DIVIDING THE TOWN OF BERLIN AND INCORPORATING THE TOWN OF NEW

BRITAIN.

PASSED 1850.

Upon the petition of Roswell Moore and others, and also the petition of Norman Peck and others:

Resolved by this Assembly, That all that part of the town of Berlin which is now included within the limits of the society of New Britain, with all the inhabitants residing within said limits, be and the same is hereby incorporated into and shall remain a distinct and separate town, by the name of NEW BRITAIN, with all the rights, privileges and immunities, and subject to all the duties and liabilities of other towns in this state, with the right of sending one representative only to the general assembly of this state. And all such inhabitants of the old town of Berlin as are not now residing therein, shall belong to and be deemed inhabitants of the said new town of New Britain; provided, that at the time of their departure therefrom, they resided within the limits of the said town of New Britain. That all that part of the old town of Berlin, not included in the limits heretofore described, with all the inhabitants. belonging and residing therein, shall be and remain the town of Berlin, and all the inhabitants aforesaid, and their successors forever, residing and belonging therein, shall have, retain and enjoy all the powers, rights, privileges and immunities enjoyed by the present town of Berlin and by other towns in this state, except as herein after provided, with the right of sending one representative only to the general assembly of this state.

And the said town of New Britain, as incorporated by this act, and the said town of Berlin, as it may exist after the incorporation of the said town of New Britain, shall each pay its just and true proportion, according to the list of the year 1849, of all debts, charges and expenses, suits, petitions and claims already due and accrued, commenced or existing against the town of Berlin as it existed before the passage of this act; or for which said old town of Berlin may hereafter be made liable by force of any claims or liabilities now existing. Provided, that the expense already incurred and to be incurred for the highway recently laid out and ordered to be constructed by the commissioners for the county of Hartford, from the congregational meeting house in the society of Kensington to the Berlin depot, so called, be paid by the town of Berlin as it shall exist after the passage of this resolution, and that said town of New Britain pay and be liable for no portion of the same.

And such portion of the poor of said old town of Berlin, as were born within the limits of the said new town of New Britain hereby incorporated, and have not gained a settlement elsewhere in this state than in said. old town of Berlin; and such portion of the poor of said old town of Berlin, who have gained a settlement in said last mentioned town, by residence or otherwise, within the limits of said town of New Britain hereby incorporated, shall be deemed inhabitants of said town of New Britain; and such portion of the poor of said old town of Berlin, who derive their settlement in said town by parentage, shall belong to said town of

New Britain. Provided, that the persons from whom such last mentioned poor derived his or her settlement, last resided within the limits of said new town of New Britain; and such portion of the poor of said old town of Berlin who have gained a settlement in said last mentioned town, otherwise than by birth or parentage, and who have not resided within the limits of said town of New Britain hereby incorporated, for six years; or who have not resided within the limits of the town of Berlin, as constituted by this act, for the like term of six years, shall belong to that town within whose limits he or she last resided. Provided, that the residence of such poor at the alms house, in said old town of Berlin, shall not be so construed as to make them inhabitants of the town in which said alms house is situated.

The town farm, the town hall, and all other property belonging to said old town of Berlin, (except the town deposit fund and the records of said town,) shall be divided between the town of New Britain and the town of Berlin, as established by this act, according to their respective proportions of taxable list of 1849. And the town debts and liabilities shall be divided according to the same proportions. The town deposit fund shall bẹ divided between the said towns of New Britain and Berlin, as constituted by this act, in proportion to the population of said towns as ascertained by the census next to be taken. And if, after the organization of said towns established by this act, the selectmen of said towns do not on or before the first day of January, A. D. 1851, agree on such division, then the selectmen of either town may call upon the county commissioners for the county of Hartford, who, or either two of them, are hereby authorized and empowered to make such division, which division shall be final and conclusive; the selectmen of said towns being first notified when and where said division shall be made. The records of said old town of Berlin, and all books and papers belonging to said town before the passage of this act, shall be set off and belong to said town of New Britain.

