USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Volume of records relating to the early history of Boston : containing Boston town records, 1784 to 1796 > Part 2
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Voted, that the foregoing Letter be signed by the Town Clerk in behalf of the Town and transmitted as soon as may be
Voted, that the Letter from the Committee of Medway to- gether with the foregoing be published as soon as may be
then the Meeting was Dissolved
[319.] At a Meeting of the Male Inhabitants of the Town of Boston of twenty one years of Age and upwards qualified as the Constitution prescribes, and legally warned in publick Town Meeting Assembled at Faneuiel Hall on Monday the 5th. Day of April Anno Domini. 1784
Prayer was made by the Revd : Mr : Clark -
Warrant for calling the Meeting read -
Paragraph of the Constitution or form of Goverment relative to the choice of Governour Leiut : Governour and Six Senators for the County of Suffolk were also read -
15
BOSTON TOWN RECORDS, 1784.
On a Motion
Voted, that the Town will now come to ye : choise of a Governour & Lieut. Governour and Six Senators for the County of Suffolk -
It was then declared by the Selectmen that no Votes would be received but such as are unfolded and that they propose the Poll shall be closed at One. OClock -
It was then moved and Voted, that the Bells in the Town be set a ringing at half past Twelve OClock -
Persons Voted, for as Governour with the Number of Votes, for each Person - Vizt.
Votes
[320.] His Excellency John Hancock Esqr. 560
Honble : James Bowdoin Esqr. 10
Persons Voted for as Lieutenant Governor, with the Number of Votes for each Person - Vizt. -
Votes
His Honor Thomas Cushing Esqr.
- 565
Honble. James Warren Esq".
3
Honble : Benjamin Lincoln Esqr.
1
Honble : Elbridge Gerry Esqr.
1
Honble : Francis Dana Esqr. .
1
Persons Voted, for as Senators, for the County of Suffolk with the Number of Votes for each Person - Vizt. -
Votes
Honble. Samuel Adams Esqr. -
525
Honble. Jeremiah Powell Esqr.
558
John Brown Esqr. -
245
Honble. John Lowell Esqr. -
253
Honble. William Heath Esq"
488
Honble. Cotton Tufts Esqr.
555
Honble. Jabez Fisher Esqr.
559
Honble. Samuell Nyles Esqr.
28
Honble. Samuel Dexter Esqr.
4
Honble. John Pitts Esqr.
10
Richard Cranch Esqr. -
2
Honble. Caleb Davis Esqr.
2
John Rowe Esqr.
4
Thomas Daws Esq".
1
Honble. James Sullivan Esqr. -
7
Honble. William Phillips Esqr.
22
Mr : Benjamin Edes -
1
Thomas Russell Esqr.
9
Honble. Stephen Higgenson Esqr.
18
16
CITY DOCUMENT.
[321.] Honble. Benjamin Lincoln Esq". Isaac Smith Esqr. - 5
5
Honble. Benjamin Austin Esq". 11 Benjamin Hitchborne Esqr 1
Arnold Wells Esqr.
1
Attested Copies of the Persons Voted for as Governor, Lieu- tenant Governour & Senators for the County of Suffolk, were committed to the Secretary of this Commonwealth, and the Sne Pasures sealed up in Town Meeting Superscribed as follows Vizt.
For
John Avery Jun" : Esq". Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
The Number of Votes for the Town of Boston for a Governour Lieutenant Governour and Six Senators for the County of Suf- folk Certifyed within and Seald up in Town Meeting -
Then the Meeting was dissolved
At an Adjournment of the March Meeting April the 5th. - 3 OClock Afternoon
The Comittee appointed to consider of a future Arangment of the free Schools In this Town beg leave to Report - .
