Country independent of each other; for he don't pretend they ſhall raiſe more than they uſe, & as for us we may go naked and ſtarve.

The Gentleman ſaith, That the main Spring & Deſign of your Letter was to Influence in the Choice of Repreſentatives in the Country; I rather think it was to ſet the ſad Condition the Town and Country is in for want of a Medium of Exchange, in a true Light, and the Poverty, Miſery and Oppreſſion which is breaking in upon us; and indeed the Country groans under it almoſt as much as the Town, and ſay they can't improve their Lands for want of Labourers, and they can neither Buy nor Hire, becauſe they can't get Money; whereas if Money were plenty they could improve much more of their Lands, & conſequently raiſe abundantly more, and their Lands would grow more valuable, and ſo could afford to Sell cheaper to the Merchants, and yet be gainers by the Bargain; but for want of this Medium we can expect no other but that ſhortly their Fields will be as the Field of the Sluggard overgrown with Tares.

The Gentleman tells you the Governour and Council will give you no Thanks for your Sugar Plumbs, as he is pleas'd to call them. I hope and believe you were Sincere in your Proteſtations, I never knew you were any Party Man; and I wiſh from my heart that ſome Method may be found for our relief to prevent Party-making amongſt us; it grieves me to ſee our Diviſions which are daily increaſing, and which tend only to our ruin; whereas if we would but Unite, and bare with one another in our different Apprehenſion of Things, debate Matters fairly, and lay aſide all private deſigns, and Animoſities, and believe that every Man's particular Intereſt is comprized in the General, and ſtudy ſincerely the Publick Good, I am fully perſwaded we might contrive ways to Extricate our ſelves out of theſe Difficulties, and be as flouriſhing a People as ever.

I hope with your Country Friends, that the ſeveral Towns will chuſe to Repreſent 'em in the General Court, Men of a Publick Spirit; and farther I hope when they come together, that they will chooſe ſuch, and none but ſuch, for Counſellours, Men not only of Parts and Probity, but of Integrity and down right Honeſty; Lovers of King GEORGE, and of their Country alſo; ſuch as will ſincerely ſeek our Peace and Proſperity: and I hope that the GOVERNOUR will of His Great Goodneſs to the People, conſider our Malancholy Circumſtances as ſet forth in your Letter, which I have not as yet heard any Man deny the Truth of; and which he can't but be confirmed in the belief of, on peruſing your Letter and the triffling Anſwerers, who have not in the leaſt confuted the Matters of Fact therein contained. And I pray GOD to direct the Governour and General Court in ſome proper Meaſures for our Relief; for moſt certainly ſomething muſt be done or the Place will ſoon ſink and the Trade come to nothing.

On the whole, I perceive all the Gentleman drives at in his pretended Anſwer is only to draw in the few Bills which are yet abroad; he tells us this is the way to raiſe the value of 'em, ſo then I find he and you agree in that point, for you ſay in your Letter that the reaſon ſome give why thoſe who Explode what others Project for our Relief is that they may get their Neighbours Lands at half Value, and the Gentleman I find is for drawing in all the Bills that then a Man who hath Mortgaged an Houſe for Two Hundred Pounds which coſt him a Thouſand, muſt be forced to let it go for the Two Hundred, becauſe when the Bills are all ſunk, he will not be able to get wherewith to redeem it: And now let any Man judge whether this be the way to keep the Eſtates in many Mens Hands which the Gentleman ſaith, (and indeed every Body elſe thinks) is the Strength, Safety and Intereſt of the Land, or whether it does not rather look like a deſign to inſlave a People and make a few Lord's, and the reſt Beggars. But no more of this at preſent, we all know one another, and what the beſt of us were Twenty or Thirty Years ago. I can't forbear repeating a Flight of one of our Engliſh Poets, We boaſt of Families and make a mighty doe, Of Lord's whoſe Fathers were, the Lord knows who.