USA > Maine > Washington County > Machias > Narrative of the town of Machias, the old and the new, the early and late > Part 12
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Voted That the Roads as laid out by the Selectmen be acceptable, distances and boundaries on the files. as by their report. The meeting was dissolved.
RALPH. H. BOWLES, T. C.
On the twenty-fourth day of September, 1790, Wm. Albee, one of the Constables was directed to notify the voters, that a public meeting would be held at the Meeting House, at
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Eastern River on Monday, the fourth day of October, to give their votes for one Representative, for the Counties of York, Cumberland, Lincoln, Washington and Hancock, to represent said Counties in the Honorable, the Congress of the United States. The inhabitants assembled as before mentioned and gave in their votes as follows :-
For Hon. William Lithgow, 10
For Hon. George Thatcher, 6
This appears as the first time that the people of Machias voted for a Congressman and why only sixteen votes were cast is not explained. At the election of Governor in April, 1788, John Hancock for Governor received 77 votes. There must have been in September, 1790, over one hundred legal voters in the town.
NOTIFICATION.
The inhabitants of the town of Machias, qualified as the law directs, to vote for Representative to the General Court of this Commonwealth, are hereby notified and warned to assemble at the meeting house at the Western Falls, on Tuesday the 25th day of January inst at ten o'clock before noon, for the following purpose, viz :- to give in their vote for one representative, who shall be an inhabitant of the District of York, Cumberland Lincoln, Hancock and Wash- ington to represent the said District in the Congress of the United. States.
Then to choose a Moderator and see if the town will admit Mr. Phineas Bruce, John Cooper, Esq., and Captain Ebenezer West, who now reside at Machias, to be deemed and taken as inhabitants of the same. 15th January, 1791.
The inhabitants assembled as above mentioned. and gave their votes as follows :
For Hon. George Thatcher, Esq., 16 votes.
For Hon. William Lithgow, Esq., 2 66
Hon. Stephen Jones was then chosen Moderator.
Voted: That Mr. Phineas Bruce, John Cooper, Esq., and Capt. Ebenezer West be deemed and taken as inhabitants of this town. The meeting was then dissolved.
RALPH H. BOWLES, Town Clerk.
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The custom that prevailed in Machins, was prevalent in Maine, probably in Massachusetts if not all New England, of voting to admit to citizenship, applied to all high and low, rich and poor; poor persons who came from other States or towns, or from a Foreign country ; no immegrant could be taken and received into the social circles of life, be- ing excluded therefrom as well as from civil and political rights. The Law or custom had its origin subsequent and immediately after the close of the Revolution, owing to the fact no doubt of the presence and active interferance and plots pertaining to intrigue and supposed if not positive treachery, to the interests of the Colonists, who had com- mitted their "Lives and sacred honor" to the cause of Liberty. The iron clad oath required by law of the Com- monwealth is accounted for from the same cause, as all the principal town officers were required to subscribe to, and were not in any way legally qualified to act without the oath.
Agreeable to a venire facias from the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas and General Session of the Peace, directed as the law requires, for the choice of Jurors, the inhabitants of the town of Machias assembled on the tenth day of March, and the following persons chosen Grand Jurors :- Benjamin Foster, George Stillman, Joseph Seavey. Stephen Parker, Jeremiah O'Brien, Enoch Waterhouse, Nathaniel Phinney, Amos Boynton. The following names were drawn out of the box for Petit Jurors :- Wallace Fenlason, Daniel Hoit, Stephen Smith, Joseph Smith, Joseph Averill, Josiah Phinney, James Gooch.
RALPH H. BOWLES, T. C.
The 8th of February, 1791, a meeting was duly called to be held on Friday, the eleventh day of March to elect usual town officers. On this date inhabitants assembled at West- ern Falls and elected Stephen JJones for Moderator. At this meeting the town voted to have only three Selectmen, viz- James Avery, Gideon O'Brien, Stephen Parker were chosen together with all other necessary officers.
Voted: That the thanks of the town be given to Capt.
