James Sullivan to Meschech Weare regarding Massachusetts law - American History 1493-1945 - Adam Matthew Digital

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Field name	Value
Collection Reference Number	GLC01450.145
From Archive Folder	Documents Relating to 1777
Title	James Sullivan to Meschech Weare regarding Massachusetts law
Date	10 February 1777
Author	Sullivan, James (1744-1808)
Recipient	Weare, Meshech
Document Type	Correspondence; Government document; Legal document; Military document
Content Description	Written by Sullivan as a Justice of the Superior Court of Massachusetts and a member of the Massachusetts legislature to Weare as Chief Justice of the Superior Court of New Hampshire and a member of the Council, the upper house of the legislature. Sullivan writes to smooth over problems he foresees with a new Massachusetts law. Says he was the chairman of the committee that proposed the law to prohibit the export of certain articles therein mentioned. Says it was not passed to anger neighboring states, but to clothe the troops. Says the Southern states have not regulated the articles mentioned in the law and without it Massachusetts would not have been able to send supplies to Congress. Hopes there will be national regulations on trade so they can end "this Embargo." Sullivan was later state Attorney General and Governor (1807-1808).
Subjects	Law Government and Civics Commerce Military History Military Supplies Military Uniforms Embargo Revolutionary War
Place written	Boston, Massachusetts
Theme	The American Revolution; Law; Government & Politics
Sub-collection	The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859
Copyright	The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Module	Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859
Transcript	Show/hide Boston Febr 10 1777 Sir By order of a Committee of the House of Representatives of this State, whereof I have the honor to be Chairman, I enclose you a Resolution of the Assembly here, for preventing the exportation of the Articles therein mention'd, and am authorized to assure you, that it did not in the least proceed from any Statement of that cordial Affection which we have always professed to our Sister States, but from an ardent desire to cloath and Support that Army, upon which the Safety of America (Under Guidance) so materially depends. As the middle and Southern States have delayed to come into any method for regulating the price of these Articles, over deferring to take the measure contained in this Resolution, would have effectually prevented our being able to supply the Army with the [2] Cloathing and Support which the Honorable Congress expects from us, as many of the Possessors would have transported them to those parts where they would have been restrain'd by no bounds, and thereby have reduced the Continent to the hard Alternative of taking them by force, or giving the most exorbitant Prices. But we hope soon to see a general Regulation of trade take place in America which will enable us to take off this Embargo ~ and which you may depend will in such case be done immediately. A Multiplicity of important Business so press'd the Assembly before the late Recess, that they have taken this method to inform you of their doings in this case ~ I am Sir in be half of the Committee your Most Obliged and very Hble Servt Ja Sullivan [written on page one] The Hon.ble Meshech Weare [docket] [text loss] Chair of a Masstts. Committee on laying a Prohibition on Goods going out of their Late 10 Feb. 1777

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