USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Chelsea > Documentary history of Chelsea : including the Boston precincts of Winnisimmet, Rumney Marsh, and Pullen Point, 1624-1824, vol 2 > Part 51
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At the same time, the people were meditating a convention to form a Constitution. The action of Chelsea is shown by the following votes :
August 2, 1779. Voted, unanimously, and fully approved of, and concurred with, the determination of the Convention, held at Concord the 14th of July last, relative to the prices of the articles stated by the Convention.16
14 Acts and Resolves, v. 515.
15 Town Rec., ii. 42.
Sce " The Harvard Graduates Magazine." iv. 25. September. 1895, for an account of this matter by Mellen Chamberlain. Town Ree. ii. 47.
542
IIISTORY OF CHIELSEA
ICHIAP. L
Same. Voted, that the Committee of correspondence to take care that the articles of Convention be strictly complied with.17
Aug. 2, 1779. Chose Mr. Richard Shute, a delegate to meet the Convention at Coneord, the first Wednesday of October next, and Capt. Jonathan Green, to meet at Cambridge, the first day of September next, to frame a Constitution or form of govern- ment, agreeable to a resolve of the General Court.18
August 12, 1779. Chose a Committee of three persons to in- struct their delegate that was chosen to meet at Cambridge, to frame a constitution or form of government for the Massachusetts Bay. Lieut. Thos. Pratt, Samuel Sprague, and Joseph Green were chosen sueh eommittec.19
The instructions of the committee were as follows:
August 12, 1779
To Capt'n Jona : Green. Sir :
As we have appointed you a delegate to represent us in the Convention to be held at Cambridge for the special purpose of eonstrueting a Form of Government for this State, thereby re- posing a trust in you of vast importance to ourselves, and to our posterity, we therefore feel ourselves bound to give you some special Instructions upon the Subject.
As we wish for a free and righteous Government, you are to use your best endeavors that such an one be formed as shall seeure & preserve the great essentials of liberty, be respectable in itself, capable of aeting with vigour and dispateh, preserving the legisla- tive and executive branches distinet, containing usefull Cheeks in the legislative, well-guarded against bribery and Corruption, not resting the supream power in any one body of men, or indeed in any hands whatever, excepting for a short term of time.
An equal representation being mueh the essence of a Govern- ment perfectly free, which is impracticable to found merely on
17 August 12, 1779. Chose Captain Samuel Sprague, Capt. Samuel Sar- geant, Abijah Hastings, James Stowers, Samuel Floyd, Jr., Joseph Cheever. and Jonathan Hawks a committee to settle the price of the produce and labor and all other things in Chelsea. August 23. Voted to accept of the report of the Committee with some amendment, that was chosen to regu- late the prices. Chose Capt. Jonathan Green, Capt. Samuel Sprague, Capt. Samuel Sargeant, Licut. Hastings, Richard Shute, Capt. Joseph Pratt, Lieut. Jonathan Hawks, Samuel Floyd, Jr., John Tukesbury, Lieut. James Stowers, and Benjamin Henderson a committee to take care that the people comply with the articles. Town Rec., ii. 48. 18 Ibid., 47. 19 Ibid., 48.
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property, you will therefore endeavour that such an equal repre- sentation shall obtain, as shall be estimated from numbers, esteem- ing it righteous that the same given number in any part of the State should have an equal Voice with the same number in an- other part. - We therefore recommend this as an object you are to keep in constant view.
The rights of Conscience we hold too sacred to be controuled by human Authority, and therefore while you avoid infringements upon these rights, you will by no means destroy the restraints and usefulness of religion in society, as we esteem the stated, orderly publie worship of God of high importance to Society, and feel an attachment to ye scriptural principles of our pious fore- Fathers, yet, not regarding an establishment of modes and cere- monies, but thinking it highly necessary that the public worship of God should be supported in every town & parish capable of sup- porting it, you are therefore by no means, to give your consent to any measure that shall tend to overset the public worship of God in this State, or subvert the antient usages and wholesome laws that in this respect have hitherto obtained; being sensible that great advantages in knowledge and morals have arisen herefrom.