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Stephen Smith and Capt. Peter Talbot, for their faithful services as Selectmen to this town for a number of years past.
Votes were then given in as the law directs for Register of Deeds, George Stillman receiving one hundred and twenty; also for County Treasurer, George Stillman having ninety- six, in each case a unanimous vote.
The Selectmen only were required to take the regulation oath, of denial and renunciation, as in preceding years subscribed to.
WARRANT FOR TOWN MEETING.
To Ephraim Chase, Marshall Thaxter and John Scott, Con- stables for the town of Machias: Greeting :-
You are hereby notified and directed to inform and warn the Inhabitants of the town of Machias, qualified as the Con- stitution directs, to assemble and meet together, at the meeting house at the Eastern River, in said Machias, on Monday the fourth day of April next, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, to give their vote for Governor, and Lieut. Gov- ernor of this Commonwealth, and for a Senator for the District of Lincoln, Hancock and Washington; also to give in their votes for some suitable person to represent these five counties in Congress. Then to choose a Moderator and vote for the raising of such sums of money as is necessary for paying the Minister's salary, supporting town schools, re- pairing roads and other necessary town charges. To con- sider the request of Capt. Stephen Smith for being exempted from serving as a Tything-man, and choose some other person in his room. To see if the inhabitants will approve of the roads laid out by the Selectmen or make alterations in the same. Ordered by the Selectmen at Machias this fifteenth day of March, 1791.
All three Constables made and signed return of their doings The meeting was held agreeable to the warrant, the Selectmen presiding Votes were recorded as follows :-
For his excellency John Hancock for Governor, 137
The Honorable Samuel Adams for Lieut Gov'r 137
The Hon. Alexander Campbell for Senator, 137
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Votes were next given in for Representative to Congress
Hon. William Lithgow, Jr Esq, had 45 votes
Hon. George Thatcher had 43 votes
Stephen Jones was chosen Moderator.
Voted : That eighty-six pounds be raised for the Rev. James Lyon's salary for the ensuing year. Voted : one hundred and fifty pounds for repairs of the highways: the work to be six shillings per day for a man and four shillings per day for a yoke of oxen, and two days levied on each single pole.
Voted: That fifteen pounds be assessed for contingent charges.
Voted: That Captain Stephen Smith be excused from being a Tything-man and Jonathan Pineo was appointed in his stead.
Voted : That the roads, as laid out by the Selectmen be approved by the town, places, bounds, distances on the files. Meeting dissolved.
April 4th, 1791.
Attest : RALPH H. BOWLES, T. C.
A town meeting was hell at the Western Falls, on Mon- day the second day of May. 1791, to make choice of a Representative to the General Court from this town .. Then to choose a Moderator and to take action on the request of several of the inhabitants petitioning for a sum of money for the support of schools. Also to vote for such sums of money as may be needed to make good the deficiency of State tax No. 5 and to pay the Collector for collecting the same :- Also, to raise a sum of money to make good the old town debts.
The meeting assembled as by previous notice. Votes were then given in for a representative and when counted as the law directs, there appeared for Phineas Bruce 62 votes, which was unanimons. Stephen Jones was then chosen Moderator.
Voted :- That a sum of money be raised for the benefit of schools, and that the money be apportioned agreeable to the
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number of the children in each district. The town then voted the sum of sixty pounds for the aforesaid purpose.
The town then appointed a Committee to consist of Stephen Jones, Capt Peter Talbot, Jonathan Pineo, Geo. Stillman to join with the Selectmen in dividing the town into Districts, in such manner as they may think best for the benefit of Schools.
Voted : That the sum of nineteen pounds, fourteen shillings be raised, to make good the deficiency on State tax No 5.
An address was read at the opening of the meeting, signed-"A number of your Representatives,"-It was reqesting this town to take into consideration the necessity of the Province of Maine being a separate state. The address is on the files.
