The Virginia Gazette

Extract of a letter from Philadelphia, May 15.

" Agreeable to promise, I take this opportunity to inform you
of the result of the committee at Bradford's, last night, which was,
"that no resolutions respecting importation be entered into before
the 5th of next June, in order that they may have an opportunity
of being made acquainted with the sentiments of their sister pro-
vices; that a committee of twenty one merchants (then appointed)
in the intervening time, prepare a list of such articles of merchan-
dise as they shall think necessary to import, to be produced at a
general meeting on the said 5th of June.

The favourers of an importation were our principal dry good
merchants, the principal opposers persons who are not importers,
or but small so. Now, say the principal merchants, " We are
immediately injured from a non import. We particularly are
aggrieved, and should not suffer any person who has not signed
our former resolutions or agreement, or who is but triflingly
concerned in trade, to have any voice in our resolutions." Is
there the smallest appearance of justice in such an arbitrary argu-
ment ? Shall a few men, because they are extensive in particular
imports (admit they cannot accumulate, from a temporary cea-
tion of importation, as many thousands as their avarice would
dictate) shall they, I say, shall such canker worms of provincial
industry and emolument have it in their power to form resolves
apparently destructive of the rights of every true inhabitant in the
government ? I am afraid many will say they have a right to do
so; and I grant, from one principle, they have. But, at such an
important crisis as this, I shall never think I am right, except
when I indulge a contrary opinion."