Adhering to the spirit and intention of these instructions, we wish you the divine presence & assistance in the weighty business we have commited to your care.
Chelsea, Augt : 12th : 1779.
SAMLL. SPRAGUE, THIOS. PRATT, Comtt. JOSEPH GREEN,
Chelsea again appealed to the General Court for relief in the matter of taxation, in the following memorial :
March 8, 1780
STATE OF THE MASSACHUSETTS BAY
To the Hon'ble Counsel and House of Representitives, in Gen- eral Conrt assembled, March ye 8th : 1780.
The Petition of the Selectmen of the town of Chelsea. in Behalf of their town, Humbly Shew that in the time that the British forees were in Boston the Inhabitants of the Southerly or Lower part of the town of Chelsea were ordered by General Washington to Remove their Stoek of Cattle, horses, and Sheep Back to sonte more Distant place from the British army. Agreeable to said orders, said Cretures were Removed back to the upper part of
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Chelsea, and into other towns where said Cretures were so short of feed, that they broke over the fences, and Devoured Several Corn-fields, and Broke into and Spoiled a Considerable part of the mowing Land. And, by the Stocks being kept away from the Lower part of the town through the Summer Season, the feed thereof was Lost, and several of the Cattle and Sheep that were Drove Back were Starved and Lost, and the Inhabitants of the Lower part of the town were obliged to Carry back the Little hay they Cut and the other produce of their farms into other towns, Six, Seven & some Eight miles, where they could Get places to keep themselves, their Stocks, and hay at, with a Great Expense ; Also, a Considerable number of housen and Barns were so torn to picces by the Soldiree that General Washington sent to Chelsea, that it has since cost the Inhabitants of the Lower part of the town Very Considerable Sums of money to Repair them, barely fit for use, and Several Good houses were so spoiled by said Sol- diers that they are not Repaired to this day, nor Indeed are worth Repairing, but must be Rebuilt, and one Large Barn, 30 feet wide, and above 60 Long, the Soldiers Burnt all up for fire- wood, besides a Great many hundred Rales and posts that fenced in Considerable of the Inclosures of the town said Soldiers Burnt, and thereby Laid a Considerable part of the town Common for some years, and also said Soldiers Destroyed and Eat a Consider- able part of the Corn, fruit, and Sauce of the town that year, and, although Several towns that suffered in the same manner that Chelsea did were Considered by Large abatements in their State taxes Ever Since, Some near one half, others about a third or quarter part, but the town of Chelsea has not had one single penny abated in their tax; And, further, at the time when the former Valuation was taken, there was then a Certain part of our town, Called Pleasant point, where there was then about twenty Good Dwelling-houses besides other Buildings, and above twenty families and as many Rateable Poles that carried on the Fishery business, and now there is but three or four families there, and one of them so Very poor as not to be able to pay one penny of taxes, either to State or town, and the Greater part of said housen are torn Down and Gon, and those few that Remain are so torn to pieces and Destroyed that they are not fit for even the very poor- est of people to Dwell in. Considering all these Disadvantages, to our Great Surprise, when the Valuation was taken Last year, when we might have 'Reasonably Expected to be abated in our State tax on account of our town's worth being so Greatly Lessoned, ten or fifteen Shillings on the thousand pounds, yet notwithstanding all said Great Impoverishments, to our Great Astonishment, we
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CHAP. L] TAXATION AND POLITICAL AFFAIRS
found that there was Laid on our town ten shillings on a thousand pounds more than we paid in the time of prosperity. Although ever since Chelsea was a town, for about forty years, we never before now paid but about a fortieth part so much as the town of Boston of State taxes, and now Chelsea pays about a twenty- third part so much as Boston does, and although Noodle's Island, which belongs to Boston, is worth above three times so much as any one farm in Chelsea, yet we are Credably Informed that we have several farms in Chelsea that Either one pays more taxes than that Great Island does, and, as we have Schooling to pay for, and a number of poor to maintain, and the Chief of our wood, both for our fires and fencing, to buy at near as Dear a price as in Boston, under all said Imbarishments we are so Extreemly Im- poverished, that we are not able to Subsist to pay such a heavy State tax as is now Laid upon us, but must Sink under the same ; therefore your petitioners humbly pray that your Hon'rs would take our Deplorable Circumstances into your wise Consideration, and Compassionate the Little and poor town of Chelsea under our Great Burdens, and Ease our town as in your Great wisdom you shall think to be Just and Equitable, that we may Injoy Equail priviledges with our neighbours, which your humble petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray. - March ye 4th : 1780.
