Eighty petitioners complain "that many of the good Citizens of this State labour under great inconvenience and disadvantage from the numerous Tipling Shops erected on the high way and in our Towns by free Negroes and other." They argue that "our Servants cannot with safety be sent on Our Ordinary business owing to the trafic and intoxication encourag'd and carried on, at those Links of Corruption." In addition, the petitioners purport that "our holy Sabbath days are regularly violated and profaned by the numerous crowd of Slaves collected for the purpose of drinking and bartering for Whiskey, the stolen property of their Owners and others." They therefore pray that this subject be taken "under your wise consideration, and make such provision to remedy the evil as you in your wisdom may deem proper."
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Repository: Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee
