Report of the Committee of Commerce & Manufactures, on the Petitions of Orchard Cook and Abiel Wood, Junr. and of Robert Hooper. 18th December, 1797, read, and ordered to be re-committed to the Committee of Commerce and Manufactures. 29th December, 1797, report made, and committed to a committee of the whole House, on Wednesday next.
[Philadelphia]: [Printed by William Ross], 1797. [3], 226-232, [2] pp. 8vo. Removed. First edition. Very good, mostly unopened (uncut) untrimmed copy, minor browning at lower edge. Evans 33015. Evans 34753. ESTCW15017. Item #43741
Evans dated it both 1797 and 1798. two petitions both concerning a waving of taxes on spirits, the Orchard Cook and Abiel Wood case claiming the ship was wrecked on an island and the cost of recovering the cargo exceeded the cost of the mechandise and that their insurance had lapsed. In the second case, Hooper claimed he was lax in filing papers for re-shipping a cargo overseas. Wisely both were declined as the committee felt the government is not in the business of insuring that a business is successful and well run. Ah, to return to those days. Orchard Cook (1763-1819) and Abiel Wood (1772-1834) had a better idea. They both became U.S. Representatives from Massachusetts. OCLC locates eight copies.
Price: $75.00