SAMLL. SPRAGUE, ) Selectmen JONATHAN GREEN, of
DANIEL PRATT. Chelsea
Furthermore, -
And the Value of our Estates, by Reason of the Long and Ex- pensive Ferry we have to pass over with our persons and produce, causes the price of our Lands, and the produce thereof, now (and it has always been so) fo be as Low, or Lower, though of Equail quallity, than the Lands in fowns that are 15 or 20 miles from Boston; for Example, the Last farin that was Sold in Chelsea, Before the present, was after it had been on Sale near 7 years. said farm that Contained 114 acres of Land, with two Dwelling- houses & 2 barns besides ouf-houses, within a mile of the meeting- house, was Sold for £1,250 Starling, which was not more than 50/ per aere, first taking ouf the worth of the Buildings, which were fhen Valueable.
And another Disadvantage Chelsea Labours under is that we are obliged to Sell our English hay fo pay for our fire-wood, & our wood costs us as much as wood Costs in Boston, and by Selling our hay from our farms, makes our Land poor: whereas, the towns that Carry their hay to Boston, when the hay is unloded, they Lode their Carts with dung & carry the dung to their farms, & so keep VOL. 11 .- 35
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their farms Rich, which we cannot do; further, as our ferry is so troublesome to pass, the Greater part of our town Carry their produce to Salem & Marblehead, which is 13 or 14 miles Distance from the middle of our town, Because it is Cheeper to transport it so far than to Cross the ferry to Boston.
furthermore, if we have but a Dozen of Egs, if we Carry them to Boston we pay the ferryman ten dollars for one man's passage to and from Boston, which Devours a Considerable part, if not all, that we Carry to the market at Boston.
And, as to English hay, which is the principle article that we can Spare, to make money with, as we are obliged to Serue it: it always has been the custom to pay one fifth part of the price of the hay to those that buy the hay Loose, for their Serueing & Carry- ing it to Boston, & Diuers of our people have 2:3, or 4 mile to Carry their hay in Carts Loose, to those that buy in malden, to Serue & Carry to Boston.
and as the Cost of Carrying the produce of our Lands to market is so Great, it make the Value of our Lands to be no more than the Lands in other towns that are 15 or 20 miles from Boston.
the Repairs of our Beaches & Loss of our Lands . .
On the question of adopting the State Constitution, Chelsea passed the following votes :
May 9, 1780. Voted to choose a committee to consider the Con- stitution, and make remarks. Voted, Rev. Phillips Payson, Lieut. Hastings, Mr. Richard Shute, Mr. Joseph Green, and Capt. Samuel Clark as a committee.20
May 9, 1780. Voted, to accept the Declaration of Rights by Yeas and Nays (eleven yeas, one nay), with this amendment, p. 12, article 16, add, But as its freedom is not such as to exempt the printer or printers from being answerable for false, defama- tory, and abusive publication.
Voted, to accept the name of this Commonwealth, the Massa- chusetts. Voted, to accept the form of government with the amendment, eleven yeas, and one nay. Alterations and corree- tions in the form of government; first, that all shall be Voters for a representative, Senators, Governor, &c., that pay taxes, and are twenty-one years of age. Secondly, that the word[s] order & direct in the paragraph respecting the Governor and Council be changed for the word [s] Consult and Advise. Thirdly, that the
. 20 Town Rec., ii. 52.
