182
Petition From Philadelphia Merchants
Pennsilvania
To the Governor & Provinciall Counsell
The humber Answer, Offerr and Request of
Robert Turner, James Claypoole, James Hrrison, Thomas Winne, Griffith Jones, Patrick Robinson,
John Test,1 John Jones,2 William Frampton, Samuell Carpenter, John Songhurst
Whereas you wer pleased to advise with us (who are most of us Concerned in Sale of Liquors) Concerning the most easy and effecturall way for Collecting the duty upon Liquors imposed by the Late act,3 & also offered us to Undertake the same for our ease upon reasonable terms. And wee having seriously Considred & debated teh same, doe, with due Regard & Respect to the Counsell and Assembly (who has seen it meet to pass the said Law) give this Answer.
First, Wee are sensible the said Law Cannot be Executed without great Chairge, difficulty and Rigor.
Secondly, That it will not bring in a Supply So Suddenly as the Case requires.
Thirdly, That wee fear (for Severall Reasons) it will not answer the end.
Therefore Wee in our {Owne} Names & in the Names & on the behalf of all the well disposed & well affected people of this Province & territories who are truly and right Sensible of the Urgent & speedy occasion for a supply to defray the publick Chairge of the government, doe freely & with willing hearts & Minds, offer to raise by a Voluntary Subsriptions five hundred pounds at Least, & as much more as it will Amount unto, & will pay it in to the theasaurie with all possible Speed.4
And Wee Request that this our free-will-offering may be accepted, beleiving it will better & more effectually answer the end, & hope it will give Such Satisfaction that yu will be pleased to forbear
Missing line here
Wee also who may be intrusted in the Managment of this Concern & Collecting the Money, are willing forthwith to enter into bond, Jointly & Severally for our faithfull performance.
Philadelphia 30th, 3d Month 1684
Robert Turner James Claypoole Wm Frampton Thomas Wime John Songhurst Pat Robinson John Jones John Test Samll Carpenter
a True Coppy
Richard Ingelo Cl: Conly5
From Norris Papers, Fmily Letters, vol. 1. HSP (Micro. 4:871)
1 John Test (c 1651-c. 1707) a London cordwainer and merchant, came with John Fenwick to New Jersey in 1675; he was probably not a Quaker. In 1677 he was a merchant at Upland, and he became a large landlowner in Pennsylvania and West New Jersey. His Phila. lot was at Third and Walnut. About 1695 he moved to New Castle Co., Del. L.G. Fryburg, "John Test, 1651-1706," MS at GSP; PMHB, 9:75; Walter Lee Sheppard, Jr., ed., Passengers and Ships Prior to 1684, (Baltimore, 1970), pp. 136, 138, PA, 2d ser., 9 697.
2 John Jones, a Quaker carpenter, moved to Pennsylvania from Barbadoes in 1683. In 1689, intending to leave for Barbados, received a certificate from the Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, Roach, "Philadelphia Business Directory," p. 108.
3 The Provincial Council had approved an excise tax on liquor in Mar. 1684, and the Council and Assembly passed this tax in May. The Philadelphia merchants who sold liquor were afraid that such a tax would ruin their business, however, so when the Council asked six of these merchants--Robinson, Claypoole, Songhurst, Carpenter, Wynne, and Jones -- to collect the excise money, they responded to the Council with doc.182, a proposal to raise £ 500 in lieu of the excise, which the Council accepted.
4 The merchants were far too optimistic. By Dec. 1684 Carpenter was forced to admit to WP that he had been able to gather "very little or no more money" by this voluntary subscription.
5 Richard Ingelo or Ingelott, clerk of the Provincial Council.
Source: The Papers of William Penn, Vol. I 1644-1679 Mary Maples Dunn and Richard S. Dunn eds., (Univ. of Penn Press, 1981), pp. 558-559.