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<br />cobtraot* or expenditure, that way ®der our control or jmis&;
<br />diction, should be made without the consent and concurrenee
<br />of a m4ority of the board.
<br />The several suits at lave, and other unsettled airs :in
<br />which the town is unhappily as well as unprofitably involved,
<br />early demanded oar attention, and we regret to say are not
<br />yet all settled.
<br />The road as said out by -the County Commissioners, upon
<br />the petition of Hammon Reed et. al., we caused to be.
<br />brought before the town, with approval of the' offer made
<br />for a settlement, but the action of the town at that time
<br />and subsequently was such that the matter remains as it was
<br />last March.
<br />The unsettled claims arising from the drainage of the.
<br />meadows have not all been paid, and probably will not with-
<br />out recourse to law; in fact, the am is now in court. A
<br />hearing before the Supreme Court upon the constitutionality
<br />of the Act of the Legislature was had in January last.
<br />The Selectmen, in 1878, made an award of $80.00 toAft.
<br />David Wood, for compensation in consequence of deepening
<br />the brook running through him land. From this award Mr.
<br />Wood appealed to the County Commissioners, before whom
<br />a ' hearing was had in June Jost. The award made by the
<br />Soloutmen was confirmed by the Commissloners. Mr. Wood
<br />then made application fur a sherWis jury, which, against, our
<br />earnest protest, was granted, with the condition that Iifr:
<br />Wood furnish bonds, to secure the town for expenses, in ease
<br />he should '.be 'defaulted. The jury met in the Town Hall,
<br />Dec. 11th, then adjourned to the 16th, when the ease was
<br />suddenly terminated by reason that Mr. Wood was not owner
<br />of the premises when the award was made. The Iaw of lim.
<br />itations eheoks any further proceedings in the matter.
<br />Luring the past year, our attention has several times been
<br />directed to take notice of encroachments within the limits of the
<br />roads. In the absence of any record of bounds it is difficult
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<br />to - eonvinoe persons of - their encroachments. We have
<br />caused a survey to be made where necessary, and bounds
<br />established and a record made of the same. - We would
<br />recommend the establishing of hounds, from time to time,
<br />so that ere long no question can arise as to what are the
<br />4mite of the several roads.
<br />At the torn meeting, held in Nov., 1875, an japprogriation
<br />of $804.00 was voted, and to be taken from the contingent
<br />grant. This amount was to be expended by Mr. Cornelius
<br />Wellington upon the highway adjoining his premises, and
<br />subject to the approval and acceptance of the Selectmen.
<br />Mr. Wellington has faithfully fulfilled his agreement, and we
<br />have accepted the same, and allowed payment, as per vote
<br />of the town. We Emil to see the legality of a vote of this
<br />kind, as the law explicitly states that all money granted for
<br />the repairs of highways shall be expended under the direction
<br />of the Selectmen or Surveyor of Highways. it is, further-
<br />more, adopting a precedent that is suaoeptible of much abuse,
<br />for if allowed in one instance, requests for appropriations for
<br />the same purpose may became too frequent.
<br />By an un -antioipated occurrence, occasioned by the Treas-
<br />urer, several years since, giving permission for the removal
<br />of the standard weights and messares to the place of business
<br />of the appointed sealer, they were lost by the burning of the
<br />building in which they were kept. As the law requires every
<br />town to have a set, we have replaced them., at a oast of
<br />$856.64. We do not think permission for their removal
<br />from the Town Hall building justifiable under any cimum-
<br />stances whatever.
<br />From the frequent demands for lumber for the repairs of
<br />railing beside the .highways, and for the poor farm, school
<br />houses, and other purposes, we thought it advisable to pur-
<br />chase a small quantity, of assorted kinds, and place it in the
<br />basement of the Town Hall building, where it would be safely
<br />kept, and taken when wanted for Immediate use. As it could
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