Committee of Safety: Regulation of Tea, Salt and Liquor

As discussed in prior submissions, the October, 1774 Articles of Association passed by the 1st Continental Congress was a non-consumption agreement, essentially a declaration of economic war.  These articles were to be enforced by local committees.  The  Schenectady District Committee existed until 1779, and theirs are the only records existing from Albany County.   Dealing with the shortage of essential commodities, and price controls, were addressed in these Articles. 

The importation and sale of East India tea was specifically prohibited by the Articles.  In April 1777, the Schenectady Committee reminded merchants that Bohea Tea was a regulated commodity resolved by Congress, and requested information on all commodities being sold at regulated prices.   In  July 1779 a case was brought before the Committee about otherwise legal tea being sold well above the regulated price.  When confronted, the individual stated “he did not care about the regulations..  did not regard the Committee nor their laws, … he would buy and sell as he pleased, and before he would sell it at a regulated price he would rather throw it in the river.  A subsequent complaint about tea being sold for $25 a pound was resolved by an order directing payment of $14 to the merchant, and $11 as a fine to be paid to the Committee for extortion.

Before refrigeration salt was essential for food preservation; it was also in short supply. In November 1777, the Committee ordered that every person in the district who had salt to sell was not entitled to any publicly acquired salt except under oath that they had insufficient supply for their winter meat.  Those in Continental service were only entitled to salt for their family members at home.  In December the Committee sought to purchase 600 bushels of salt from the New England States, payable with money or flour. In January, 1778, the Committee ordered the distribution of salt from public stores to those who needed it at the regulated price, plus 3 pence per quart for transportation costs.

In January 1778 a resident  was fined 5 pounds for selling liquor without a license, and forbidden from further sales until licensed by the Committee.  In February, the Committee acted on orders from Albany that no wheat or other grain be distilled into whiskey within the County until a price for this regulated commodity has been established. John Osinski