B. WENTWORTH Province of In the House of Representatives 13th May 1748 Voted that the Prayer of ye annexed Petition be granted & that y meetings & ye Votes mention'd in sa Petition be & hereby are declared illegal null & void In Council May 14th 1748 the above Vote of the House read & Concurred. D. Pierce Clr. Theodore Atkinson Secy. B. WENTWORTH [It is uncertain to what paper or petition the following names belong. They seem to stand alone. ED.] Isaac Beauchamp by his son or At- John Willowbe tenant to Joseph torney John Beauchamp Henry Adams Daniel Searls Joseph Butterfield Wm Lund Tho Blanchard John Lovewell Junt Sam' Searles Farley Phillip Clerick John Butterfield Benja French David Hubbard Amos Phillips Jason Russell Benja Parker Gershom Hubbard Josiah Swan Zacheus Lovewell Jonathan Combs Phinehas Lunde Tho Adams-Attorney to Judith Nottingham West March ye 31st 1748 this may Certifie that Joseph Blanchard Esq' was sworn to the faithfull Discharge of the office of Town Clerk and assessor in the town of Dunstable for the Current year before me Ezekiel Chase J. P. Minutes of Town Meeting in Dunstable March 30th 1748. At a meeting of the Inhabitants Qualified to vote in the Choice of Town Officers in the Town of Dunstable in the Province of New Hampre Voted and chose Jonathan Lovewell moderator of said meeting Voted and chose Jonathan Lovewell William Lancey Thomas Harwood Noah Johnson & Jonathan Lund Selectmen. voted that the said Selectmen be assessors. voted and chose Ephraim Lund Constable. voted and chose Josiah Butterfield & Sam1 Kenney tithing men. voted and chose John Searls & William Lancey Jun. surveyors of high way. voted and chose John McClenche & Thomas Murdough Field drivers. voted and chose John Huston & Sampson French fence vewers. voted and Chose Benja Richardson William Alld & Benja French Hog constables. a True Copy from Record of the whole of said meeting respecting Town officers Examd attr Jonathan Lovewell Town Clerk This Certifies that we the Subscribers Inhabitants & Quallified voters in the Town of Dunstable voted in the Choice of the above said officers the day above said we the Subscribers certifie that Nehemiah Lovewell was present & voted in the above said meeting but being out of Town when the others Subscribed this paper had not opportunity to Subscribe. Province of Jonathan Lovewell This Certifies that the Inhabitants that ware Quallified to vote in the Choice of Town officers in the Town of Dunstable in said Province being Regularly Assembled for that purpos the 30th day of March 1748 did Choose the Persons here after mentioned in to the respective offices as is here after Expressed. Jonathan Lovewell Town Clerk. Jonathan Lovewell, William Lancey, Thomas Harwood, Noah Johnson & Jonathan Lund Selectmen. voted that said Selectmen be assessors. Ephraim Lund Constable. Josiah Butterfield & Sam1 Kenney Tithing men. John Searls & William Lancy Jnr Serveyors of highways. John McClenche & Thos Murdough Field drivers. John Huston Sampson French Fence vewers. Benja Richardson William Alld & Benja French Hog Constables. Att Jonathan Lovewell Town Clerk. Province of Nottingham March ye 31st 1748 the afore said Jonathan Lovewell and Thomas Harwood were Sworne to the faithfull discharg of their Respective offices where they were chose as above before me Prov of New Hamp Ezekiel Chase J Pais Nottingham West april ye 2, 1748 The aforesaid William Lancey Noah Johnson Jonathan Lund Josiah Butterfield Sam' Kenney John McClenche Thos Murdough John Huston & Benja Richardson were sworn to the faithfull discharge of their Respective offices where to they were Chose as above, before me, Ezekiel Chase Js. Pais Province of Nottingham April ye 18th 1748. Jona Lovewell of Dunstable in said Province was Sworn to the faithfull discharge of the office of Sealer of all weights and measures in the said Town of Dunstable where he was Chosen. before me Ezek1 Chase Js Pais John Phelps and others' assent to Fo" Blanchard's petition. Wee the Subscribers Inhabitants and Freeholders of the town of Dunstable do hereby Signifie that we are not for the Setling Mr Sam Bird as minister of this town & should if Opportunity had permitted Joyned with Jos Blanchard Esq' & Others in Petitioning the Gen1 Assembly for making null & void the vote Whereby he was Pretended to be Chose and are Still desirous that the Same may be done Dunstable May 3d 1748 Jonathan Phelps Remonstrance. To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Governour &c The Hon. his majestys Council & House of Representatives in Gen' Court assembled at Portsmouth May ye 19th 1748 Wee the