Voted: That a Committee be appointed to write instruc- tions for our representative and to answer the above mentioned address in such manner as they think proper, and that the same be read in town meeting, for the appro- bation of the inhabitants; accordingly Stephen Jones, Peter Talbot, James Avery, George Stillman, Jeremiah O'Brien, were appointed.
Voted: That the selectmen be directed to enquire into the situation of John Watts, and give him such relief as he may immediately stand in need of. The meeting was then ad- journed to Tuesday the 9th instant, eleven o'clock before noon.
RALPH H. BOWLES, Town Clerk.
The meeting was assembled as per adjournment, and after choosing a Moderator, the Report of the Committee was read. The report being taken into consideration and after debated upon, voted unanimously that the same is accepted, as the sense of the meetng, and a copy thereof transmitted from this town to our Representative to the General Court of this Commonwealth for his directions.
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REPORT.
The Committee appointed by the town of Machias to take into consideration an anonymous printed paper, called an "address to the numerous and respectable inhabitants of the great and respectable District of Maine," the intention of which and the senfintents therein advanced, appear to be calculated, to make the citizens of this Commonwealth in the five Eastern Counties dissatisfied with their present happy form of Government and endeavor to persuade them, a division of this Commonwealth into two separate States is necessary, beg leave to Report :- That they consider the measure taken in sending such papers and dispersing them through the several Counties of the Commonwealth, is un justifiable, as it declares it to be the sentiments of the Senators and Representatives of these Counties without mentioning their names; wherefore it may be considered that the same may have been fabricated by some contentious person or persons with a design to create discord and con- fusion in the Commonwealth; mislead the citizens of it, that they may have an opportunity of taking advantage of such confusion. and by exciting the popular opinion in their favor. to get elected into posts of honor and profit, which they cannot obtain at present. This is the more apparent by the reflections cast on the Boston seat, which has so long been filled with the most shining characters and men of as great ability as any in the Commonwealth, from whose exertions and Patriotism. this and the other States are greatly indebted for their attention to the public good; and their opposition in this instance appears to arise from a full con- viction that it would tend to the injury of the several parts of the Commonwealth. And the opinion of such respect- able Senators ought in some measure have weight in the present case.
Your Committee think it very improper to obtain the sense of the inhabitants in the way proposed. What right has any individual person by a printed paper, without his name appearing, to endeavor to mislead the people and by surprise to obtain their approbation to a measure big with
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such great and important events? This is too apparent to need an answer. 1
Your Committee are fully of opinion that in general such papers ought not to be taken notice of, but in the present case, they consider that for this town to remain silent would be improper, and they ought to give their reasons why they disapprove of the proposed division-and as several reasons are set forth in said printed paper. your Committee think it necessary to point out the objections against each.
Your Committee was in hopes the Portland Convention would never again be brought into view. Conventions of such a nature have always had a tendency injurious to the Public weal. The design of their promoters must be apparent-to hunt up grievances-make the people dis- satisfied and wish for innovations, which in fact is striking at the root of Government, making everything precarious and destroying its intention : and when it is considered the small number the Portland Convention consisted of: how often they have adjourned for want of a sufficient number to form a meeting with any kind of decency. we are confident. they do not speak the sentiments of the people, and we were in hopes, that, that Convention would never again be men- tioned.
The first reason offered in the said anonymous printed paper is, that Congress has assumed the greatest part of the State debt. Large sums of old paper money in the Treasury -Money due for lands sold and land may be sold to a con- siderable extent or amount. Although it must be pleasing to every friend to his country, to find that the embarrass- ment we have labored under is in a great measure removed ; But surely this cannot operate in favor of a separation, as we should enjoy all the benefits arising from these united. as if separate. The second argument is, "Congress having erected us into a separate District',-We are of opinion that this step was necessary for the ease of the citizens in Judicial proceedings : if this separated us. Congress has again united us by their Excise acts appointing the whole State one Dis- trict
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But we consider this to be entirely from the merits of the case, and a separation cannot be claimed on this ground any more than the several Districts of the Customs claiming each to be erected into free, sovereign and independent States.