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scheme of Rotation be adopted in the principal departments of Government. Fourthly, that the Clergy be exempted from all offices in the civil department. Fifthly, that in page 18, 1 24, the word[s] at the Least, be blotted out. Sixthly, that in page 22, add at the bottom, Excepting Vacancies by the choice of Counsel- lors. Seventhly, that no person shall be a member of Congress for this State, unless he possesses a right of freehold, and Estate sufficient to qualify hin for a seat in the Senate double to a Senator. Eighthly, in page 20, add, or in the Town Clerk's ab- sence, in the presence of the Selectmen only. Voted, if our dele- gate, Capt. Jonathan Green, shall not be able to procure these alterations and corrections, we leave it at his Option to vote in Convention, by the best of his judgment, either for or against frame of government, that shall finally be obtained in the Honor- able Convention, without referring of it again to the people at large.21
4th September, 1780. The town legally warned and assembled to vote for Governor, Lient. Governor, and six Senators. Vote for Governor; twenty for Hon. John Hancock, and one for Hon. James Bowdoin. Vote for Lieut. Governor; 19 for Hon. Ben- jamin Greenleaf. Vote for Senators; 18 cach for Jeremiah Powell, Benjamin Austin, Jabez Fisher, Benjamin White, Samuel Niles, and Richard Cranch.
The famous Committee of Correspondence seems to have been kept alive long after the purpose of its formation had been accomplished.
March 12, 1781. Voted, and chose Mr. Richard Shute, Lient. Abijah Hastings, and Mr. Samnel Floyd a committee of Corres- pondence, Inspection, and Safety.22
March 12, 1781. Chose Capt. JJonathan Green and Samuel Watts, a Committee to meet at Dedham on a Conference. [I have not yet learned the purpose of this conference. ]23
The matter of unequal taxation perpetually occurs in Chelsea affairs; and this time in the concrete form of comparison with that of other towns, as follows :
21 Town Rec., ii. 54.
22 Ibid., 57, 62. 23 Ibid., 62.
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1781 An account of how much Several towns are taxed on the thousand pound in the Valuation
& s d
Chelsca.
Lynn.
Malden.
Boston,
56: 0: 0
Roxbury,
8:18: 6
94 Rateable Polls.
517
202.
Dorchester,
8: 1: 1
43 houses, .
45s.
230, 55s.
98,
60s.
Braintrec,
9:10: 9
42 Barns,
18s.
210, 20s.
102,
20s.
Waymouth,
4: 6: 1
No Stores.
110, (s.
99,
6s.
Hingham,
5:19: 0
1 Mill,
100s.
4, 80s.
3,
100s.
Cohasset,
2: 8: 5
360 acres of mowing,
25s.
1,802, 12s.
439,
13s.
Dedham,
8: 4:
3
300 acres of tillage,
20s.
1,000, 10s.
399,
10s.
Wrentham,
4: 10:
0
1,574 acres of meadow,
9s.
1,611, 7s.
950, 7s.
Brookline,
3:10: 6
2,100 acres of pasture,
10s.
4,972, 3s.
2515, 3s Sd.
Necdham,
3: 9: 7
300 aeres of woodland, 140s.
700, 70s.
2811, 80s.
Milton,
4: 6: 7
Medfield,
2:15: 0
4,634.
10,084. 7114.
Stoughton,
6:10: 4
Valuation, 1781.
Stoughtonham, 2:14: 8
Chelsea, 4634 acres.
Medway,
3: 3: 4
Lynn, 10084 aeres.
Bellingham,
1:15: 0
Malden,
7114 aeres.
