Chapter 95.

RESOLVE GRANTING TO JOHN AVERY, JUN. ESQ; TWO HUN- Chap. 95

DRED AND SEVEN POUNDS, FIFTEEN SHILLINGS.

Resolved, That there be allowed and paid out of the public treasury of this Commonwealth, to John Avery, Esq; Secretary, the sum of Two hundred and seven pounds, fifteen shillings, in full for his services from January, 1784, to the first day of January, 1785, over and above One hundred and forty-two pounds, five shillings, which he has received in his office during that term.

Chapter 96.

March 4, 1785.

RESOLVE ON THE PETITION OF JOSIAH LEAVITT, THOMAS Chap. 96

BROWN AND BENJAMIN RICHARDS, ON A COMMITTEE FROM

THE TOWN OF STERLING, EMPOWERING THE ASSESSORS OF
THE TOWN OF LANCASTER, IN THE CASE MENTIONED.

Whereas it appears that those of the inhabitants of the town of Shrewsbury, together with their estates, who by an act of the General Court passed February 26, 1781, were set off from the town of Lancaster, and annexed to the said town of Shrewsbury, have never been assessed their proportion of the several requisitions of money, beef, cloathing and soldiers, for the year 1781:

Therefore Resolved, That the Assessors of the town of Lancaster for the year 1781, being first sworn before some Justice of the Peace for the county of Worcester, for the faithful performance of the trust reposed in them by this resolve, be, and they hereby are, authorized and directed to assess those inhabitants of the town of Shrewsbury aforesaid, so set off, with their estates, their due proportion of the several requisitions aforesaid, which were apportioned on the town of Lancaster, by the several acts of the General Court for that purpose, according to the list of polls and estates by which the said inhabitants were assessed in the last tax assessed on them by the Assessors of Lancaster, and the same assessments so made to commit to the Sheriff of the county of Worcester, who is hereby authorized and directed to collect the same, and the proceeds thereof to pay into the treasury of this Commonwealth, by the first day of November next; and the said Sheriff is hereby empowered to use and exercise

all the powers and proceedings which Collectors are by
law authorized to in the collecting of taxes, and to depu-
tize either of the said inhabitants of Shrewsbury, afore-
said, giving him sufficient bonds to do and perform what-
soever the said Sheriff is hereby authorized to: And the
Assessors of Lancaster aforesaid are hereby directed to
perfect said assessment and commit the same to the
Sheriff' as aforesaid, before the first day of April, next,
and return a fair copy of said assessment to the Treasurer
of this Commonwealth, by the said first day of April,
who is hereby directed to stay his execution for the
amount thereof, against the town of Sterling, upon their
deficiencies for the year 1781, until the further order of
the General Court.
March 4, 1785.

Chapter 97.

Chap. 97 RESOLVE ON THE PETITION OF THE SELECTMEN OF THE TOWN

OF GRAFTON, DIRECTING THE TREASURER TO GIVE A
RECEIPT TO SAID TOWN, FOR TWENTY-NINE POUNDS, BEING
FOR A FINE FOR NOT SENDING A REPRESENTATIVE.

On the petition of the Selectmen of the town of Grafton, praying for the abatement of the fine laid on the inhabitants of the said town for not sending a Representative in the year 1782, for reasons set forth in the said petition:

Resolved, That the prayer of the said petition be granted, and that the Treasurer of this Commonwealth be, and he hereby is, empowered and directed to receipt the town of Grafton, in Tax No. 3, granted in the year 1782, the sum of Twenty-nine pounds, in full of the said fine. March 4, 1785.

Chapter 98.

Chap. 98 RESOLVE ON THE PETITION OF GEORGE WILLIAMS, AGENT

FOR THE SHIP BLACK PRINCE, LOST AT PENOBSCOT, DIRECT-
ING THE TREASURER TO ISSUE A NOTE PAYABLE TO SAID
WILLIAMS, AND GIVING HIM LIBERTY TO RECEIVE A NOTE
GIVEN BY COL. LARKIN THORNDIKE.

On the petition of George Williams, agent for the ship Black Prince, lost at Penobscot, setting forth, that the sum of Twenty-six thousand two hundred and seventy-eight pounds, sixteen shillings and two pence, equal to Seventeen hundred and seventy-nine pounds specie, was due from

this Commonwealth, to the said George Williams, Larkin Thorndike and Samuel Ward, being their shares of the said ship Black Prince, from the 26th day of July, A.D. 1779, and praying payment thereof:

Resolved, That the prayer of the petition of the said George Williams, agent as aforesaid, be so far granted, that the Treasurer of this Commonwealth, be, and he hereby is, ordered and directed to issue a note or notes in behalf of this Commonwealth, payable to the said George Williams, or order, for the said sum of Seventeen hundred and seventy-nine pounds, specie, bearing date the 6th day of July, A. D. 1779, the said note or notes to be on interest from that time, and payable at the same time as notes heretofore issued to other persons sustaining similar losses at Penobscot have been ordered to be paid; and he, the said George Williams, agent as aforesaid, upon payment of the said sum as aforesaid, to discharge the charter party made by the Board of War in behalf of the said Commonwealth, with the said George Williams, agent as aforesaid, in full.

