Whereupon Voted, That the Town Treasurer, Mr. David Jeffries be, & he hereby is directed to close those Accompts together with what Mr. Samuel Adams, a late Collector, erroneously stands Dr. for on Town Treasury Books. Voted, That all Matters & things which remain unfinished at this Meeting be referred over to the next general Town Meeting, to be then considered of and acted upon. Then the Meeting was dissolved. At a Meeting of the Freeholders & other Inhabitants of the Town of Boston duly qualified & legally warned in public Town Meeting assembled at Faneuil Hall on Wednesday the 30th. Day of March Anno Dom: 1774 3 O'Clock P.M. Warrant for calling the Meeting, read The Town having upon a Motion made Voted to choose a Moderator by Hand-Vote, William Phillips Esq. was accordingly chosen Moderator of this Meeting. That Article in the Warrant Vizt., "To determine whether the Town will purchase the new Clock lately made by Mr. Gawen Brown, & fix the same in the Steeple of the old South [496.] Church, and also the two Dials that are already there, and another that Mr. Brown proposes to put up on the West side of said Steeple, & agree upon the Terms, on which such Purchase shall be made" was taken into Consideration, & after some Debate thereon, Voted, That the Town will grant the said Gawen Brown Eighty Pounds lawful Money towards purchasing said Clock & three Dials, which, with Eighty Pounds lawful Money more subscribed by several of the Inhabitants (Part of which he has already received) will in the Estimation of the Town, be the full Value of said Clock & three Dials, the Grant hereby made to be drawn for by the Selectmen, as soon as may be after said Clock & Dials are fixt in said Steeple to their Satisfaction, provided said Brown give, Security to the Selectmen that he will keep said Clock in good Order and winde up the same at his own Expence for Seven Years after said Clock & Dials are there fixed; the third Dial to be of the same Size with the other two Dials Also Voted That the Gentlemen the Selectmen be desired to take a Bill of Parcels of Mr. Brown for the Clock & Dials, together with a Receipt in full, that it may hereafter appear to be the Property of the Town. The Honble. John Hancock Esq. having sent in his Desire to the Town, that he might be excused from serving any longer as a Fire-Ward, on Account of his Health; he was accordingly excused. Upon a Motion made Voted unanamously, That the Thanks of the Town be & hereby are given to the Honble John Hancock Esq. for his good Services as a Fire-Ward, a Number of Years past. [497.] The Committee appointed by the Town of Boston for procuring & erecting Lamps, beg leave to report, and they accordingly do report That they received of the Treasurer out of the Monies subscribed and paid for the Purpose £120 Sterling, with which they procured & sent to Mr. John Boylston Merchant in London a Bill of Exchange for £90 Sterling That Mr. Boylston procured & sent Lamps & Tin to the Amount of £77 3 6 sterling, in which he did not charge any Commissions, or any thing for his Trouble, & moreover, he made such an Interest with the Captain as to obtain their being brought free of the Charge of Freight, all which has made a considerable Saving to the Town. That the whole Number of Lamps erected under the Direction of the Committee amounts to three hundred & Ten. That the whole Sum received of, & drawn upon the Treasurer for, amounts to £450,, 7,, 3, as by Account of Particulars hereto annexed That there still remains in the Hands of Mr. John Boylston Merchant in London the Sum of £12,, 16,, 6 sterling to be accounted for by him, & in the hands of the Committee 59 Globe Glasses 665 Tin Plates and 6 weight of Oakum which are ready to be delivered to the Order of the Town be, & hereby are appointed a Committee to draw up a Vote of Thanks to Mr. John Boylston, to be reported, before the same is transmitted. [498.] Voted, that this Meeting be, & hereby is adjourned to Fryday the 8th. Day of April next, 3 O'Clock P. M. Fryday April 8th. 1774, 3 O'Clock P. M. met according to Adjournment. Mr. Robert Breck was chosen a Culler of Hoops & Staves for the Year ensuing The Comittee appointed to receive the Money subscribed for purchasing of Lamps, report That they