That they cannot on this Occasion, avoid expressing a Vener- ation of our Ancistors for their Wisdom, Piety and early Care in providing for the Instruction of Children, not only in Reading, Writing and Arithmetick which [322.] are Necessary to qualify them for common and ordanary Employments, but also in estab- lishing Grammer Schools in which such of them as may be inclined may have the oppertunity of being initiated into a fur- ther Degree of Education, whereby they may be rendered more eminintly useful to the Community as they successively enter upon the Stage of Life. Our free Schools seem to have been interested for the Benefit of the Poor and the Rich; that the Children of all, partaking of equal Advantages and being placed upon an equal Footing, no Distinction might be made among them in the Schools on Account of the different Circumstances of their Parents, but that the Capacity & natural Genious of each might be cultivated & improved for the future Benefit of the whole Community .. The Institution appears so exceedingly important to this great End, that it must give Pain to every one who duly regards the future Wellfare of the Community, when
17
BOSTON TOWN RECORDS, 1784.
any of the Children are found even in School Hours, playing in the Streets, or still worse gathering into Clusters and inuring their impressive Minds to the abominable Vice of gaming by prac- ticing in the lowest Arts of it - Whether such Instances are owing to the too fond Indulgence of Parents - or too lax a Government in Schools, or to any other Cause the Disgrace which it may [323.] bring on the Town in the Opinion of Observing sensible Foreigners will be among the least of its evil Effects, Much depends upon the Characters & moral Conduct as well as the Abilities of those who are the Instructors of Children & youth; and therefore it is much to be wished, that it may be especially recommended to the Selectmen to take Care that no Person may be Allowed to Open a Private School without their Approbation agreeable to a good and Salutary Law of the Com- monwealth.
Moreover the Practice of the School-Masters in instructing the same Children who are intitled to the Benifit of the publick Schools, at other Hours than those devoted to the Town hath a Tendency to draw their Attention from the Publick to the private Schools, to excite on odious Distinction between those whose Parents can Afford the Expence of their Attending the private Schools & those who cannot. - And it greatly increases the Gen- eral Expence of Education. - It is therefore the Opinion of the Committee that the Schoolmasters employed by the Town ought not to teach such of the Male Children of the Inhabitants as are under the Age of fourteen years, in the same branches of Learn- ing at their private and the publick Schools -
If the foregoing Opinions of the Committee respecting the Practice of the Schoolmasters shall meet the Approbation of the [324.] Town, they will in that case be abridged of certain Per- quisetes which they have heretofore received, with, at least the tacit Consent of the Town; and therefore the Committee beg leave to recommend to the Consideration of the Town Whether such Adition should not be made to their Salaries as to enable them to support their own Children & Families and in the Exer- cise of that Cardinal Virtue, Prudence to lay up for them such a Moderate Overplus, as every industrious & provident Inhabitant wishes to do for his own Family at the Period of Needfulness or Life - But if the Town should think it proper that the practice should continue with Respect to the Instruction of any of the Children at what are called private Hours, the Committee recomend that the terms of Instruction at such Hours be regulated by the Selectmen or a standing Committee for regulating the Schools -
The case of the Female Children of the Town, in the Opinion of the Committee requires particular Consideration, Whether some Provision should not be made for them, as is necessary to render them more useful Members of the Community ; especially those whose Parents are unable to Afford them such Instruction. -
The Committee were at Pains to ascertain how many Children do & how many do not, enjoy the Benifit of any Schools either
18
CITY DOCUMENT
Publick or Private, Apprehending the [325.] Number to be very large also the Names of the Persons who are private instructors in the Town but having failed of Obtaining this Information which however the Committee consider as very necessary to be Obtain'd by the Town they have not been Able to form a Plan, as they intended on this Ground. But they venture to recomend for the present, that the Overseers of the Poor be Authorized, to give Certificates to such Parents or Guardians as may Apply, or who, they may be convinsed, are not able to bear the expence of haveing their Children instructed in the carly Stage of School Instruction (and the Female Children of a Suitable Age in com- mon Nedle work) for which no provision is already made, & that they allow such Schoolmasters & Schoolmistresses as they shall direct, the usual Sum given per Week for the Instruction of each of such Children.
