AT a time when degenerate Britons are with brutal rage, and the greatest injustice, using every means in their power to wrest from their American Brethren every thing that ought to be held dear and invaluable by any people; our Country may justly demand not only from those who are more immediately concerned in the management of their public affairs, but from every individual his utmost exertions for its defence and security.

The fairest prospect we have that the designs of our Enemies will prove abortive, and the cause of truth and righteousness, in the defence and establishment of civil and religious Liberty, will finally prevail, arises from that Union of the Independent States of America, which in the favor of Providence has so remarkably taken place: Our Enemies are justly alarmed at this prospect, and spare no pains, nor scruple any means, in order to break or weaken not only the general Union, but even the Unity and Harmony of a particular State.—For the accomplishment of so base an intention, how many false Reports, relative to the Designs and Acts of Congress, a particular Government or Town have been industriously circulated—what wrong turns have been given to, and irritating remarks made upon their Resolves and Transactions.—It may be as needless as it would prove tiresome to advert to particular Instances, our memories must be crouded with them.

Among the many happy consequences which have been derived from the appointment of Committees of Correspondence through this and the other States, it is not the least of them, that our inveterate Enemies have hereby been defeated in their projects to deceive.

The Act of this and the other New England States to prevent Monopoly and Oppres­sion, by affixing Prices to the Necessaries of Life, has given a new opportunity to the Enemies of America for their insidious Practices; and it is from intelligence received, that the Town of Boston has been greatly misrepresented as a Town, that we have the honor to write and transmit you by their order "an account of their public transactions relative to said Act," and respectfully to ask "your interposition and kind offices to pre­vent any misunderstanding by false Reports spread daily by the Tory Party" to prejudice the People of the Country against a Town which has been long the butt of their calumny and vengeance.

On the 6th instant a Meeting of the Inhabitants was called, "to consider and deter­mine upon the most effectual Measures to have the Act of the General Court to prevent Monopoly and Oppression strictly complied with, not only from regard to the Authority and Laws of this State, but as absolutely necessary for the effectual security of the essential Rights and Liberties of America."—At this Meeting, which was full and united, a Committee of 36 Persons were chosen out of the several wards, of such as were not in trade; "to aid and assist the Selectmen and Committee of Correspondence, by information or other legal ways, in carrying into execution the said Act."—At this meeting also a Committee of seven were appointed, "to consider and report at the adjournment what they judge necessary for the Town to do, in order to procure a sufficient supply of provisions of all kind, and to promote the salutary intentions of the late Act."—

The aforesaid Committee on the 12th current reported, and after observing that a number of our worthy Inhabitants were selling their Goods at the prices affixed in the late Act, and expressing their apprehension, that if all would do so the Town would soon have as full a supply of provisions as is usual at this season of the year proceeded "most earnestly [Page 2] to recommend to all the Inhabitants of this Town a strict compliance with the Act, as they regarded the peace of the Town, the distresses of the poor, fixing our medium at a certain value, and strengthning the hands of Government at this critical and important day — Also that the Committees of other Towns be informed, that the Inhabitants of this Town will exert themselves to the utmost that the people in the Country Towns shall be supplied with any articles agreable to the prices affixed in the late act of this State for preventing monopolies, &c." This Report was accepted at a large meeting, Nem. Con.

In order for the carrying this Report into effect, the forementioned Committee of thirty-six were directed, "to apply to all those persons in this Town who are possessed of Flour, West-India or other Goods enumerated in the late Act, and require of them a direct answer to the following question, viz. Will you take the price set by this State? and to report the names and answers of said persons, that the same may be made public in the News-Papers, to shew the readiness of the inhabitants of this Town to comply with said Act."—Which Committee reported at the adjournment on the 19th instant, "That agreable to direction they had applied to the Merchants and Traders in their respective wards, who declared that they would conform to the Act, by selling their articles agreable to the prices fixed by the Act of this State."