Provided nevertheless, and it is further Resolved, That the said George Williams, agent as aforesaid, shall be at liberty to receive of the Treasurer aforesaid, a note of hand, given by the said Thorndike to this Commonwealth, in pay of said sum of Seventeen hundred and seventy-nine pounds, so far as the same will go, and to receive of the said Treasurer his note or notes, as aforesaid, for the remaining sum, to make up the said sum of Seventeen hundred and seventy-nine pounds. March 2, 1785.

Chapter 99.

RESOLVE ON THE PETITION OF HIRAM NEWHALL, IN BEHALF Chap. 99

OF THE TOWN OF ATHOL, DIRECTING THE COLLECTORS IN
SAID TOWN TO PROCEED IN COLLECTING TAXES.

On the petition of Hiram Newhall, in behalf of the town of Athol, respecting the collection of taxes in the said town: Resolved, That the Collectors in the town of Athol, proceed in collecting the taxes assessed on such of the inhabitants of the District of Orange as before the incorporation of the said district were inhabitants of the said town of Athol, and which taxes were granted previous to that time, in every respect, as though the said persons had not been set off from the said town of Athol, any law to

the contrary notwithstanding (excepting the money
granted by the said town of Athol, on the 15th day of
October, 1783) and that the said town of Athol, on the
second Wednesday of the next session of the General
Court, lay before this Court the evidence of the said
town's owing the money granted the said 15th day of
October, and serve one of the principal inhabitants of the
said Orange, who were set off from Athol, with a copy
of the said petition and this resolve, by leaving a copy
thereof at his usual place of abode, in the said Orange, at
least twenty days before the said second Wednesday of
the next session of the General Court, that so they may,
if they see cause, appear and shew cause, if any they
have, why the tax granted on the 15th of October afore-
said, should not be collected in manner as in this resolve
is first provided.
March 5, 1785.

Chapter 100.

Chap.100 RESOLVE ABATING THE TAXES ASSESSED ON THE TOWNS OF

BARNSTABLE, EASTHAM, HARWICH, YARMOUTH, SANDWICH
AND FALMOUTH, IN THE COUNTY OF BARNSTable.

Whereas by representations of the impoverished and distressed circumstances of the towns of Barnstable, Eastham, Harwich, Yarmouth, Sandwich and Falmouth, all in the county of Barnstable, it appears to this Court, that the inhabitants of the said towns are utterly unable to pay the several taxes now assessed on them:

Resolved, That there be, and hereby are, abated of the taxes now due from the several towns abovementioned, assessed on them before the Tax of July, 1784, the sums hereafter mentioned, which abatements are to be in full of every allowance to be made to the said towns. on account of any assessments or taxes made before that of July, 1784 To the town of Barnstable, One thousand one hundred and twenty-seven pounds, five shillings and one penny; to the town of Eastham, Nine hundred and three pounds fifteen shillings and four pence; to the town of Harwich, Eight hundred and seventy-two pounds, fifteen shillings and ten pence; to the town of Yarmouth, Two thousand four hundred and thirty-two pounds, three shillings; to the town of Sandwich, Eight hundred sixteen pounds, eleven shillings and three pence; to the town of Falmouth, Nine hundred ninety-three pounds, fifteen shillings and ten pence,

Resolved, That the Treasurer be, and he hereby is, directed to credit the said towns with the said sums accordingly.

Resolved, That the Assessors of the several towns aforementioned be, and they hereby are, empowered to collect from such persons as they may think able to pay, their just proportions of the several sums by these resolves. abated to the said towns, and to apply the monies so collected to such use or uses as may be ordered by their several towns. March 5, 1785.

Chapter 101.

AN ALLOWANCE OF THREE HUNDRED POUNDS TO THE AGENTS Chap.101

FOR PROSECUTING THE CLAIMS OF THIS COMMONWEALTH
TO LANDS WEST OF HUDSON'S RIVER.

Ordered, That the sum of Three hundred pounds be
allowed and paid to each of the said agents, (over and
above their expences while absent) as a compensation for
their services in prosecuting the business aforesaid to
effect.
March 7, 1785.

Chapter 102.

RESOLVE ON THE PETITION OF MATTHEW NEWHALL, OF LYNN- Chap.102

FIELD, EMPOWERING THE SELECTMEN TO ASSESS ON THE

SEVERAL PERSONS (BELONGING TO A CLASS FOR PROCURING
MEN) SUCH SUMS AS MENTIONED.

On the petition of Matthew Newhall, of Lynnfield, praying that the Selectmen of the said district may be empowered to assess on the several persons belonging to the class for procuring men to serve in the Continental Army, agreeable to a resolve of the General Court of the seventh of March A.D. 1782, whereof the said Newhall was the head, the monies advanced and paid by him for procuring a man for said class to serve as aforesaid:

Resolved, That the Selectmen of Lynnfield aforesaid, for the time being, be, and they are, hereby empowered and directed to apportion and assess on the polls and estates of the several persons classed in the said class, so much, or such sums of money as it shall appear to them the said Newhall paid for the said man for the purpose aforesaid, in the same manner that the Selectmen of the