The foregoing Report having been read and considered, the Town came into the following Votes. Vizt : -
Voted, that the practise of the Schoolmasters in receiving Entrance & Fire Money (so called) be abolished as inconsistant with that Freedom of Education which was originally intended in the Institution of the Publick Schools and introductory of such Distinction as injure the Minds of the Scollars & tending to deprive many Poor Children of the Benefit of the sd. Schools
[326.] Voted, that the Publick Schools be provided with Fire wood at the Discretion of the Selectmen to be paid for by their Draft on the Town Treasury
Voted, that the Selectmen be directed not to employ or Con- tinue any Person as a Publick Schoolmaster or Usher who shall not agree to have the Terms of Instruction of the Children of the Town at Private hours regulated by the Selectmen
Voted, that the Selectmen be directed not to approve of or continue any Person as a Private Schoolmaster within the Town unless such Master shall agree to be governed by such regula- tions as to the Prise of his Instruction as the Selectmen from time to time shall see fit to make
Voted, that a Committee be appointed to furnish the Selectmen as soon as may be with an Account of all the Children in the several Wards between the Ages of four & fourteen years, dis- tinguishing the Males from the Females and knowing how many of each are under the Age of Seven years, and also how many are instructed at publick & how many at Private School & how many at Both
Voted, that John R. Sigorney Ward Capt. William Brown No. 1
19
BOSTON TOWN RECORDS, 1784.
[327.]
Alexr. Hill Major Parkman
} 2
Deacon Tudor
3
Deacon Sharp Colº. Syms
}
4
Thomas Hitchborn Sam1. Austin
$
5
Joseph Hall Capt. Wm. Bell
$
6
Deacon Newell
}
7
Deacon Simpkins John Codman
8
Bartholomew Kneeland John Proctor
9
Thomas Tileston
10
Capt : Sam1 : Payne
Colº. Waters
Samuel Ruggles
}
11
Capt : Amasa Davis Samuel May
12
be a Committee for the purpose Aforesaid
Voted, that the Selectmen require of the several publick & private Schoolmasters in this Town to furnish them within 10 Days with an Account of all the Children by them Instructed marking how many Attend their publick how many their private Schools & how many both. -
It was then moved & Voted
[328.] that the aforegoing Report of the Committee on Schools be recommitted so far as has not been Acted upon
The Committee to Audit Accounts - reported when it was Moved & Voted, that the consideration of said report subside for the present
Voted, that Mr. Thomas Walley Joseph Barrell Josiah Waters Junr. Esqr.
Benjamin Burk
Captt. Job Prince
-
20
CITY DOCUMENT.
Ezekiel Price Esq". Honble : James Sullivan Esqr.
be a Committee to consider of an Adequate Provision for the Schoolmasters & to report as soon as may be
Adjourned to Monday next being the 12th. Instant 3 OClock Afternoon -
Monday the 12th of April - 3 OClock Afternoon Met according to Adjournment --
The Inhabitants withdrew and brought in their Votes for one Constable, and upon sorting them it Appeared that, - John Pownall was chosen Constable for the Year ensuing unanimously -
The Town brought in their Votes for four Fire Wards, and the same having been sorted it Appeared that Capt. John Ballard Andrew Symes Esqr. Paul D. Sergent Esq". Mr. Joseph Clark
[329.] were chosen Fire Wards for the year ensuing -
The Committee Appointed by a Vote of the Town of the 5th. Instant to Consider of an Adequate Provision for the School Masters have Attended that Service & having confered with some of the School Masters & duly considered the Matter are Unan- imously of Opinion, the following Sums be Allowed & paid the several Schoolmasters for their Services for the present Year their pay to Commence the first day of March last, to be paid quarterly -
To Mr. Samuel Hunt Master of the South Grammer 230 - School Two hundred & thirty pounds & Annum
To Mr. Nathan Davis Master of ye. North Gram- mer School Two hundred & thirty pounds 230- Annum
To Mr. John Tileston Master of ye. North Writing
School Two hundred pounds # Annum -
-
-
200
-
To Mr. James Carter Master of ye. Writing School ? 200 - in Queen Street Two hundred pounds + Annum - S
To M'. John Vinal Master of the South Writing } School Two hundred pounds + Annum - - 200 -
The Above Salarys to be Allowed Exclusive of what is allowed
21
BOSTON TOWN RECORDS, 1784.
for House Rent to those who are Obliged to Hire - Your Com- mittee also beg leave to Recomend to the Town that some Mode may be Adopted that the Schoolmasters may be [330.] punc- tually paid their Salarys at the Experation of each quarter - Boston April 12th. 1784. All which is submitted.
