The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

From the Salem Paper.

Our Printers are desired to publish the following:

To the King of Great-Britain.

Great SIR,

OUR Kingdom is like an House divided against itself.--Something Extraordinary must be done. Our Parliaments for fifty Years past, (or some of them) have ruined the Nation, in making a monstrous Debt, by hiring Money, while greater Sums have been expended in Pride and Luxury. Thirteen Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling, the Publick Prints tell us, is paid annually to the Dutch as Interest Money. My Advice is that all Rulers and Officers, who have high Salaries, drop them, except so much as is necessary for plain Living. * And that all unnecessary Pensions cease, together with military Officers half Pay ‡; and that high Taxes, very high, be laid on all Pride and Luxury, where ever it is found, the Clergy and the Women not excepted : And that great Taxes be laid on the Rich. I have an Income of but about eighty Pounds Sterling a Year, including my own Hands Labour ; nevertheless, I am freely willing to pay one quarter Part of it in Taxes till my Public Debts are paid. Others that have two Hundred a Year, can with Ease pay one half of it in Taxes; if need be. Pay thy Debts ; owe no Man any Thing, is Law, Divine and Moral. Immoral Men are in the Road that leads to Hell; if they attend Public Worship, they are Hypocrites, like the Scribes & Pharisees, of whom Christ said, ye are of your Father the Devil. If I understand the Apostle, when such Men sit or kneel at a Communion Table: it is a Table of Devils to them. Pray, Sir, tell your Placemen, that the vast Multitude of your Subjects are very uneasy that so much of the Publick Money, when raised, is sunk in the Gulph of Exorbitances. My Governor, Mr. Francis Bernard, demands a thousand Pounds Sterling a Year ; one half of that Sum is more than enough, 'especially as the Nation is ready to sink with the Weight of its Publick Debt. The Clergy can tell their Congregations, that the New Testament rather reproves than commands the wearing of costly Array, and faring sumptuously every Day : And I may venture to tell my Readers, that all those who neglect taking a conscientious Care to pay their Debts, private Debts, as well as publick, are in the high Way to Destruction ; the Commonness of the Sin don't abate the Malignity of it.

P. S. Your Majesty sees how diligent Governor Nehemiah was in reforming what was amiss in Israel. He was obliged indeed to contend with the Nobles and the Rulers who opposed him, but he subdued them, and no wonder ! Because he feared God, & not Man.

From a loyal Subject of my King, and a sincere Friend to his Kingdom.

TIMOTHY PICKERING.
Samuel had more Honour in his plain living; with his upright Mind, than Saul had in all his Princely Grandeur.

‡ How unequal are our Ways ; These Officers must have large Half Pay, while the common Soldiers are not allowed small Half-Pay, who have been exposed generally to greater Hardships than their Officers: Either let all have Half-Pay, or none. The Soldiers are to be respected as well as their Officers, and are as necessary.