Subscribers Inhabitants of the Town of Dunstable would Most Humbly Remonstrate That Inasmuch as a Representation of our Circumstances has bin made to this Hon Court Relating our Last March meeting for the Choice of Town Officers, on the 30th of said month by Joseph Blanchard Esq' praying that the choice made by the majority of Voters mentioned might - -? the Town officers by them Chosen be Confirmed or the whole proceeding nullified & a new meeting Called &c That we are in necessity for Redress in those things and in as much as the Choice of officers made by the said Thirty Six Whereof Major Zacheus Lovewell was Chosen Moderator & the s Joseph Blanchard Town Clerk Were agreeable to the Town in Gen' & in which choice two thirds at least of the freeholders & Inhabitants in s town of any proffitable Estates or such as had bin Costomary to Rase did vote in the affirmative, and should a new meeting be called We Imagine it would be only to chose the same persons over again that the Scarcity of Laborers and the Season of the year so much Demand our attention to our business, our Habitations are so scattered that Warning and holding such meeting at this Season would be very Chargeable. That if it might be the pleasure of this Hon. Court to establish and Confirm the sd officers it would free us from these as we apprehend unnecessary Charges, & Quallify us Imediately to do anything necessary for the Publick affairs of sd Town Which is very Humbly Desired &c Petition of Jon Lovewell in answer to Joseph Blanchard's petition. To his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Capt. Gen1 & Governour in chief in & over his Majesties Province of New Hampshire & the Hon1e his Majesties Council & House of Representatives for ye Province in Gen' Assembly Convened May 10th 1748 Jonathan Love well of Dunstable in said Province for him self and other freeholders and Inhabitants of Said Town in answer to a Petition of Joseph Blanchard Esq' for himself & others (now lying before this Hone Court) Humbly Shew That in Said Petition is Shewn forth that ye Selectmen of Dunstable by their Warr1 cal'd a Town meeting in Dunstable to be of Persons Qualifyed to vote on ye 30th day of March last for y Choice of Town officers for ye Current year that ye Inhabitants Met accordingly and after some Debate about ye Quallifycations of Voters they proceeded to ye Business & that 53 Men assembled who were Quallifyed according to yR Laws by which they had heretofore been Govern'd who divided into two parties 36 in one & 17 in ye other that each party chose a Moderator Select men & all other Town officers-a Double set chosen and Sworn for every office--the evident Consequence of which is the utmost confusion &c By this state of ye Case in their Petition they Grant ye authority of the Selectmen to call the Meeting but don't mention who Govern'd the Parties Mentioned who took their Votes & Determin'd ye Choice or whether there was any officer to Enter & record ye votes or show how the meeting was managedrepresenting y case as if one party had as good right to act as ye other in any manner when the truth of the matter is That the Petitioners in a very Disorderly uncivil manner took yR Selectmens warrant from them and went out of ye house appointed by ye Selectmen to hold ye meeting in and Gathered a Party together some qualified Voters & Some not so and acted like a mobb of madmen in such a manner as never was done in this Province Since it was a Government-the Selectmen all the while proceed to take votes at the time & place appointed to hold ye Meeting when & where a Moderator was the Voters present orderly chosen & y business of y Town orderly caryed on all town officers chosen & duly Entered by ye clerks Duly Sworn as ye Laws & custom of all Towns in ye Government have time out of mind used-which officers your respondents conceive to be yo officers regularly chosen for ye Town & that they ought to Serve in their respective officesThe Petitioners Knew that what they had done was Disorderly yet they did the same with Design to Disturb ye peace & good order of the Town for if they were ye Major part of y voters Qualifyed they might have chosen who they liked best into of fices without Snatching up ye warrant and runing out of doors & holding a meeting abroad in the fields where they were not cal'd by their warrant to hold it the necessity of having officers regularly chosen is evident but the question is whether these Petitioners have right to Complain of ye Proceedings of ye Town in General when they themselves & no others have made all y Disturbance & Disorders they mention in their Complaint. |