The first town meeting of the town of Berlin, after the passage of this resolve, shall be held at the congregational meeting house, in the society of Kensington, on the 22d day of July, A. D. 1850, and Samuel Hart, 2d, shall be moderator thereof; and in case of his failure to attend, Albert Norton shall be moderator thereof; and said moderator shall warn said meeting by posting a notice thereof on each of the sign-posts within said town, and at such other places as he shall deem expedient, at least six days before said meeting. And all town and electors' meetings which are held in said town after said first meeting, during the year 1850, shall be held in the said society of Kensington, and all town and electors' meetings which are held in said town during the year 1851, shall be held in the society of Worthington. And in each alternate year thereafter, when the number of the year is even, said meetings shall be held in the society of Kensington; and when the number of the year is odd, said meetings shall be held in the society of Worthington; except that the meetings for the choice of presidential electors shall be held alternately in the societies of Worthington and Kensington, beginning at Kensington.

The first town meeting of said town of New Britain shall be held in the town hall in said New Britain, on the 22d day of July, A. D. 1850, and Ozias B. Bassett shall be moderator thereof, and in case of his failure to act, Samuel Kelsey shall be moderator thereof; and said moderator shall

warn said meeting by posting a notice thereof on the sign-post in said New Britain, and in such other places as he shall deem proper, at least six days before said meeting.

And the said towns shall have all the powers at said first meetings belonging to other towns in this state, and full right to act accordingly; to elect town officers, and the officers so elected at said meetings shall hold their offices until others are chosen and sworn in their stead.

The collectors of the old town of Berlin are hereby authorized to collect the respective taxes heretofore laid, in the same manner as if this resolve had not been passed.

This grant shall be of no effect unless the inhabitants of the town of Berlin (not including those within the limits of the said new town of New Britain) shall, at a meeting to be legally warned and held at the congregational meeting house in the society of Kensington, on or before the first day of July next, pass a vote relinquishing all claim to two representatives, and consenting forever hereafter to have but one representative to the general assembly of this state, and cause a copy of such vote, duly certified by their town clerk, to be lodged in the office of the secretary of state, to be by him recorded and kept on file as evidence of such relinquishment and consent. And the present selectmen of said town of Berlin, residing without the limits of said society of New Britain, or either of them, shall have power to warn said town meeting last aforesaid.

REPEALING PART OF RESOLUTION DIVIDING TOWN OF BERLIN.

PASSED 1853.

Resolved by this Assembly, That so much of the resolution dividing the town of Berlin, passed at the May session, 1850, as limits the town of New Britain to one representative only, in the general assembly, be and the same is hereby repealed.

ANNEXING PART OF THE TOWN OF OXFORD TO THE TOWN OF BETHANY.

PASSED 1889.

Upon the petition of Oliver Buckingham and others, showing that they are inhabitants and freeholders of the town of Oxford, in the county of New Haven, residing in that part of said Oxford lying easterly of the Naugatuck river, southerly of Waterbury town line, westerly of the line of Bethany, and northerly of a line drawn from the junction of the north line of the town of Derby, and the west line of Bethany, to the

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Naugatuck river, running in the same direction with the said north line of Derby to said river, and intersecting said river about one mile above Pine's bridge in said Oxford; that the distance from the above described territory to Oxford center, is over a very mountainous region, and greater than to said Bethany; that they have but little intercourse with said Oxford, but most of their intercourse is with said Bethany; and that they are desirous of being set off to said Bethany:

Resolved by this Assembly, That said described territory, with all the inhabitants now residing, or hereafter to reside thereon, be and the same hereby is annexed to and incorporated with, and made part of said Bethany; and all the inhabitants residing, or hereafter to reside in said territory, shall have, enjoy and become liable to all the rights, privileges, immunities and liabilities which the inhabitants of said Bethany may lawfully have, enjoy or be liable to; and the inhabitants of said territory, and said Bethany, shall have no claim to any portion of the surplus revenue, or the avails thereof, deposited with said Oxford, or to any part or portion of the donation made by Sheldon Clark, Esq. to said Oxford; and the inhabitants of said territory and said Bethany, shall pay a just and ratable share of all debts due and owing by said Oxford, on the 23d day of May, 1839, proportioned to the grand list of said territory and said Oxford, of 1838, not provided for by any tax already laid, except the costs of contesting said petition to this session of this assembly; and said Bethany shall assume to support, and shall take and support, such part of the actual paupers of said town of Oxford, of date May 23d, 1839, as the grand list of said territory so set off, proportioned to the whole grand list of said Oxford of 1838, bears to the whole grand list of said Oxford. And in all other respects, the said territory and the inhabitants thereof, shall constitute a part of said Bethany, with all its privileges and liabilities. And in case any person or persons shall hereafter become poor, and would belong to said town of Oxford to support, by virtue of birth, residence or in any other manner, within said territory, such person or persons shall be maintained by said town of Bethany, to which they shall by this act belong, whether at present within the limits thereof or not.

INCORPORATING THE TOWN OF BETHEL

PASSED 1855.

Upon the petition of Oliver Shepard and others, praying for the incorporation of a new town, as per petition on file, which petition has been duly served and returned:

Resolved by this Assembly, SEC. 1. That all that part of the present town of Danbury, lying within the limits of the second ecclesiastical socie

ty in said town, commencing on the south at intersection of the Norwalk and Danbury railroad and Reading town line, running north by said railroad to Syenpauge brook, thence northerly by said brook to west side of stone saw mill, so called, thence northerly to a point westerly of Orrin Benedict's dwelling house, thence northerly to a point twenty-five rods east of Grassy Plain bridge, so called, near hat shop of Giles M. Hoyt, thence following the ecclesiastical society's line to the town of Brookfield, bounded northerly and westerly by the present town of Danbury and the town of Brookfield, east by the town of Newtown, south by the town of Reading and west by the said first ecclesiastical society in said Danbury, with all the inhabitants residing within said limits, be and the same hereby is incorporated into a separate town by the name of Bethel, with all the rights, powers, privileges and immunities, and subject to all the duties and liabilities of other towns in this state, with the right of sending one representative to the general assembly; and all that part of the present town of Danbury embraced in the foregoing described limits, to remain an independent town with the name of BETHEL, by which name it shall hereafter be called and known.

SEC. 2. And said new town shall pay its proportion, according to the list of 1854, of all state, town and other taxes, and the collectors of said town are authorized to collect the same; of all debts now existing against said town of Danbury, and of all charges, expenses and of all contracts, for which said town of Danbury now is or shall hereafter be liable, by force of any contract or claim now existing.

SEC. 3. The poor of said town of Danbury who were born within the limits hereby incorporated, and who have not by residence or otherwise gained a settlement elsewhere in this state than within said limits, shall be deemed inhabitants of said new town and shall be maintained by the And said new town shall be liable to maintain all such poor of the present town of Danbury as are and may be absent therefrom, provided such persons at the time of their departure, had a legal settlement in that part of the town of Danbury hereby incorporated into said new town.

same.

SEC. 4. All the right and property of whatever nature or description, except the town hall and town records now owned by, due or belonging to the town of Danbury, or which may hereafter accrue to said town of Danbury by virtue of any claim, right or title now existing, shall belong to said new town as hereby incorporated, and said old town in proportion to their respective lists, according to the grand list of 1854.

SEC. 5. And the town deposit fund shall belong to and be divided between said new town as hereby incorporated, and said town of Danbury, in proportion to the number of their respective inhabitants; and the number of paupers belonging to each town shall be ascertained and determined by the selectmen or a majority of them of said respective towns, and in such manner as they may deem advisable; always provided, that if after the organization of said new town, the selectmen of said towns do not agree in the distribution of the paupers, funds, deposit funds and property belonging to said towns on or before the first day of September, 1855, the selectmen of either town may apply to Aaron Burr, of Reading, and Henry Beers, of Newtown, Esquires, who are hereby authorized and empowered to divide said paupers, funds, deposit fund and property, which division, whether made by said selectmen or a majority of them, or by said