The third argument mentioned is: that there is an inter- vention of part of the State of New Hampshire, between the Western part of the Commonwealth and the District of Maine: but it doth not appear to your Committee that there is any greater inconvenience in riding through twenty miles of the State of New Hampshire, than there would be riding through any part of this Commonwealth the same number of miles. As we are citizens of that and every other State in the Union, therefore not subject to any imposition, but what is laid by the Legislature of the Union.
And that part of the State of New Hampshire which they must travel through, to attend the General Court at Boston is in high cultivation with good roads and Inns where per- sons may find refreshments, on as reasonable terms, as any part of this State. but whatever weight this argument of theirs is entitled to. in regard to seeking for a separation, we leave to the candid to judge.
The fourth argument mentioned in said paper is: That Governmental Taxes operate very unequally between the citizens. "West of New Hampshire and those East. it being much easier for the Western citizens to procure Specie to pay their taxes than for the Eastern." It is highly probable that this is really true, but how we are to be relieved from that difficulty by a separation appears to us rather mysterious for we are confident that our new Governors, Councilors. Secretary, Treasurer. Attorney-General. Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court, and other necessary officers of Gov- ernment will not take their pay in boards, clapboards, shingles, laths, fish, cordwood or any other specified articles : But those articles must be freighted to Boston and sold for money (that being the most likely place for market) and then that money instead of being as now paid into the public Treasury, must be rescued back again. from thirty to one hundred and thirty leagues, to the different
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towns in the several Counties :- paid to the different Collect- ors and they may then be at the trouble and expense of con- veying it near three hundred miles for some to the public Treasury :- or if we become a separate Government, we must have the necessary Executive, Legislative officers, and in the highest departments of the State, they ought certainly to be men of the best education and of the greatest abilities, and of proved integrity-And the public have no right to. expect the services of such persons or any other they choose without they allow them handsome compensations.
Therefore instead of the taxes being lessened and made to. operate more equally by our becoming an Independent State, we are of opinion that they will be greatly increased, and the means of discharging them much more difficult than at present, which we consider is a very weighty argument. against separation.
The fifth argument made up in said paper is: "The great distance from the office of the Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court which made it difficult obtaining copies of papers." There will always be some difficulty attending business of that kind, but we are persuaded that the inconvenience is not so great as is pretended, as vessels sail daily from every part of the District to Boston, by which such papers can be easily obtained, or they may be obtained in the three upper Counties by the post, which comes weekly to Pownal- borough. It is much easier for any part of the Counties of Washington and Hancock. to obtain papers from Boston than from Portland or Pownalborough, in one of which towns it is probable the Clerks office would be held in case of a separation. Upon the whole your Committee is fully persuaded, that the Counties of Hampshire and Berkshire labour under as great, if not greater inconveniences in this respect.
The sixth argument is: "The great expense and in- conveniences, experienced by Senators and Representatives, who are obliged to travel through another State " But as the Senators are paid for their time and travel and the Representatives for their travel out of the Treasury of the
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Commonwealth, therefore that is no hardship or burden on the particular County or towns which send them, and the compensation which is allowed them for their travel, we believe is adequate to the fatigue and as to travelling through a small part of another State, we conceived it sufficiently answered before.
The seventh argument is: "That the number of souls, in the District of Maine, is nearly double the number there is in the State of Rhode Island, etc." The late wretched Policy of Rhode Island is sufficient to excite us never to wish ourselves in the situation they have been in, but that State, Delaware and Georgia have always been separate gov- ernments, therefore their coming into the Union as such could not be avoided. Vermont was by the ill policy of the State of New York (when a British government) forced into a separate Government, a State and it became a matter of necessity or Policy for the United States finally, with the consent of New York to receive that State into the Union as such : but we do not think their being States. though some of them are inferior in numbers to this District. is evidence that it will be a benefit to the inhabitants of the District of Maine to be made an Independent Sovereign State. Your Committee have discovered that Massachusetts is at present from its members, one of the most respectable States in the Union and its weight in the General Govern- ment is well known. If a separation takes place the same policy may govern each whereby the present respectability may be lost and as the Counties. Hampshire and Berkshire labor under almost the same difficulties as this District, may with the same propriety request to be created into a separate State and when States begin to divide. how far the novelty of it may be carried is uncertain, prehaps 'till each County is a State by itself. And instead of being one respectable Commonwealth be so many petty corporations.