Thos. Walley # Order
The foregoing Report having been read & considered a Motion was made to reconsider two Votes passed at the late Meeting relative to the private Hours of the School Masters but did not Obtain -
The Town then passed the following Votes - Vizt.
Voted, that the Sum of Two Hundred & thirty pounds be Al- lowed & paid unto Mr. Samuel Hunt for his Salary as Master of the South Grammer School the present Year to commence the first of March last the same to be paid him Quarterly as it shall become due --
Voted, that the Sum of two hundred and thirty Pounds be Al- lowed and paid unto Mr. Nathan Davis for his Sallary as Master of the North Grammer School the present year to commence from the first of March last the same to be paid him Quarterly as it shall become due -
Voted, that the Sum of Two hundred Pounds be allowed and paid unto Mr. James [John] Tileston for his salary as Master of the North Writing School the present year the same to be paid him Quarterly as it shall become due & to commence from the first of March last
[331.] Voted, that the sum of two hundred Pounds be al- lowed & paid unto Mr. James Carter for his Salary as Master of the Writing School in Queen Street the present Year commencing from the first of March last, the same to be paid him Quarterly as it shall become due -
Voted, that the Sum of two hundred Pounds be Allowed and paid unto Mr. John Vinal for his Salary as Master of the Writing School in the Common the present Year, the same to be paid him Quarterly as it shall become due, and to commence from the first of March last -
Voted, that Mr. John Tileston Master of the North Writing School be allowed for House Rent the present Year the Sum of Forty pounds, the same to be paid him Quarterly as it shall be- come due & to commence from the first of March last
Voted, that Mr. Nathan Davis Master of the North Grammer
22
CITY DOCUMENT.
School be Allowed for House Rent the present Year the Sum of Forty Pounds, the same to be paid him Quarterly as it shall be- come due, and to commence from the first of March last -
Voted, that Mr. John Vinal Master of the Writing School in the Common be Allowed for House Rent the present year the Sum of Forty pounds the same to be paid him Quarterly as it shall become due and to commence from the first of March last -
[332.] Voted, that the Selectmen be requested to provide Ushers for the publick Schools where they shall think Necessary & to Allow Adeque Salires therefor, not exceeding One half of what the Several Masters have already had Voted them.
Moved & Voted, that the Town Treasurer be directed to pay the School Masters, Sallaries as they become due out of any Monies in his hands.
Voted, that the Town Treasurer be directed to dispose of the New Emission Money in his Hands, on the best terms he can the produce thereof to be Applyed to the payment of the Watchmen, the Schoolmasters & for the Support of the Poor -
Moved & Voted, that the Committee to Audit the Accounts of the Town Treasurer be desired to prepare an estimate of the Money necessary to be raised for the Servises of the Town the ensuing Year Stating the particular Uses to which the same is to be Appropriated & to Report at May Meeting -
Voted, that Six Shillings # Day be allowed by the Selectmen to the Assessors for their servises the present Year -
Mr. Aron May's Petition read whereupon
Voted, that a Committee be appointed [333.] to consider said Petition & enquire into the Buisness & Emoluments of the Weigher of Hay & Report to the Town their Opinion of what may be proper to be done thereon -
Voted, that Charles Miller Esqr. Mr. William Parsons Mr. Joseph Green be a Committee for the purpose Aforesaid
Voted, that the Town Clerk be directed to hand into the Com- mittee to Audit Accompts, a List of all the Towns Estates the Persons to whom they are Let & the Rents arising therefrom, Also on Account of all the Salaries granted the present Year and to whom -
23
BOSTON TOWN RECORDS, 1784.