The foregoing contains the substance of our transactions as a Town with respect to the late Act; since which the Selectmen of the Town and this Committee, together with many other Inhabitants, in their private capacity, have exerted themselves with success that our Brethren from the Country who bring us their produce, as well as the Inhabi­tants, might be supplied with the articles they wanted; but as such is the imperfection even of the best laws for preventing monopoly and oppression, that the avaricious and designing often find ways and methods to elude them, and to prevent that full benefit being derived to the People which good Legislators always intend, it so happens with respect to the present Act, that those great clamourers against it, viz. Monopolizers and Forestallers, the bane of Town and Country, and who ought to be equally detested by both, apprehending a law of this sort, did, previous to its taking place, export and remove a great part of their goods into the Country, and to other States, so that most of the shops and stores of this Town, to the disappointment of the Inhabitants, are now almost bare of European and West-India goods; and when the Selectmen have, pursuant to the Act, entered any warehouse in behalf of such as had made application, they could only obtain a supply for the wants of a particular family, or of individuals; the Seller supposing the Act would not justify the forcing away a supply for the Baker, Distiller, Retailer, Huckster or small Trader, it being left, as they construe the Law, to the Owners option to sell either by wholesale or retail; and indeed in this latter way, the inhabitants of Town and Country are now generally supplied out of the Shops and Stores which contain the Goods still left in Boston.

But notwithstanding the just and prudent measures of the Town, and zealous endeavors of Selectmen, Committees and Individuals, to bring the Monopolisers and Engrosers to reason, by a compliance with this Act, it is with real concern that we acquaint you that our Brethren in the Country, from the false reports and insinuations of the avaricious and ill-affected, are induced to withhold the usual and common supplies of Provisions and other Necessaries of Life, to the grief and injury of the Body of the Inhabitants, and the triumph of our Adversaries.

[Page 3]It should have been observed before, and it deserves your particular attention, that soon after the Town was opened, Traders from all parts of this and the neighbouring States flocked to our Vendues, and until said Act was passed, to our astonishment and damage much exceeded in their bids the usual prices of such articles in our Shops and Stalls.—Upon the Sale of Prizes brought into this Port, the Purchasers were mostly from the Country and other States, and by far the greatest part of the Goods bought has been carried from us.—The Board of War and the Continental Agents have been purchasing largely for the use of the Army, and such Articles also as could be remitted to foreign Ports with least loss, for procuring Cloathing for the Army and Military Stores; which drains, with those before mentioned, may account for the present scarcity in Town, and those of you who dwell on our main Roads may observe to this Day a large number of Teams and other Carriages passing with Salt, West India and other Goods to Places in this State for the use of the Inhabitants, the value whereof has been computed to exceed what is brought in to us from the Country as fifty to one.

Your candor will allow us to add, that the present situation and circumstances of the Farmer and Merchant are very different from what they have been in a time of peace—the fleets of Britain seizing [...] trade—insurance and every material for shipping at the highest rates; and the little merchandize which fortunately escapes the enemy, together with what is brought in by our ships of war, falling into the hands of but few persons, and the prices thereof continuously shifting, as they depend on contingencies: Whereas, on the other side, the Earth as formerly yields her increase;—the business of the Farmer is carried on nearly as usual; and consequently a more full and steady supply may be expected from the Country.

We therefore hope you will heartily join us in endeavours to prevent any thing's taking place, which may in the issue prove peculiarly detrimental to the People in general at this crisis of our affairs, and that your influence will not be wanting to remove unrea­sonable prejudices against a Town, whose merits and sufferings in the common cause of America are too numerous and recent to need recapitulation.

Permit us to congratulate you on the late great and glorious success, with which the Supreme Ruler of the World has favour'd the aims of the United States, and to acquaint you that as we could not hope for such future interpositions of Divine Providence in our behalf, in the neglect of any means within our own power, we have therefore under all our em­barrassments so exerted ourselves for the raising a new army, as that many more than our proportion of the Continental Battalions, as stated by this Government, have been already inlisted in this Town.

We shall be [...] to co-operate with you in any thing which may pro­m [...] the general good, and are, with all due regard,