USA > Connecticut > The public records of the state of Connecticut, for the years 1783-1784 > Part 42
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Provided however that such Penalties shall in no Case exceed the Sum of ten Pounds lawfull Money, And said Penalties shall be to such Persons as the Bye Laws of said City shall direct, and be recoverable by the Persons to whom forfeited by Action of Debt brought to the City Courts of said City, in which Action no Appeal or Review shall be allowed.
372
PUBLIC RECORDS
May,
Provided however that no Bye Laws of said City shall be made repugnant to the Laws of this State,
And Provided also that all the Bye Laws made by said Court of Common Council shall be approved of by said City in legal Meeting Assembled, and after being so approved shall be published at least three Weeks successively in some public News Paper in or nearest said City before the Same shall be of any Validity, And all the Bye Laws of said City shall at any Time within six Months after they are made, be liable to be repealed by any Superior Court holden in said County of New London if by such Superior Court on a hearing adjudged to be unreasonable or unjust, And all Grants and Leases of any real Estate belonging to said City signed by the Mayor of said City and Sealed with the City Seal and approved by said City in legal Meeting Assem- bled shall be good and effectual in Law to convey the Estate intended to be conveyed by such Grant or Lease Provided the same is Recorded in the Records of the Town where the Lands leased or granted lies, And said City shall have Power to appoint Inspectors of every kind of Produce of the United States brought to said City for Sale or expor- tation, And the Vote or Choice of the Major Part of the Freemen Present at any legal Meeting of said City shall be considered in all Cases as the Vote or Choice of said City, and whenever the Mayor of said City or any other officer of said City eligible by the Freemen thereof shall resign or be removed by Death or otherwise another Person shall be Chosen in his place by said City and if an annual Officer shall con- tinue in Office till the expiration of the Month of July next follow- ing unless another shall be sooner Chosen and sworn in his stead, And the Mayor of said City or in his absence the Senior Alderman, present at any Meeting of said City or at any Court of Common Council shall ex Officio be Moderator thereof and the Meeting of said City may from Time to Time by a Major Vote of the Freemen present be Adjourned.
And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that the first Meeting of said City shall be holden at the Town House in said Norwich on the second Tuesday of July next at nine of the Clock in the forenoon for the Choice of Mayor Alderman Common Council and Sheriffs of said City, and to transact such other Business as may be necessary, which Meeting may be from Time to Time adjourned and a Copy of this Paragraph of this Act Certifyed under the Hand of the Secretary of this State and published on the Sign Post in said Town of Norwich at least three Days before said second Tuesday of July next shall be a legal Warning of the Freemen of said City to attend said first Meeting, and the annual Officers chosen at said Meeting shall continue in Office untill the expiration of July AD 1785 unless others are sooner Chosen and qualified in their Stead, and the said City shall at such Meeting first Chuse a Clerk of said City, who shall be immediately sworn and shall forthwith make a Record of his being Chosen and sworn and the Record thus made by him in such Case shall be good and effectual, any Thing in this Act to the contrary notwithstanding & such Records may be made by Clerks hereafter chosen of their being chosen and sworn and shall
373
OF CONNECTICUT
1784.
be good and effectual any Thing in this Act to the contrary notwith- standing, and said City shall thereupon proceed to Choose a Mayor and the Other Officers of said City eligible by the Freemen thereof, and the Justices of the Peace within and for the County of New London living and Inhabiting within the Limits of said City and present at such first Meeting, shall have as to the Election of the Mayor Aldermen Sheriffs Common Councilmen and Clerk of said City, the same Powers and proceed in the same manner as the Mayor Aldermen and Sheriffs of said City by this Act are to have and proceed in at the future Elections of said City, And the Seignior Justice of the Peace within and for the County of New London living within the Limits of said City present at said first Meeting shall be Moderator thereof untill there shall be a Mayor or Alderman Chosen and qualified according to this Act and said City shall at their first Meeting appoint a Time and Place for holding the first Court of Common Council, which Court shall have Power to adjourn from Time to Time, and the first City Court of said City shall be holden on the second Tuesday of August next at the Town House in said City, and the City Courts of said City may be holden in said Town House from Time to Time or in such other Place in said City as said City shall Provide and Judge proper,.