Voted, that all Matters & things which remain unfinished at this Meeting be referred Over to the next General Town Meeting, may be called in May next then to be Acted upon -
Moved & Voted, that the Thanks of the Town be and hereby are given to John Brown Esqr. for his good Services as Modera- tor of this Meeting
Then the Meeting was dissolved.
[334.] At a Meeting of the Freeholders & Other Inhabitants of the Town of Boston duly qualifyed and legally warned in pub- lick Town Meeting Assembled at Faneuil Hall on Monday the 12th Day of April Anno Domini 1784. 3. OClock in the After- noon
Warrant for calling the Meeting - read
John Tudor Esqr.
was chosen Moderator of this Meeting by a Hand Vote and took his Seat accordingly.
A Circular Letter Dated Milton March 22. 1784 and signed Thomas Crain Chairman requesting a Meeting of Committees at Dedham relative to a proposal of some Towns for dividing the County of Suffolk was read
The Article in the Warrant Vizt. "To take into consideration an order of the General Assembly passed on the 31 day of Janu- ary last respecting the Petition of Sundry Persons in the Countys of Suffolk & Middlesex praying to be made a Seperate County - also a Circular Letter from the Committee of the Town of Milton on the same subject dated the 22ª of March last " - and after some debate the Question was put - Vizt. - Whether the Town will now Appoint a Committee to meet Committees of other Towns in the County of Suffolk at the House of Mr. Timothy Gay of [335.] Dedham on the 22 Day of April 10 o'Clock Forenoon, to consider of the Expediency or non Expediency of dividing said County & to report to the Town at the General Town Meeting May next -passed in the Affermative
Voted, that this Committee consist of five Honble : Caleb Davis Esqr. Ezekiel Price Esqr. William Cooper Esq". Stephen Higgeson Esqr. Honble. James Sullivan Esqr. be a Committee for the purpose aforesaid
24
CITY DOCUMENT.
Moved & Voted, that the Selectmen be requested to Write a Letter in Answer to the Letter Received from Thomas Crane Esq".
Then the Meeting was dissolved
At a Meeting of the Freeholders & Other Inhabitants of the Town of Boston, duly qualifyed and legally Warned in publick Town Meeting Assembled at Fanuiel Hall on Tuesday the 11th day of May Anno Domini 1784-10 OClock in the Forenoon -
Prayer was made by the Revd. Mr. Everet -
Warrant for calling the Meeting read
That part of the Constitution or form of Government which relates to the choice of Representatives -read -
[336.] Sundry Laws to be read at said Meeting were ac- cordingly -- read
The Town having Determined to choose Seven Persons to represent them in the General Court of Massachusetts to be held at the State House at Boston the last Wednesday of May Current Agreeable to the Constitution or Frame of Government for the Massachusetts. - The Inhabitants were directed to withdraw & bring in their Votes, for Seven Representatives, and then it was declared by the Selectmen that no Votes should be received but such as are unfolded & that they propose the Poll shall be closed at 12 OClock -
On a Motion - Voted that all Those who Vote for Representatives shall on their giving in their Respective Votes, enter into the Hall & there remaine untill the Poll is closed -
The Votes being brought in for Seven Representatives the number of the same were found to be 402 - & upon sorting them it appeared that only the six following Gentelmen were chosen by a Majority of Votes - Vizt.
Votes
The Honble. William Phillips Esq". 387
Honble : Caleb Davis - Esq". 373
Sam1. A. Otis - Esqr. 209 Thomas Daws - Esqr. 389
John Rowe - Esqr. 299
Sam1. Breck - Esqr. 335
[337.] Adjourned to 3 O'Clock P : M for the choice of one Representative
25
BOSTON TOWN RECORDS, 1784.
