and served the aforesaid term of three months, notwithstanding the said town was assessed for the fines and average price, One hundred and twenty pounds, for the deficiency of said six men, in the tax granted in the year 1783: Resolved, That there be allowed and paid out of the treasury of this Commonwealth to Caleb Emery, one of the petitioners, for the use of said town of Sanford, One hundred and twenty pounds, if said town has paid in said tax to the said treasury; but if the same has not been paid, the Treasurer of this Commonwealth is hereby directed to credit said town for the aforesaid sum, of One hundred and twenty pounds, in full compensation therefor. March 7, 1786. Chapter 89. RESOLVE ON THE PETITION OF JONATHAN PHILBRICK, JOHN Chap. 89 SANBORN AND OTHERS, HOLDING THE INHABITANTS OF On the petition of Jonathan Philbrick and others, shewing that they were by the Court of General Sessions of the Peace for the county of Cumberland, appointed Assessors and Collectors of taxes for the plantation called Pearsontown; and were severally notified by one of the Justices of the Peace for the same county, to appear before him, to take the oath to qualify them for the aforesaid offices of Assessors and Collectors; that they, the petitioners, are much embarrassed, finding that if they should take the oaths aforesaid, it would be their duty to assess and collect all the taxes that have been ordered to be assessed on the aforesaid plantation, ever since their first settlement (being more than twenty years) which the petitioners apprehend will be impracticable for them to execute with any tolerable degree of equity, and that the whole amount will be much beyond the ability of the inhabitants to pay, and praying the consideration of this Court: Resolved, That the inhabitants of the said plantation, lately known by the name of Pearsontown, now incorporated into a town by the name of Standish, be held to pay the sum of Five hundred pounds only, in discharge of the whole of the several taxes laid upon the said plantation previous to their incorporation aforesaid. And be it further Resolved, That the aforesaid petitioners, after severally taking the oath required by law to qualify them for their respective offices of Assessors or Collectors, as aforesaid, shall be excused from paying the whole or any part of the penalty, which by law they were subjected to, by neglecting to take the oaths of their respective offices, when required thereto; provided they shall take such oath respectively, on or before the 15th day of April next, any law to the contrary notwithstanding. And be it further Resolved, That the aforesaid Assessors, be, and they hereby are, directed to assess the aforesaid sum of Five hundred pounds, on the polls and estates of the inhabitants of the said town of Standish, agreeably to the rules and directions in the last Tax Act made and provided; and the same assessment commit to a Collector or Collectors for the town aforesaid, and certify to the Treasurer of this Commonwealth their doings, and the sum or sums so assessed and committed to a Collector or Collectors, on or before the last day of May next. Chapter 90. March 8, 1786. Chap. 90 RESOLVE ON THE PETITION OF RICHARD SQUIRE AND JOHN MATTHEWS, AUTHORIZING THE JUSTICES OF THE COURT ON THE HIGH SEAS, TO SENTENCE SAID CONVICTS TO On the petition of Richard Squire and John Matthews, setting forth that they have been convicted before the Court appointed for the trial of Piracies and Felonies on the High Seas, in the county of Essex, of felony and robbery on the high seas, for which crimes sentence has not been passed against them; and praying that they may be sentenced to hard labour for any term of time which to the Justices of the said Court may seem reasonable: Resolved, That the Justices of the Court appointed for the trial of Piracies and Felonies on the High Seas, be, and they hereby are, authorized and empowered to sentence the said Squire and Matthews for the offence aforesaid, for which they are convicted as aforesaid, to hard labour, for any term of time which to the said Justices may seem reasonable; and not to pass sentence of death against them. Provided, the said Squire and Matthews shall waive all exceptions to the said verdict, and all other exceptions to the proceedings already had against them, and comply with such further requisitions as the said Court may think necessary, to render the judgment and proceedings in said cause regular and legal. Chapter 91. March 8, 1786. RESOLVE MAKING CERTAIN ALTERATIONS IN THE VALUATION Chap. 91 IN CONSEQUENCE OF SUNDRY ACTS, SETTING OFF PERSONS Whereas the alterations hereafter named are found necessary to be made in the valuation, in consequence of sundry acts, setting off one or more persons from one town, and annexing them to other towns: £. 