Always Provided that any Thing in this Act notwithstanding the Inhabitants living within the Limits of said City shall to all Intents and Purposes be and remain a Part of the Town of Norwich,
Provided nevertheless That if this Act or any of the Provisions therein contained shall be found inconvenient or in any respect inade- quate the Same on Representation of the City or otherwise may be altered or revoked by the General Assembly.
Provided nevertheless that the Judges of said City Court may and they are hereby authorized to hear try and finally determine all Causes brought before the City Courts by a Jury of six Freemen or without a Jury where neither of the Parties desire to have a Cause decided by a Jury or by more than six Jurors. And this Act shall to all Intents and purposes be a Public Act.
An Act to enable the Cities of New Haven New London, Hartford Middle- town and Norwich, respectively to grant the Freedom of those Cities to Persons living without the Limits of said Cities -
Be it Enacted by the Governor Council and Representatives in Gen- eral Court Assembled and by the Authority of the same, That said Cities respectively shall and may have Power to grant the Freedom of those Cities to any Person or Persons living without the Limits of said Cities and the Person to whom such Freedom is granted shall upon taking the Oath by Law required have Right to Vote at any of the Elections and in any City Meetings of that City by which such Freedom is granted.
Provided nevertheless, That no Person shall in Virtue of such Grant be Considered as Entituled to the Rights of a Free Citizen of this State or as acquiring a Right of Inhabitancy in that Town within which the City granting such Freedom lays.
374
PUBLIC RECORDS
May,
Whereas the Circumscription of the Seal of this State is improper and inapplicable to our present Constitution,
Resolved by this Assembly that the Secretary be and he is hereby Impowered and directed to get the Same altered from the Words as they now stand to the following Inscription namely SIGIL. REIP. CONNECTICUTENSIS .*
Whereas upon the Representation of two of the Listers of the Town of Salisbury, it appears to this Assembly that there is a mistake made in the Grand List of that Town for the Year 1780 of the Sum of £1787 18 0, the Treasurer sending out his Warrant that Sum too small and the Rate Bills being made up on the true List of the Town, and the Collectors having Collected of the several Inhabitants these several Taxes so made up which Money the Collectors have in their Hands so arising on said £1787 18 0 which Sum they ought to pay into the Treasury,
Therefore Resolved by this Assembly that the Treasurer send to the Collectors of said Tax to bring in the Moneys that they have so Col- lected and arising on said Sum of £1787 18 0 in like Money as was Collected on said List of 1780 after the Abatement of the 20th part is deducted, and give the State Credit for such Sums so paid in by said Collectors and on refusal of said Collectors Paying said Sums so aris- ing the Treasurer is hereby directed to send out his Executions for said Sums so arising against said Collectors.
Resolved by this Assembly that Doct" Jared Potter Gideon Bucking- ham Esqr & Colº Samuel Canfield be a Committee to repair to New Haven and examine into the Circumstances of the various Sufferers from the British Army at the Time of their Plundering New Haven in July 1779, and Report make of what further Abatements of Taxes if any at all ought to be made to said Sufferers, which Committee shall be at the expence of said Sufferers.t
Resolved that the Treasurer of this State procure thirteen of the late revised and newly published Law Books and also thirteen sets of the Laws passed at the Session and transmit to the Governor or President of each State in the Union one of said Books, and also one of those Books to the Governor of the District or Territory commonly called State of Vermont.
Resolved by this Assembly that His Excellency the late Governor Trumbull be presented with one of the new revised Lawbooks lately compleated under his Administration.
* In the earlier published volumes of the present series the title pages have borne the colony seal. Now, in recognition of the above resolution the title page of the present volume carries a reproduction of the new state seal as given on the title page of the collected Laws of Connecticut, published in 1784.
t See below, p. 449.
375
OF CONNECTICUT
1784.
Resolved by this Assembly That the Treasurer be directed to prepare a State of the Grants and payments made to Governor Trumbull since May 1775 for his Yearly Salary, and extrordinary Services, And that the Committee of Pay Table, be directed to prepare a State of the Accounts between this State and Governor Trumbull respecting Monies paid and other Articles by him advanced for the Use of this State and of the Sums of Money and Orders he has received from Time to Time towards such Payments and Advancements, in doing of which they are to have recourse to the Journals of the Council of Safety, and also to receive from Governor Trumbull his Account in the premisses and the Same lay before the General Assembly in October next in Order that they may be enabled to do what what is Just for Governor Trumbull therein.