The eighth article offered in said paper for your consider- ation is: "That the population of the District must rapidly
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increase upon our becoming independant as thousands would annually come and settle among us, had we the power to exempt their polls and estates from State, County and town taxes, for a given number of years,"-But this is rather problematical for we are apprehensive, that if we were once invested with this power we should want the ability and consequently the will to exempt any part of the State from State taxes much less from County and town taxes and really think the first would be greatly increased, and it is a poor encouragement to old inhabitants to be informed that they are to support the whole of the County and town charges and new settlers to be exempt, and at the same time to receive equal benefits. No town can be supported with- out some charge, and at present there are many towns that have not above five or six families in them; would it then be just to compel them to bear the whole expense when settled by a hundred? How are the charges in these towns now unsettled to be paid when settled upon the principles advanced; it must be by the State or County, which we conceive will never be the case.
Your Committee would further observe that the inhabit- ants, in the greatest part of the District, are in very in- digent circumstances, for it is a melancholly truth that there is only seven or eight ministers in the County of Lincoln; only one in the County of Washington and two in the County of Hancock, and but very few public schools, which is the strongest proof of the poverty of the inhabi- tants; and we are fully of opinion that unless Government affords some aid it will be a considerable time before there will be any alteration, and if separated additional taxes to pay, consequently the situation of these Counties must be much worse.
Your Committee therefore beg leave to submit these obser- vations to the consideration of their fellow citizens, and they would be wanting in the duty they owe this town and the County, if they were not to declare it as their decided
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opinion, that a separation would be highly injurious; and recommend that the Representative from this town to the General Court be directed to oppose it.
STEPHEN JONES, JAMES AVERY GEORGE STILLMAN, Committee. JEREMIAH O'BRIEN, PETER TALBOT.
In open town meeting the Instructions for the Represent- ative from this town were read and debated, and unanimously accepted by the inhabitants; voted, that a copy be trans- mitted to him for his directions when attendng the General Court.
Instructions. To Mr. Phineas Bruce. Sir :- The town of Machias have now given you the strongest proof of their confidence in your integrity and ability by electing you, to represent them in the General Court of this Commonwealth the coming year. It is their decided opinion, that their Representative never ought to be tied down by positive instructions, but think there is a propriety in mentioning their sentiments respecting such matters, as may be likely to come before the Legislature, finally leaving it to your good sense to decide as shall appear to you to be proper, after enduring such arguments as may be offered during the debates on any questions before the House.
In the first instance you are to support all such measures as are necessary for maintaining the Dignity and Sovereignty to every part of the Constitution of this Commonwealth and that of the United States: and duly observe that neither infringes on the Rights of the other. As there has been different opinions and different decisions even in the two Branches of the Legislature respecting the eligibility of persons of this Commonwealth, holding appointments under the United States, to a seat in the Legislature :- We are therefore of opinion, if it can be done withont violating our Constitution, that an act of the whole Legislature pointing out what or whether all'officers under the United States shall disqualify a citizen for holding a seat in our Legislature,
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would have a very good effect, and prevent any dispute arising between the people and either branch of the Legis- lature, and should a Law be brought forward for that pur- pose it would be pleasing to your constituents if it meets with your support.
An anonymous paper having been laid before the town, at their meeting for the choice of Representative, purport- ing to be the opinion of the Gentlemen who were sent as Senators and Representatives to the General Court, the last year from the District of Maine, in which they say that the opinion of the inhabitants of this and other towns and plantations in this District ought to be taken respecting the propriety of making application to the Legislature of this Commonwealth and to that of the United States for erecting said District into a Free, Sovereign and Independent State.
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