8. d. 0 1 6 1/2 Ordered, That there be deducted from the town of Placed to the town of Gardner, . 0 4 0 2 84 £ 0 7 91 0 0 11 81 0 14 11 0 1 3 2 13 9 Deducted from the town of Framingham, and added to Deducted from the town of Shrewsbury, and placed to And it is further Ordered, That the Secretary be, and he hereby is, directed to cause the several county books which contain the estimates of the property returned from the several towns, districts and plantations in this Commonwealth, with the report of the Committee of Valuation, and the new draft, which (together with this order) determines the sum each town, district and plantation shall pay to a thousand pounds, to be bound in one Chapter 92. Chap. 92 MESSAGE FROM HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, BY THE SECRETARY. Gentlemen of the Senate, and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives, By a letter from the Secretary of Congress, accompanied with a state of the representation in Congress for the month of February, it appears there have been but eight States represented, and for a small part only of that month. The letter mentions, that by this and the three other statements transmitted since the meeting of Congress on the first Monday in November last, it will be seen that there has not been a single day, a number of States assembled sufficient to proceed on the great business of the Union; indeed for half the time, not a number sufficient to do more than adjourn from day to day. This want of a complete representation, must be productive of great evils to the Union, if the deficient States continue to neglect their duty with regard to delegation. It will afford us some degree of satisfaction to reflect, that those evils, if they should come upon the Union, will not be chargeable to any such deficiency on the part of this Commonwealth. I have received another letter from the Secretary of Congress, of the 28th of February, enclosing a resolution of Congress, passed the 7th of June last, recommending to the several States, to make provision for all the officers, soldiers or seamen, resident in their respective States, who have served in the army or navy of the United States, or in the militia in the service of the United States, and have been disabled in such service, so as to be incapable of military duty, or of obtaining a livelihood by labour; and the manner of making that provision, is very particularly described in the said resolution. A copy of that resolution was transmitted by Mr. Secretary Thomson, with his letter of the 9th of June; and they were both laid before you, accompanied with a message upon the subject, of the 20th of that month. As the provision recommended, has not yet been made, I do, Gentlemen, agreeably to the request contained in that letter, again lay this matter before you, for your consideration and determination. COUNCIL CHAMBER, March 10, 1786. Chapter 93. JAMES BOWDOIN. RESOLVE ON THE PETITION OF EZRA SARGEANT, IN BEHALF Chap. 93 OF THE TOWN OF MALDEN, DIRECTING THE TREASURER TO CREDIT SAID TOWN WITH A CERTAIN QUANTITY OF On the petition of Ezra Sargeant, Esq; in behalf of the town of Malden, praying that the said town may be credited on an execution issued by the Treasurer of this Commonwealth, for a deficiency of beef required of said town: Resolved, That the prayer of the said petition be granted, and that the Treasurer of this Commonwealth, be, and he is, hereby directed to credit the said town of Malden, for two thousand three hundred and thirty-nine pounds of beef, at four pence per pound, amounting to Thirty-eight pounds, nineteen shillings and eight pence, on the aforementioned execution. March 11, 1786. Chapter 94. RESOLVE ON THE MEMORIAL OF HANNAH THOMAS, RELATIVE Chap. 94 TO THE LIGHT HOUSE ON THE GURNET, DIRECTING THE On the memorial of Hannah Thomas, setting forth, that by an agreement, bearing date November 23, 1768, entered into with the government of the late province of Massachusetts Bay, she is entitled to the exclusive privilege of keeping the light house on the Gurnet, at the entrance of Plymouth harbour, and praying she may enjoy said privilege. |