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Having borne with patience for a considerable time, a failure of the steward to comply with the bill of fare, and having observed the inefficacy of individual complaints to produce an amendment, and seeing that our rights are infringed upon, we have thought proper to address this petition to you, in whom is vested the power to enforce a compliance. Our grievances are daily accumulated, and they are such whose importance demands immediate redress. We have long observed an insufficiency of butter, the bill requires that each individual shall have an ounce of butter, this has been grossly abused. The beef that has been given us for some time has been such as to shock every sentiment of decency. It has frequently been discovered to have been unsound & covered with vermin, if this was occasioned by accident, it could be overlooked, but as it is so frequent it is manifest it cannot proceed from nothing else but carelessness & inattention in the steward, and as such we require an attention.
On reflection we have discovered the inconsistency of our former petition, And therefore, conformably to your opinion as also to our own views, we now offer for your consideration, one in which is contained a plain statement of every article, on which our complaints are founded. The articles of our grievances are as follows; a sufficiency of warm bread at our dinners and suppers has not been given us. An equal distribution of butter has some how been neglected. Vegetables have lately appeared either not at all, or in quantities not sufficient. We observe farther that our victuals have frequently been indecently served up, our beef sometimes tainted, & impregnated with fly-blows. As an attention to these things would tend greatly to our satisfaction, & to the advantage of the table, we therefore entreat the interposition of your authority for a redress of our grievances.