have attended that Business, & received of the persons, whose Names are mentioned in the Lists of the several Wards, herewith delivered, the Sum of five Hundred & twenty four Pounds eleven shillings, & eight pence, which, agreeable to the Vote of the Town, they have paid into the Town Treasury. That there are some other Subscribers who have not paid their Subscriptions, but when received are likewise to be paid into the Treasury. And that there are a Number who have subscribed to give Lamps, & others, whose Subscriptions are to be paid in Work, as mentioned in said Lists; the Names of whom and their particular Subscriptions have likewise been given to the Committees appointed to purchase and erect the Lamps £ 524,, 11,, 8 JA. RICHARDSON P Order The above Report having been read, the Question was put, Whether the same shall be accepted-Pussed in the Affermative. The Selectmen being appointed a Committee to consider the Petition of Mr. Samuel Barrett & others, that a street might be laid out, extending from the Bottom of Union Street to the End of Sudbury Street, do report as their Opinion, That it will not be of any Advantage to the Town to have any other Street, than what the Abbuters on the Land between [499.] The Street called Friend Street & Cold Lane, have already laid out, unless the Owners of the Land between Union Street, and Friend Street, & from Cold Lane to Sudbury Street, are inclined to lay out a Street through their Land, at their own Expence, in which Case they think it best that they may be permitted to lay out One accordingly. JOHN SCOLLEY, p Order The foregoing Report having been read & considered-the Question was put, Whether the same shall be accepted - Passed in the Affermative. The Committee appointed to take into Consideration the Petition of the Revd. Mr. John Christopher Hartwick, in behalf of a Number of German Families being in this Town for Assistance in building a small House for Public Worship - Reported, That having met & considered the same, they are of Opinion, That one half Part of the Building now improved as a Granary, be allowed the Petitioners by them to be used & improv'd as a Place for the public Worship of God. the same to be leased to them for such a Term of Years, & upon Conditions as the Town shall think proper The Comittee would beg Leave to recommend, that a Brief be sent to the Ministers of the several Churches & Congregations, in the Town for farther Aid and Assistance to the Petitioners, by a public Contribution in the several Churches & Congregations, an Estimate being first made of the Sum necessary to be raised for the Relief of the Petitioners. The foregoing Report having been read, and some Debate had thereon, it was voted, that the farther Consideration of said Report be referr'd over to May Meeting & that the same be inserted in the Warrant that shall be issued tor said Meeting [500.] The Committee appointed to draw up a Vote of Thanks to Mr. John Boylston Merchant in London, for his Services to this Town in purchasing a Number of Lamps & shipping them from London, — Reported the following Draft John Rowe Esq. Chairman of the Comittee, appointed the 5th day of May 1773 to procure Lamps &c. from London to be fixt in such parts of the Town, as said Comittce should judge proper for enlightening the same, made Report of their Proceedings in Writing thereon; & at the same Time informed the Town, that the said Committee had employed Mr. John Boylston, late of this Town Merchant, now residing in London, to purchase said Lamps That Mr. Boylston very readily & chearfully undertook this Service-That he purchased the Lamps very cheap-That he took great Care in the Packing & shipping of them-& got them transported & shipped from London free of Freight and that he will not accept of any Comission for his Trouble in this Affair, nor for some Expence he has been at in Transacting the same The Town taking this Representation into their Consideration, & having a grateful sense of M'. Boylston's great Care & Generosity in this Affair, Voted, that the Thanks of the Town be, & hereby are given to Mr. Boylston for the same. The foregoing Report having been read, the Question was put, Whether the same shall be accepted - Passed in the Affermative unanimously. Also