a Letter from the Governor of Halifax upon the subject, & from the Disposition discover'd in that Letter I have no doubt but he will be ready to accommodate the matter to the Satisfaction of both States. I have also directed the Secretary to lay before you the Result of the doings of the Governor & Council heretofore upon the same Subject. I shall take the earliest Opportunity to open a Correspondence with Governor Parr at Halifax, & use my best Endeavors to bring this matter to as Speedy & happy an issue as possible agreeable to a request of Congress - To effect which I request you will be pleased to return me the papers transmitted me by Congress when most agreeable to you

Council Chamber Boston March 19th 1784

John Hancock

Re: Georgetown & Bath.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In the House of Represent" March 22nd 1784

On the Petition of Nathaniel Wyman, in behalf of the Towns of Georgetown & Bath, praying the said Towns may be exempted from the payment of the Taxes assessed on them for not procuring their proportion of Three years, three & five months men for the Reasons sett forth in said Petition

Resolved, that the Treasurer be, and he hereby is Ordered and directed to Credit the Town of Georgetown the sum of seven hundred & forty one pounds 11/3- and the Town of Bath the sum of four hundred & six pounds 16/0 being so much assessed on them for not procuring their proportion of Three years, three & five months men, any Resolve to the contrary notwithstanding –

Govr's Message.

Gentlemen of the Senate and Gentlemen of the House of

Representatives

Embarrass'd as I find myself to be for want of Time to Consider the important Bills which were laid before me yesterday Afternoon, I however feel a Disposition to submit to take upon my self a Burden plac'd upon me by one of them which I had the greatest Claim to be Excus'd from rather than the two Houses should be subjected to the inconvenience of remaining Sitting, when their wishes are so urgent to return home I therefore will not make any Objections to the Bill intitled "An Act for repealing two Laws of this State, and for Asserting the rights of this free, sovereign Commonwealth to Expell such Aliens as may be dangerous to the Peace and good order of Government" And as the Import and Excise Act which was yesterday laid before me to which I have objections in its present mode, does not take place till the 15th of June next, and consequently no Prejudice can arise by the delay of its passing 'till next Session; I am under that Circumstance now ready to Comply with the request of the Two Branches of the General Court for a recess and will direct the Secretary to proceed accordingly if the two Houses Consent to the Suspension of that Bill

Boston March 25th 1784.

John Hancock

Petition of Thomastown.

To the Honble Senate & House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Whereas William Larmond of the town of Waren in the County of Lincoln Having presented a petition To This Honorable Court Requesting that a Carting Tract or pease

of Land of his Lying in Thomaston may be taken of from the said Thomaston and Adjourned to the said town of Warren

We your Petteioners in behalf of the said Thomaston Humbly shew that whereas the town of Warren being the oldest incorporated town included part of the Lands Which is now the town of Thomaston by reason of the said Thomaston being two Small for a town Ship the Honorable Court Saw fit to take so much of the town of Warren as to make the town of Thomaston Convenant Which Land the said Larmond now Requests being part of the Land that has ben in Waren heartofore-but after the Incorporation of both the Towns and the Division being run Sum years the said Larmond Purchased the now Requested Land Which is in Thomaston and therefore we hope your honours will take it into your wise Consideration the unreasonableness of the request and the Damige it must be to us as a town and we your Petitioners are Ever bound in Duty to Pray

Oliver Robins Jun'

John Simonton

Sam' Brown

Select men

of Thomaston

Petition of Town of Oxford.

Common Welth Of Massachusetts To the Honourable the Senate & house of Representatives of the Common Welth Affore Said

The petition of the inhabitants of the Town of Oxford humbly Sheweth

That altho the good people of this Common Welth have by the kind hand of Divine providence been preserved Through a Long Unatural & Cruel War and arived to the Injoyment of the blessings of peace in Our borders. And

altho. in addition to the blessings affore said we are Favoured with a good frame of Governments yet there are Certain matters of grievance which this Common Welth Labour under and this town as part of the same which We think may and Ought to be Redressed of which we Shall mention to your Honnours The following (Viz) 1"-Giving the impost into the hands of the Honble The Continental Congress to be under their Sole Controul Wee Conceive to be a grievance and in Our Opinion-Ought to be immediately Repealed-Not but that we Are free and willing that an impost on all imported Articles Should immediately take place-but the proceeds thereof Ought to be paid into the State treasury And in a Constitutional way Drawn Out by a Warrant From the Governor of this Common Welth and if Apropriated to Congress or any part thereof it Ought To be set to the Credit of this State that we may Receive the benefitt of the same, which we Conceive No State in the Union has any Just Right To

2ly Wee Conceive that the Expence of Days of publick Rejoycing Ought not to be paid out of the publick Chest but ought to be paid by those who partake of The Same, and not by this Common Welth at Large

3 Making large Grants to the Officers of the late Continental Army or Officers of the publick

More than a reasonable pay for their services Wee Conceive a greivance-and under Our present Circumstances ought not to Be-And where Ever any have been made theretofore the acct To be reconsidered-for in Our Opinion the Grants Heretofore made Cannot be more binding on the good People of this Common Welth than that of the Redemtion of the Old Continental money-which in Our Opinion most Earnestly Ought to be Urged By the General Court and that No grants of Further Sums of Money be

made to the Congress until the Other States in the Union Shall Comply with the Redemtion of said money and that his Excelency the Governor be Requested not to sign Any warrat on the Treasurer of this Common Welth for the remainder of the four Hundred thousand pounds which now is Assessed and paid Or to be paid Into the treasury-Untill a Redress be Obtained

4 That the good people of this State are Greatly Oppressed & Distressed for want of a proper Ballance of a Circulating Mediam and that the Credit of this State Greatly Suffers from No Other Cause than the Necessities of the people and by Reason Of the State holding the property of Individuals and so bind one part of the people Whereby the Other part make their Necessities Their Oppertunities which much Agrieves the Good people of this State

And we pray that ways and means may be Found Out for Our Relief

We your Humble petitioner pray your Honnour To take these Matters into your wise Consideration And grant such Relief in your wisdom May See Just and Reasonable Your petitioners as in Duty bound Shall Ever Pray

John Mayo

Samuel Davis

Daniel Fisk

John Dana

Ebenezer Learned

Oxford May 14th 1784-By a Vote of

this Town at a Meeting Legally Warned

Selectmen of

the Town of Oxford.

Annexation of St Georges Lower Town to Warren.

To the Honble the Senate and House of Representative of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. June, 1784 The Petition of the Subscribers Inhabitants of a Tract of