Whereas the General Assembly at their Session in May 1781 made Provision for Issuing Securities of this State to the Citizens thereof for Ballances due to them for Beef and other Provisions by them fur- nished to the then late Commissary Wadsworth for the Use of the United States,* which Provision hath had a reasonable continuance and as it is necessary to Close and Settle the Public Accounts.
Resolved by this Assembly that the further Continuance of said Provision be and the Same is hereby discontinued and the Committee of Pay Table are directed not to make any further drafts on the Treasurer for Payment or security of any of said . Ballances due from the said United States.
Whereas the multiplicity of Taxes now in Collection which in the Course of the War it became necessary to grant, and on which large Arrears remain due would render it extremely burdensome to the People if not Impracticable to pay at this Time new Taxes to any considerable amount, and as in the Taxes now collecting and the annual December 6ª tax other Sourses of revenue to that purpose appropriated, there is permanent and adequate Provision made for the Interest of the State Debts, which if unembarrassed by new requisitions may be Collected and paid with ease and punctuality and would be more beneficial to the Public Creditors than attempts at this Time to discharge the principal of their Debts farther than is provided for by the Taxes already Collecting and which it is of the utmost Importance should be spedily settled up.
Resolved by this Assembly that the Treasurer be and he is hereby directed to suspend Issuing his Warrants for any Taxes not now in Collection except the Annual Decembr 6ª Tax for Interest and such as it may be necessary to grant for the support of Civil Government for the Term of three Years from the Time they are now respectively Issuable, and that the Warrants for those Taxes respectively shall Issue upon the List of the Year next antecedent to issuing such Warrants.
* See Conn. State Recs., III, 379-380.
376
PUBLIC RECORDS
May,
And it is hereby further Resolved that no Collector of State Taxes shall be Authorized to Collect or receive from any Person Interest accruing on any of said Taxes after the first Day of Decembr next and that any Contract or security for said Interest accruing after that Time shall be void.
It is further Resolved that any State Securities due before the first Day of March 1784, and for specie value or being so reduced by the Committee of the Pay Table shall be receivable by the Collectors of State Taxes and at the Treasury in all Taxes now due except those specially appropriated for sinking the State Bills for payment of Interest and the Army Notes the Support of Civil Government and the Use of the United States, And that any of the Army Notes Issued by this State and due before the first of July 1784, shall be receivable as aforesaid on either of the Taxes granted for the Payment of the Interest or Principal of any of said Notes and now collecting And that any Person holding any of the Notes or Securities now due as aforesaid may have the same exchanged at the Treasury and the Treasurer is hereby Authorized and directed so often as there shall be application to him therefor to give in exchange for the Same his Certificates of smaller denominations to be receivable on any Tax on which the Note or security for which he shall Issue them in exchange is by this Resolve made receivable,
And it is further Resolved that the Secretary Cause to be published in all the News Papers in this State, the foregoing Resolves together with a Resolve of the Assembly passed in May 1783 making Treasurers Certificates for Interest on all Debts due from this State receivable in the hard Money Taxes and a Resolve of the Present Session directing the Treasurer in future to Issue all Certificates for Interest in small denominations .*
Resolved by this Assembly that all Securities Issued by this State for Pay or depreciation to Officers or Soldiers of the late Army and now due may be received by the Collectors of Taxes and at the Treasury on either of the Taxes indiscriminately on which any of them, have been by Law receivable heretofore,
And it is further Resolved by this Assembly that the Treasurer of this State be and he is hereby directed to Issue all Certificates for Interest in future in small denominations not exceeding forty shillings.
Resolved by this Assembly That a Tax of one Penny on the Pound on the Poles and Rateable Estate of the Inhabitants of this State on the List of 1783 be and is hereby granted and laid payable to the Treasurer of the State at or before the first Day of October next for defraying the necessary Incident Charges of Civil Government, and the Treasurer is hereby Ordered to Issue out his Warrants accordingly.
* See above, p. 119.
377
OF CONNECTICUT
1784.