3. OClock P. M. met according to adjournment -
The Inhabitants were Directed to withdraw & bring in their Votes for one Representative, & it was proposed that the Poll be closed at half past 3 OClock - The Votes brought in the Number were found to be 384 - & upon sorting them it Appeared that - That
the Honble : James Sullivan Esq" : was chosen Votes 314
The choice of Representatives being over & Declared by the Selectmen, it was moved that a Moderator be chosen by hand Vote to transact the Business enserted in the Warrant -
Thomas Daws Esq™ :
was chosen Moderator of this Meeting -
The Article in the Warrant Vizt.
To Consider the Petition of a Large Number of the Inhabitants that the sence of the Town may be taken upon the expendcency of an Application to the General Court, for an Act to Form the Town of Boston into an Incor- porated City "was read & After considerable Debate it was Moved & Voted, that a Committee be Appointed to take into consideration said Petition & to report whether an Alteration in the present Government of the Town be eligible & to report if necessary a Plan for a Different Police
[338.] Voted, that
-
The Honble : Sam1. Adams Esqr. Joseph Barrell Esq". Honble : Stephen Higginson Esqr. Charles Jarvis Esq™. - William Tudor Esqr. Honble : Robt. Treat Payne Esqr. Perez Morton - Esqr. Sam1. Brick - Esqr Edward Payne Esqr. Honble : James Sullivan Esqr. Thomas Dawes Esqr. Benja : Hitchburn Esq™. Honble : Caleb Davis - Esqr.
be a Committee for the purpose aforesaid
Caleb Davis Esqr. - chosen a Representative sent in a Letter Acquainting the Town that he has resign'd
Voted, that John Lucas Esqr. one of the Selectmen Acquaint Caleb Davis Esqr. that it is the Desire of the Town that he do not Decline Serving as a Representative-
26
CITY DOCUMENT.
Adjourned to Fryday Next
9 oClock forenoon -
Friday May 14th. 9. O'Clock met according to Adjournment -
Selectmen a Committee to Act upon Leist of Jurors --
The Subscribers being appointed by the Town to met & confer with the Committee of the [339.] Several Towns in the County of Suffolk, upon a Petition exhibited to the General Court in their last Session for forming into one County Ten Towns in the County of Suffolk & four Towns in the County of Middlesix, having in consequence of the Same Appointment at Dedham on the 22 Day of April 1784 - met in convention the Delagates from the Towns of Roxbury, Milton, Braintree, Hingham, Stoughton, Sharon & Brookline in Addition to the Ten Towns in the County of Middlesex Joining in the same Petition being present & having confer'd upon the subject matter of the same Appointment
Do Report,
That it appeared to your Committee, that the Eleven Petitioning Towns who not in Convention by their Delagates were by no means unanimously, agreed in the expediency of having the sd. fourteen Towns in- corporated into one County & that all the other Towns then present by their Delagates were against the Measure the reasons offered in favour of the Measure as your Committee recollect them were, that the Business of the Courts of Justice in the County of Suffolk had become so extensive, that Parties Wit- nesses, & Jurors we were commonly Oblige to attend at the Court of Common Pleas for the Space of three Weeks together and sometimes longer - that the Travel from the extreeme parts of the County to the Shire Towns was longe & expensive that the Regester of Deeds being remote from the Center of the County rendered the securing new purchases very inconvenient -- That the Probate Court being at a Distance from the Petitioning Towns rendered the settlement of Estates under [340.] Admin- istration expensive - And that the Interest & manners of the People in the Sea Port Towns were diverse & disimelar from those in the Country Towns - Your Committee by their Appoint- ment being Obliged to take the aforegoing Reasons under their consideration & Discusion, think it their duty to Submit to the Town their Objections to the Measure of forming a New County in the manner proposed by the aforementioned Petitioners in any other manner at present -
your Committee upon An enquiry into the proportion of Buis- ness done in the several Countys of Worcester Middlesex, Essex, & Suffolk, find that there are more Actions entered in the County of Worcester, than in the County of Suffolk, & nearly as many in either of the Other Countys above mentioned - Whereupon
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