From William Martin (unpublished)
Eigth Street Philadelphia Augst 5th. 1788
Honord. Sir.

My resspect for your Excellency as well as my attachment to the State of Pennsylvania urges me to make the following observations, on the Paper mony; to to show it is of no use but a very great injury. The injury sustain’d by the Creditors on the receipt of the mony, is not fleeting, the sad reflection brakes on them every morning, they rise, and at their meal and going to bed. The advantage the Purchasers have is from 7 to 20 perCent. that is an extortion of about 20 Thousand A year specie; the greatest part of that goes into hands I suppose, which perhaps hoard it or sends it altogether from America, hence the paper mony that was intended to aid a Circulation has an Opposite effect; the many and Fatel Consequences that seems attendent on that traffick in part is the following: in my oppinion, the overseers of the Poor and Commissioners are under many Temptations to keep the mony expecting an advance in the mean time their happens a loss on it then an additional Tax is the Consequence. The Watchmen who finds themselves Wrong’d the example is prevailing and they may be induc’d to make every advantage in their power the Clarke in his office is Constrain’d to make many disagreeable Shifts. Higher in office the vulger may think they have no reason to Complain. The Citizens lose time in going to purchase this mony (as it has not been in circulation many months) perhaps from some accident happening had better paid it in hard. It consequently retards the Collection it baffels the good intent of the import Law, and scatters the coming manufactorers. In the Idea of Forrighiners (as every     unnecessary is particularly guarded against) the People must appear infatuated, and lost to all Thought, hence they       will form Schemes, that in the detection may have very disagreeable Consequences. It keeps the Funds, and is productive of speculation and Building, or bussiness, cannot prove os beneficial. It is hard on the Man of Principal, and feeling who     his Life, and Fortune, for his writes, and dictated to him while he suffers his partiality for the present Government. I have been led to these Thoughts, from newspaper productions; insinuating an accommodating method of Causing to Circulation of the Paper mony again: but as it is contrary to our new Constitution, and to prevent further Impossitions, there Cannot be a better oppertunity for destroying all in the Treasury, which can only retard the payments for some small time, till a Collection or mony raisd by subscription at an Interest, which from the present humilated state of the Creditors, wold be glad to pay and offer up many prayers for your health and Long Life.

Honourd Sir my Zeal for the Publick good my self included and oppinion of your Candour will I presume excuse any thing Prolix and am with all Resspect your Obedient and Very Humble Servant.

Wm. Martin

Addressed: His. / Excellency. / Benjamin Franklin Esqr. / Philidelphia
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