Resolved by this Assembly That the Committee of the Pay Table be and they are hereby directed in answer to the Questions Stated to this Assembly in their representation of the 24th of this Month not to draw any further Orders on the Treasurer of this State for Payment of the Short Levies referred to in said Representation but that they Issue to them for their Pay the Continental Securities the said Committee have received or shall receive Signed by the Pay Master of the Late Con- tinental Army as referred to in said Representation.
Resolved by this Assembly That the Committee of Pay Table be directed and they are hereby directed to Settle and adjust those Orders drawn by said Committee on the Treasurer of this State in the Year 1780 for Bills ordered by Congress to be Issued from the Treasurer of this State in favour of Nehemiah Hubbard Deputy Qm General and draw on the Treasurer for what they shall find Justly due.
This Assembly do appoint M' Elisha Abbe of Windham to Collect and receive all Articles of Cloathing Salt Provisions and Stores of dif- ferent Sorts belonging to this State in the County of Windham which Nath1 Wales Esqr in his Life Time was Authorized to do, and such Stores as now remain undisposed of to Sell and dispose of to the best advantage, receiving in Payment therefor either State Bills or Securities of this State due and Payable paying the Avails thereof to the Treasurer of this State for which Service the Committee of Pay Table on the Settlement of his Accounts are to make a reasonable allowance for Trouble and Expence.
Resolved by this Assembly That the Committee of Pay Table be and they are Impowered and directed to receive of Governor Trumbull all the files Records and Papers belonging to the Council of Safety and remove and lodge them in the Office of the Pay Table in Hartford, And the Committee of Pay Table are further directed to prepare an Account of the Moneys drawn from the Treasury by Order of the Council of Safety during the late War and the Purposes to which such Moneys have been applied and lay the Same before the next General Assembly.
Resolved by this Assembly that the Treasurer of this State be and he is hereby directed to draw Orders on the Sheriffs and Collectors of Taxes and Agents or holders of any Moneys due to this State for the Sum of two hundred Pounds lawfull Money in the whole payable to the Delegate from this State now about to proceed to Congress out of any Moneys in their Hands, excepting only such Moneys as are appropriated to the Use of the United States, and the Receipt of such Delegate shall be good in Settlement for such Moneys at the Pay Table and Treasury.
Whereas it has been represented to this Assembly that there is a difficulty attending the Sale of some of the confiscated Lands in the
378
PUBLIC RECORDS
May,
County of Fairfield, and the Grant made by this Assembly of one Thousand Pounds to the first Society in Fairfield and the West Society in said Fairfield, to be raised out of the said confiscated Lands to enable said Societys to build Meeting Houses, is in danger of being defeated which inconvenience to prevent ---
It is Resolved by this Assembly that said Societies if they see Cause may receive Deeds from the Treasurer of this State of Confiscated Lands in said County in satisfaction of said Grant at the Apprisal of Colº Philip B Bradley Colo Samuel Canfield and Abel Hine Esq" and the Treasurer of this State is directed to execute Deeds to said Societies severally in proportion to their several Rights in said Grant on receiving a Certificate from such Apprizers of the Value of such Land and proper Descriptions thereof.
Resolved by this Assembly that MY Elisha Pitkin Jr of East Hartford be and he is hereby Authorized and appointed to receive of Mr Chauncey Whittlesey of Midletown all the Powder in his Custody being the prop- erty of this State and dispose of the Same to the best advantage of the State and render his Account thereof to the Committee of Pay Table who are directed to Liquidate and settle the same.
Upon the Representation of the Overseers of the Prison of New Gate that after the said Prison was consumed by Fire there was Col- lected out of the Ruins thereof a considerable Quantity of Iron which they have secured for the Benefit of this State That there is some Timber lying near the place where said Prison stood, which was pro- vided for a Yard to said Prison, and that they have in their Custody some Cloathing which was left by the Prisoners when they broke said Prison &c-
Resolved by this Assembly that Roger Newberry Esq" be and he is hereby Authorized and directed to Sell and dispose of said Iron Timber and Cloathing and all other Materials now remaining that were made use of in and about the said Prison for Money or State Securities now due Settle his Account with the Committee of Pay Table and after deducting necessary Charges pay the residue thereof arising from said Sales to the Treasurer of this State.
Resolved by this Assembly that the Constables and informing Officers in the Town of Colchester be and they are respectively Authorized to execute their several Offices for New London County untill the first Day of January next.