Voted that William Phillips Esq. John Rowe Esq. Ezekiel Goldthwait Esq. be and hereby are appointed a Comittee to transmit the foregoing Vote, attested by the Town Clerk to the said Mr. Boylston as soon as may be. [501.] Upon a motion made, Voted, that John Rowe Esq. be desired to write Mr. Boylston that the Ballance remaining in his Hands may be sent in Lamps so soon as conveniently may be John Rowe Esq. having offered in this Meeting to allow the Town Twenty Shillings p hundred for all the Oakum remaining in his hands, of that which was sent by Mr. Boylston, it was Voted, that this Offer be accepted, & that Mr. Rowe be desired to pay the Amount thereof to Mr. Town Treasurer The Town Clerk having laid before the Town, the Doings of his Majesty's Justices, & the Gentlemen the Selectmen of Boston, together with the Return of the Jury appointed to make Assessments &. relative to the new Street in Paddy's Alley Voted, That the Clerk be directed to record the same in the Town Book of Record Memo. all on File- see Page 552 The Town brought in their Votes for a Fire Ward in the room of the Honble. John Hancock Esq. who has declined serving on Account of his Health; & upon sorting the same it appeared that Ezekiel Cheever Esq. was chosen a Fire Ward for the Year ensuing That Article in the Warrant for March Meeting, Viz. "Whether the Town will purchase the Buildings erected by Mr. Robert Pierpoint on the Town Land adjoining to the Fortification," being referr'd over for Consideration to this Meeting, the same was taken up by the Town, and after some Debate had thereon, Voted, that William Phillips Esq. M'. Edward Payne Ezekiel Goldthwait Esq. Mr. Alexander Hill M'. Ezekiel Price [502.] Be, & hereby are appointed a Committee to take this Article of the Warrant into Consideration & report their Opinion relative thereto at the General Town Meeting in May next Mr. Alexander Edwards, who was chosen one of the Wardens for the ensuing Year, having declined serving in that Office, was accordingly excused by the Town. The Town brought in their Votes for a Warden and upon sorting them, it appeared, that Capt. Andrew Symmes jun". was chosen a Warden for the Year ensuing. Agreeable to the Venire for the Choice of Jurymen for April Court, received from the Clerk of Sessions, the Town proceeded to the Choice of Six Jurors, by drawing them out of the Box, when, Mr. John Box jun'. William Wane Benjamin Andrews jun". John McClane Edward Winter Calf Joseph Richardson were drawn Jurors for April Court, & the Venire, with the Names of those Persons were given to one of the Constables. Voted, That all Matters & things, which remain unfinished at this Meeting be referred over to the next General Town Meeting be then considered of, & acted upon Voted, unanimously that the Thanks of the Town be, & hereby are given to William Phillips Esq. the Moderator of this Meeting, for his good Services therein. Then the Meeting was dissolved. [503.] At a Meeting of the Freeholders & other Inhabitants of the Town of Boston, duly qualified & legally warned in public Town Meeting assembled at Faneuil Hall, on Wednesday the 10th. day of May 1774. Prayer was made by the Reverend M'. John Lathrop. read Mr. Timothy Newell, one of the Selectmen proposed, in their Names, to the assembled Inhabitants, to proceed to the Choice of One, or more Persons to represent them in the Great & General Court or Assembly, to be held at the Town House in Boston, upon Wednesday the 25th. day of May Current, & in order thereto to consider, & ascertain the Number of Gentlemen to be Elected: Accordingly it was Voted, to proceed to the Choice of Four Representatives, & then it was declared by the Selectmen That no Votes will be received but such as are unfolded; and that they propose the Poll shall be closed at 12 O'Clock The Votes being brought in for Four Representatives the Number of the same was found to be five hundred and thirty Six, & upon sorting them it appeared that the four following Gentlemen were chosen Vizt. The Honble. Thomas Cushing Esq. Mr. Samuel Adams The Honble. John Hancock Esq. William Phillips Esq. 524 535 536 534 The Choice of Representatives being over, & declared by the Selectmen, the Inhabitants were directed to withdraw, & bring in |