General Notes

Ancestral File Number:<AFN> M282-PH
Petition from Albemarle for Emission of Paper Money. Albemarle County, Anno Dom. 1788 To the Honorable Speaker, and House of Delegates Convened together at the City of Richmond; to take under their consideration, that may attend to the good of the Commonwealth of Virginia, etc. -- We your Humble petitioners sendeth these lines to the Honorable House, to inform you of our distressed condition, which is coming on us daily, for want of a circulating Medium among us, therefore we pray you to take in under your consideration, and grant our request, which is this, We pray and wish you to emit as much paper money as will pay our domestic debt, and said money to be a Lawfull Tender, in all debts dues and Demands, whatsoever (Except the Demands of Congress, which we shall ever be happy to be Taxed in Tobacco, Etc. to answer that of paying our Foreign debt & Loan Etc.) For admitting the enemies of said paper Money, Should depreciate it a little at first, it is better for a few to suffer a little than a majority of the State to become Servants to the rest, and it appears to your petitioners likely to be the case when we consider the quantity of money it takes to pay off our Sivel list annually, and also our Six per cent Interest Warrants, And we Consider it just and right, that the old British debts should be paid that was contracted before the War, but we also remember that when those debts was contracted, that there was a paper Currency among us that they generally was willing to recover, therefore we wish to pay them off in paper money, and then they will be willing to allow us a reasonable price for our Tobacco Etc., and leave our money among us, for we are not so doubtful of the faith of our State as many apparently is, for we are heartily willing to sell our property for said money, as well now, as when George the third was our head, for we believe, when said money is called in by Taxation, that our Legislature has wisdom enough to lay it out on purchasing Tobacco Etc., to help to Raise a fund, and admitting some persons should say this cannot be done we are very clear that there can be as good a fund Raised to redeem this said money, as was done to redeem our Militia Certificates Etc. and now, if this Honorable House will not grant this our request, we still will pray farther, for our property to be received in payment of our debts, at the valuation of two or three good men, and we wish to leave it to your wisdom to point out what kind of property shall be received in payments of our debts, and if something similar to our requests is done what heart can stand by and see his property that he hath labored hard for, sell for one fourth of its value and in a few years perhaps not for over one tenth of it value, then power will naturally follow property, then God help the poor -- Therefore by these hints you may know what our prayers and wish is -- and now we wish that good Spirit above may inspire your breasts so that you may never consent to the Installment Act, for it alarms your petitioners when they consider that the Merchant is the channel by which the money must come through to the planter, then will they not consult together, And fix the price on our Commodity as they see fit, and will they not keep back more than six per cent upon all their debts due to them that they do not receive in the first years payment Etc. Etc. Alass will Instaulment put a stop to that eating Canker of six per cent Interest Warrants, and also the old British Debts must be paid under the same Act which will make the old proverb true -- a new Broom sweeps clean, then that saying will soon come to pass They have taken Virginia without the fere of a gun, and now we conclude wishing that God May direct you for to act and do whatsoever may attend for the good of the Commonwealth of Virginia in general, Amen -- Then thy Humbel Petitioners shall ever Pray - signed by many Albemarle Co citizens including MICAJAH VIA and BAR