took a Tour up the River and made the Strictest Inquiry of the Inhabtants for the names of those which Still Remain among them which had taken an Active part with the British Army and Fleet - a list of which names I have Sent to the Hon' James Sullavan Esq' with a Complaint against them in Order that it may be laid before Your Excellency and the Hon' Councel I have the Hon' to be with Respect Your Excellency" Most Obed' Ser In Senate June 34 1784 Read & sent down S Adams Presid In the House of Representatives June 3a 1784 Read & sent up Sam A Otis Spkr His Excellency John Hancock Esq' An Account of Public Stores Buildings & found on the Peninsula of Majabigwaduce 19 Pd Cannon without Carriage Wharfs 2 Stores on Wharfs 2 The whole of the Buildings is Said to be built by British Subjects and Refugees The whole of the Barrack" and Kings Store House are The Above is the best Acct I could get of Buildings & Sam' M Cobb Remonstrance of Inhab. of Lower Town of St Georges. To the Honoble the Genal Court and house of Representatives now held in boston In and for said State of the Massachusetts Bay hum" Sheweth that we your honours Patitioners the Anhabitence of a Plantation Cal" the Lower Town of St Georges in the County of Lincoln We your Honours Petitioners Do understand That the Town of Warren has Petition to your Honour For to have they Alewives fishery in their Town might be Granted to them as a Town Privilege and that all other Enhabitance that Did not belong to their Town should be Exempted from aney benifit or Privilige in said fishery without Paying for them to their Town. Where as the Hounble Brigadere Samuel Waldow in they first setling of said Towns Resarvd all such Priviliges for the good of the Enhabitance of said River And as their is a Great Many Poor Enhabitance In This Town who Depends on said Alewives for the Suport of Their families wich if they are Deprived of must Suffer for Wont of them Therefore we your Humble Petitioners Pray That you would not Grant to the Town of Warren all the Privilege of Said fishery but would Resarve so much as may Suply Each family with a Sufficient Quantity as may sarve For their suport from year to year which in Duty Bound Shall Ever Pray-Sign by order and in behalf of said Town at our anuel meeting in March St Georges March 6th 1780 Benjamin Burton Chareman Remonstrance of Inhab: of Thomaston and Lower Town of St Georges. To the Honble the Council and House of Representatives of the State of Massachusetts Bay in General Court assembled June 5, 1780 The Inhabitants of the Town of Thomaston in the County of Lincoln, having understood that the Inhabitants of the Town of Warren had petitioned the Great and General Court for an Act or Law respecting the Alewives Fishery in said Warren, did, at their meeting in may legally assembled, make choice of a Committee to enquire into the matter, and to act thereupon what might be proper and necessary; the Inhabitants of the Plantation called the lower Town of S Georges had also chosen a Committee for the same Purpose: The said Committee of Thomaston on the twenty sixth of May last obtained a Copy of an Act that had been Read a first time, with the Order of the late House of Representatives of the first of Jan' thereupon; being the first regular Account that we could obtain of the Matter We the Subscribers in behalf of the Town, and Plantation for which we are chosen respectively, Beg leave to represent to your Honors, That the Falls on the River St Georges in the Town of Warren is the only Place in either of the said Towns or Plantation where the Fish called Alewives can be catched in any considerable plenty. That the Lands adjoining the Falls were never disposed of by the late Brigadier Waldo, or any other Proprietors, but hath been reserved for the use of the Fishery. That many poor Persons with large Families have been, and still are necessitated to subsist all most entirely on said Fish. That the Inhabitants of said Town and Plantation from their Settlement on said River, and from the Deeds of their Lands given them by said Brigadier Waldo, which amongst other Things, mention & convey in particular, "all Rivers, Waters and Fishings" ever supposed that they had an equal Right in Common with the Town of Warren to the Fishery there: and We are of Opinion that the said Inhabitants of Warren under the spacious (though very proper and necessary) Title of "An Act for preventing the Destruction of Alewives," intended an Act to monopolize the whole Fishery to themselves, and to establish a large Fund to said Town thereupon We are also humbly of Opinion That the proposed Act so intirely includes the Alewive Fishery to said Warren, and so fully puts the Disposal thereof into their Power, that they may set what Premium they please on the Fishery, and thereby make Alewives as costly, as any other Provision whatever, to the very great Oppression and Distress of those Poor who depend on them for their Support; and Infringement of the Rights & Property of the Inhabitants of this Town & Plantation; Wherefore in behalf of said Town and Plantation, we Your Memorialists humbly pray, That, if said proposed Act hath not passed alreaday it may not pass, according to the present Form; and if it hath passed; that it may be repealed and altered in such a manner as that the Inhabitants of said Thomaston and said Plantation in their respective Town and Plantation Meetings, or by their respective Committees for that purpose to be chosen, together with the Town of Warren, or their Committee, may have equal Authority in determining the Time, Place, and manner of catching the said Fish; and that all monies, Profits, & Advantages in any Ways arising from said Fishery, may in an equitable Manner be divided and established to each of said Towns and Plantation: Or, at least, that the Inhabitants of said Thomaston & sd Plantation of St Georges, may have Liberty of taking and catching so many of said Fish as may be necessary for their own Use and Consumption, without molestation or Obstruction, or paying any such enormous Prices as the Town of Warren may be disposed to set upon them, and your me morialists as in Duty bound shall ever pray &c David Fales Jeremiah Tolman Florence Robinson } Committee for Thomaston Committee for the Plantation called the lower Town of St George Affidavit of John McIntyre and William Lermond. Warren Septembr 17th 1781 We John McIntyre & William Lermond of Lawful age, Testify & say that we Notified the Selectmen of Thomaston to Shew Cause if any they have Why the prayers of the |