. Hull,
0:14: 0
Walpole,
2:16: 0
Chelsea,
2:16: 6
Franklin,
3: 5: 0
Foxborough,
1: 8:
Lynn,
6: 6: 0
Malden,
2:16:10
1781, Sept. 19. Granted £14: 8: 0, to pay the Interest of Mr. Sherman's Bond.24
January 3, 1782. " Voted, that they think they are almost Duble taxed to other ajasant towns.25
" Voted to chuse a Committee of 5 persons to pertition to the General Court for abatement of their taxes." 26
Chose Capt. Jonathan Green, Samuel Watts, Capt. Samuel Sar- geant, Richard Shute and Capt. Samuel Sprague.27
It would not be safe to assume, as I gladly would, that the following vote, and others of the like character, were the un- prompted action of the town; for many other towns in remote parts of the state passed like votes in almost identical words. They probably were passed on the suggestion of that arch- patriot, Samuel Adams, whose special activity was aroused by the vital importance of the fisheries.
Town Rec., ii. 66. This matter will frequently recur, but I have not learned its origin.
25 Ibid., ii. 67.
26 Ibid.
27 Ibid.
-
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CHAP. LI TAXATION AND POLITICAL AFFAIRS
3 January, 1782. Voted to instruct their representative to do the best of his abilities to retain fishery to the Northern States, if there should be a treaty for Peace.28
23rd January, 1782. To the Hon'ble Senate and Hon'ble House of Representatives in General Court assembled, this 23d of January, 1782. The Petitions of Samuel Sprague, Samuel Watts, Samuel Sargeant, Jonathan Green, and Richard Shute, in behalf of the town of Chelsea, humbly Shew that when the British army was in Boston, the Greater part of the Inhabitants of the town of Chelsea were ordered by General Washington to Remove their Stocks of Cretures Back from their farms, by which means they Lost Some of their Cattle, horses, and Sheep, and the Rest almost Starved, and also they Lost the Greater part of the feed of their farms, and their Corn, Sanse, and fruit was Distroyed by the Soldiers of our army Very Considerably, and about half the Build- ings of our town were Greatly Damaged, and Some of them pull'd Down and Burnt, none of which are well Repaired or Rebuilt to this Day; and many of them are not worth Repairing; also much of the fences of the town were Burnt by said Soldiers, and our farms Laid Common thereby ; and although Several towns that Suffered in Like manner were abated part of their State taxe for Several years after, but Chelsea was not abated one penny, although Chelsea Sntfered about as much in proportion to their number and Value as some of them towns Did: when the Valu- ation was taken about the year 1772 there was part of our town, Called pleasant point, that had about twenty Good Dwelling- houses, some stores, ware-houses, and Barns, and Some Vessels at that place for Carrying on the fishiry Business, and their was at that part of the town about twenty families, and as many Rate- able polls able to pay publiek taxes ; all Said Stores, warehouses, Barns, and Vessels are Lost and Gon, or of Little or no worth, and Great part of said Dwelling-houses are torn or fallen Down, and those few that Remain are so torn to pieces and ont of Repair. that their is not any fit for the poorest of people to Live in: so that their is but two families and two Rateable polls that are able to pay any publiek taxes there. Considering all these Disadvan- tages, to our Great Surprise when the Last Valuation was taken, when we thought we might Resonably have expected, Considering how much our town was Lessened, to have had an abatement in our State taxe of ten or fifteen shillings on the thousand pounds. but to our astonishment we find that there is Eighteen Shillings in the thousand pound put on our town, more than what we paid
.