Resolved by this Assembly that the Secretary be and he is hereby directed immediately to prepare and furnish his Excellency the Governor with an Authenticated Copy of an Act of this Assembly past at the present Session Entituled An Act to enable the United States in Con-
379
OF CONNECTICUT
1784.
gress Assembled to Levy certain Duties and Imports on certain Goods and Merchandizes imported into this State &c .*
Whereas it has been Represented to this Assembly that there is a difficulty attending the Sale of some of the Confiscated Lands in the County of Fairfield And the Grant made by this Assembly of five hundred Pounds to the first Society in the Town of Norwalk to be received out of the said Confiscated Lands to enable said Society to build a Meeting House is in danger of being defeated which incon- venience to prevent-
Resolved by this Assembly that said Society if they see Cause may receive Deeds from the Treasurer of this State of Confiscated Lands in said County in satisfaction of said Grant at the Apprisal of Colº Philip B Bradley Colo Samuel Canfield and Abel Hine Esq" And the Treasurer of this State is directed to execute Deeds to said Society on receiving Cer- tificates from said Apprizers of the Value of such Land and proper Des- criptions thereof.
Resolved by this Assembly, That Colo Samuel Mott Rufus Lathrop and Elias Brown Esqrs be and they are appointed a Committee to repair to New London and Groton and examine into the Circumstances of the various Sufferers from the detachment of the British Army, by the burning and destruction made in said Towns in the Month of Septem- ber 1781, and make Report of what further Abatements of Taxes if any, ought to be made to said Sufferers, said Committee to be at the Expence of said Sufferers.t
Resolved by this Assembly That Colo John Chester and Capt Jona- than Bull be appointed a Committee to procure Copies of the Acts passed at this Assembly as soon as may be and have five hundred Copies thereof printed and distributed to the several Towns in this State in the same proportion as the new revised Law Books have been already directed to be distributed, and said Committee are to take such other Measures for promulgating such of said Laws as they shall think necessary to be known before said Copies can be distributed in such way and manner as they shall think proper.
Whereas it is represented to this Assembly that the Inhabitants of the Town of Greenwich in Consequence of their losses during the late War are unable to pay their Taxes-
Resolved by this Assembly that such of the Inhabitants of said Greenwich as the Authority and Select Men of said Town of Greenwich shall designate, shall be and they are hereby abated their Lists or Taxes in whole or in part for the Years 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782 and 1783.
* See above, pp. 326-7.
t See below, p. 449.
380
PUBLIC RECORDS
May,
Whereas it is represented to Assembly that some of the Inhabitants of the Town of Stamford are by reason of their losses during the late War rendered unable to pay their Taxes,
Resolved by this Assembly that Colo Samuel Canfield & Gen1 John Chandler be and they are hereby appointed a Committee to repair to said Stamford at the expence of the said Town, and abate the List or Taxes in whole or in part of such of the Inhabitants thereof as have suffered Losses in consequence of the late War by Plundering and burning of the Enemy for such Years as they shall think Just and right and Report make.
Whereas it is Represented to this Assembly in behalf of those Per- sons in the Town of Fairfield who suffered by the Burning and Plunder- ing of the Enemy in the Month of July 1779 that they are still unable to pay their State Taxes by means of the Losses sustained by said Burning and Plundering, that the Taxes of said Sufferers in the List for the Year 1782 & 1783 have not been abated and still be against them praying for relief-
Resolved by this Assembly that the State Taxes of those of said Sufferers whose Taxes were abated on their Lists for the Years 1778 1779 1780 and 1781. be also abated on their Lists for the Year 1782 & 1783 and the Same are hereby Abated accordingly.
Whereas it is represented to this Assembly that Solomon Leet and Daniel Leet both of Guilford had during the late War their Houses &c burned by the Enemy, and are thereby rendered unable to pay their Taxes,
Whereupon Resolved by this Assembly that the said Solomon Leet and Daniel Leet be and they are hereby abated all their State Taxes for the Years 1782 and 1783.
Resolved by this Assembly That the Committee of Pay Table be and they are hereby directed and Impowered to settle with the Soldiers who served in the Connecticut Line of the Continental Army and had not been settled with, by the Same Rules and Principles said Line have been settled with and to draw Orders in like manner for the Ballances that may be found due to them as hath been done for said Line.
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