Petition of Pelatiah Warren and Others.

To the Honourable Senate, & the Honourable, House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,

in General Court Assembled At their May Session, 1784. The Petition of the Subscribers Humbly Sheweth that Your petitioners were cheifly brought up, & Accustomed to Husbandry business, and having but small fortunes to set out in the world with, cannot purchase farms Already Subdued & under Cultivation, & being willing to labour, & do all we can in Clearing, & Cultivating the wilderness.

Therefore pray the Honourable Court would Grant us a Gore, or tract of Land in the County of Cumberland, between the plantations of Bakerstown & Silvester Northwesterly & Southeasterly, & Shepherdsfield, & Androscoggin River Northeasterly & Southwesterly, for what the Same is worth in the present wilderness State it lays in, & such other Restrictions as shall be thought proper. And your petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray

May 26, 1784

Pelatiah Warren, Benjamin Parker Jun, Lemuel Megray, Elias Davis, Micah Dyer, James Wagg Jun' Tristram Warren, Daniel Cooper, Tobias Ricker, Benjamin King, John Cutting, Joshua Strout, Nat Gavist, John Winslow William Gerish, Nathaniel Garish, George Garish Jun' Ichabod Warren, Ebenezer Warren, Jacob Lord Jun', Amos Goodwin, John Warren, Andrew Ellet, Edmund Warren, Edmund Neall, Nathaniel Walker, Silas Goodwin, Dominicus Goodwin, Thomas Bragdon 3a, Elisha Hill 34, John Plaisted

Sir

James Lunt to John Avery Jr. Esq.

Falmouth Marh 12th 1784

I this day rec yours of ye 1st Inst. informing me of my being Elected Coll' of Excise for y County of Cumberland,

for the ensuing year; Tis with pleasure Sir,-I Accept the Office; And shall endeavour impartially to Execute the Trust reposed in me.

I am, sir, your most Obliged, Humb' Servant,

Proceedings of Delegates from Mt. Desert and Other Places.

Att a Meeting of the Delegates legally appointed by the Inhabitants of the Several Townships laying between the river Penobscot and Machias in the County of Lincoln and Commonwealth of Massachusetts at Goulds bourough 20 April 1784 to Consider of a petition from a Number of Inhabitants of Machias and others as is more fully sett forth in an order of the Honble Legislature of Said Commonwealth bearing date the 17th October 1783 Present

James Avery Esq' from Machias, John Bean from frenchman bay, Cap' Jos Willson from pleasent River, Capt Will" Nickells from Narraguagus, James Richardson from Mount Desert Jonathan Stevens from N° 4 Francis Shaw Esq' Col° Nathan Jones Doctor Benj" Allen Mr Thomas Hill from Gouldsbourough

Made Choice of Cap William Nickles Chairman and James Avery Clerk

Moved, by Mr Avery that the present Justices of the Inferiour Court and Justices of the Sessions hold one Term

in the year at N° 4 in Eastern Six Townships, pass'd in Negative Moved, by Mr Avery that a register or Deputy register of Deeds be appointed for this County, pass'd in Negative Moved, that the present Judge of Probate hold two Courts in the Year in this part of the County, pass'd in Negative Voted that Francis Shaw Esq' Doctor Allin and Mr Richardson be a Committee to draw up the Sentiments of this meeting and report the Same.

The Committee Reported a letter to His Excellency the Governor & Hon'ble Lageslative of this Commonwealth— which was read & accepted, and Signed

W Nickles Ch J Avery Clerk (Copy)

Voted that Francis Shaw Esq' & Doctor Allen present said Letter to the Gov & Gen' Court, both or either of which be empowered to attend that Service

Attest Ja Avery, Clerk

Gouldsborough 29 May 1784

By Virtue of the Authority in Us Vessted by the Deligates of the several Towns, laying between the said Rivers Penobscot & Machias, We do hereby Constitute & appoint Henry Alline Esq' of Boston & W" Shaw Esq' of Gouldsborough, or either of them, to Present the Proceedings of this Convention, To His Excell' and their Honors, and to Act in our Behalf

Fra: Shaw Benj" Alline

Report of Committee.

Common Wealth of Massachusetts

The Committee of both Houses on the Petition of the Inhabitants of Machias & others, a Resolve of the General Court thereon, and the Papers accompanying the same, finding that some further Light is necessary in order to deter

mine the minds of the Committee, beg leave to report that the whole be referred to the next Sessions of the General Court, that the Parties concerned may have an opportunity of furnishing such further evidence as may be necessary

In Senate June 12, 1784

Cotton Tufts p' order

Read & accepted & orderd that the said Petition and papers be referrd accordingly

Sent down for Concurrence

S Adams Presid

In the House of Representatives June 15, 1784

Read and concurred

Sam A Otis Spk'

Bill to Establish a Court at Machias.

In the Year of our Lord one Thousand Seven Hundred & Eighty four

Whereas the Inhabitants of that part of the County of Lincoln Eastward of Union River labour under peculiar difficulties, (when obliged to attend the Courts of Common pleas and General Sessions of the peace for said County which are now holden at Pownalborough only; And Whereas) for the security of their purchases of Real Estate, and the distribution and settlement of the Estates of any deceased among themand for the doing and transacting of many matters and things relative thereto they are obliged with great expence and trouble-frequently to repair to Pownalborough in which place alone the Court of the Judge of Probate and for granting Letters of Administration & for said County, and the Office of Register of Deeds is now held and kept; And Whereas every subject of a good Government ought to obtain Right and Justice with the least possible trouble and

expence; And whereas Publick Justice and Public Institutions ought to be equally and in due proportion supported and maintained by, and the Benefits arising therefrom as far as the Nature of things will admit equally diffused among, Subjects of the same Government.

Thereupon Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That from and after the passing of this Act, the Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace for said County of Lincoln be, and they are hereby directed to be, held once a Year at Machias in said County; and that the Jurors summoned to hear and determine the matters and things triable by said Courts at their Sessions at Machias aforesaid, or that may hear and determine the same be summoned and chosen from among the Freeholders of said Eastern part of said County — and that the said courts be held at Machias aforesaid on the first Tuesday of September annually, any Law, Usage or Custom to the Contrary notwithstanding

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid that a Register of Deeds be appointed by the said Eastern part of said County, and they the said Eastern part are hereby authorized and empowered to choose, have and Appoint a Register of Deeds in the same manner, at the same times and for the same terms as Register of Deeds are chosen by the respective Counties of this Commonwealth, and the several Towns, Townships and plantations within said part of said County are hereby vested with the same powers for the purpose of choosing said Register as the several Towns in the respective Counties of this Commonwealth are by Law invested with, and the several Justices within said Eastern part of said County are hereby authorized and empowered, by summons for that purpose to call a Meeting of the Inhabitants of the several Towns, Townships and plantations