·
29 Town Rec., ii. 68.
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HISTORY OF CHELSEA
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in the time of prosperity in the year 1772, when before our tax was high, when the town was worth a Seventh or Eighth part more than it is now : But, as we find that the hon'ble Committee on Valuation Included our town in the six next ajacent towns to Boston, as though we were as advantagesly Situated to Carry our produce into Boston market as the ajacent towns on the other side of Boston, and so put Considerable on our town for that Reason; whereas it Costs our Inhabitants about Double the Cost to Carry their produce into Boston than it Does those people on the other Side that Live eight or ten miles from Boston, as we don't Raise so much Grain as is Consumed within our town: Our English hay is the principle article we have to procure money with, and we have on an Everage two or three miles to Carry it on Carts to be Served, and then it costs one fifth part of the price at the market for Serveing and Boating it to Boston; by Reason whereof, a Considerable part of our hay is Carried to Lynn, Salem, and Marvelhead, and Some Round through Malden, Medford, Cambridge, and Roxbury, twenty miles, and we are so Distant that we have not the advantage of Carrying home a Lode of Dung, when we have unloded our hay, which makes our farms poor, and those on the other side of Boston that are near make their farms Rich by Carrying out Inrichment for their Lands from Boston; and as we have So Costly, Long, uncertain, and hazardous a ferry to pass over to Boston, with our other produce, or to Carry it twenty miles to Boston, or fourteen or fifteen miles to Salem or marvelhead, where we Do Carry the Greater half of our produce, that we Can Spare; for which Reason, our Land is of as Small worth as though they Lay fourteen or fifteen miles from Boston; for Instance, the Last farm that was Sold in Chelsea within one mile of the meeting-house after it had been on Sale near Seven years, which said farm, that Contained 414 acres, was Sold for twelve hundred and fifty pounds Starlin, which Exclusive of the Value of the Buildings thereon, was not more than three pound per acre, and the other Land in Chelsea is Generaly Sold much after the Same Rate, Some for more and Some for Less : Above one third part of the Land in our town is Salt Marsh, which Bares but one Crop in a year, and Some hundred acres thereof Does not Bare half a tun on an acre, one year with another, which will but barly pay for Giting the Same; besides, the Beaches annually Brake in upon our marshes and cover some of them with Stones, and the waves of the Sea wears away Some of our upland, which makes our town Less, inasmuch as we are not favoured with the Books of Valuation we are not able to Say how much per
551
CHAP. L] TAXATION AND POLITICAL AFFAIRS
cent. we pay more than other towns, but compairing our town's former and Lafer taxes with the former and Later taxes of the Neighbouring towns, we find that our town is, in the Last State tax, more than Sixteen times so much as it was in the State taxe ten or twelve years ago, and the towns of Lynn, Malden, and Reading, that are next ajoyning to Chelsea, are not eleven times so much in the Last State tax as they were ten or twelve years ago, and, although there is Less put upon the County of Suffolk in the Last Valuation than formerly, yet Compairing with the other towns in the Same County of Suffolk with our town, we find that the town of Medfield, that is not Eleven times so much as they were in the year 1770, and that the town of Bellingham is not Seven times so much in the Last State tax as they were in the year 1770, and the town of Boston, also are bnt Seven times so much in the Last State tax as they were in said year 1772; and a number of other towns in the County of Suffolk are taxed in about the Same manner; and further the town of Boston, before the present war, paid above forty-two times as much as Chelsea, but now the town of Boston does not pay twenty times so much as Chelsea does, we suppose that those towns of Boston, Medfield, Belingham, Lynn, Malden, and Reading are all taxed Right, but it might be Certain that Chelsea has been taxed Very Wrong for a Great number of years past, or Else are now: Very extraor- dinarily to[o], we must think that a Great part of the Land in the neighbouring towns to Chelsea is of as innch Value as the Land in Chelsea, though they are not taxed but abont half so much as the Lands in Chelsea are, it was said by a Gentleman that hired Noodle's Island, that one farm in Chelsea was Rated more to the State in the year 1780, than Said Great Island was, though said Island was worth more than any three of the Best farms in Chelsea. which we Did not believe; that one farm in Chelsea was Rated more than Said Island, but upon Inquiry we found it to be true: as the town of Chelsea have hired Considerable of money to pay their publick charges, which the town now owes, and are not now able to pay it, for the town of Chelsea has all along Since the present war Seasonably, by hireing money and otherways, Com- plied with and Done Every thing towards the war that they were Called upon for by authority untill now. But as our town are Sattisfied that they are (we Conclude, through a mistake) bur- dened with a much heavier State tax then our proportion Com- paired with other towns, and than we are able to pay, and as we Conclude the occasion of this heavy burden being Laid on our town happened through a mistake in not Calculating the Value
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