The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1864-06-10
Kittery in l75l.

the Legislature for On abatement OF their heavy
taxes. The strong case Of poverty aud worth.
lessness which that committee made, ought to
have brought tears, or something else by way
OF charity, for their distressed citizens. But.
unfortunately to relate, the Legislature thought
that the Kittery committee had made too strong
an argument In their own favor, and politely
gave them leave to withdraw. The following Is
the material portion Of the petition.
"The Township Of Kittery Is but about Seven
Miles In length on Strait line. and in breadth
upon Strait line about two miles and o hall,
in Some places little more and In Some less.
II Is long narrow Strip Of Land, great part
Improbable about 0ne Quarter part Of the
Lands In Said Town are not Capable Of any I'm
provement In Husbsndry. Such Messy, Rocky
Ground and boggy Swamps a. bear nothing to
Support any useful Creatures, Is not profta-
bic for anything. Poor fishermen and Sailor.
and some fabourcrs, when there was somc
Tradeing and business Carried on in the Town,
Purchased Small house lofts here and. there,
amongst the rocks, built little Cottages to live
In, On which lofts Some may raise bushell oi
Potatoes ard hundred Cabbages, and many
Cannot raise 30 much (; and those Cottages
mako great part Of the number Of houses (so
Callcd) throughout the Town Of Kittery. Such
Cottages are given In the list for Houses, In Kit
tery's valuation Of their Estates. In the whole
town are about Two Hundred and Eighty Four
families or house.holders, and one quarter part
Of them Cannot raise one bushel Of Corn, or
any Sort Of Grain In Year, nor are they able
to raise Supply Of any Sort Of Provisions,
but Depend upon others for their Supply. Not
one In ten through the whole own does raise
q full Suficicnoy for their own familys to 1.-Two
on the year about. Not one In thirty that Can
raise any Provisions to Spare So that the Town
in General Depend upon buying, but have
nothing to Purchase withall, as the times now
are, but what they 60 ind work Tor In other
Towns and places. The fishery Is Dwindlcd In
to nothing. Not one fishing vessel in the Town
the fishermen Driven to Other busi-
ness and lost f; leaving their poor and helpless
Widows and familys to tho Town for support.
In q Great many Of those houses Is nothing but
tho Continual Cry Of hunger, Poverty and
want
There Is notany one Commodity Of the Prod
uce OF the Town Of Kittery Sufficient to Sup.
ply tho whole Town with. what Il Necessary Of
that Particular Sort Of Commodity for their
own use. The Inhabitants don't make nor are
they able to make one half Of their own Cloath-
ing, nor raise half their bread Corn, Neither 10
all the Cattle annually raised In the Town Suf.
Acient to Supply the Town with Meat.
The Town of Kittery Produces no lumber,
nor any other Commodity for any Market ;
Not So much as one half part Of what is used
In the Town.
There Is but one or two Merchants In the
Town and their tradeing Cannot be anything Of
the Produce Of the Town but the Goods they
bring to trade upon, they trust out to the Poor.
many Of whom never pay.
There Is not three Rich men In the Town,
Most all are very poor. Many are wretched
and Miserable,
Kittery Is the least Quantity Of Land Of any
Town In the County.
York has more than twice the Quantity OF
Land F.; Yea they have within fence and under
actual improvement and very Profitable land
aud Salt Marshes (besidcs oil their Common
and Undivided lands) more than the whole
Town Of Kittery Contains both Of that which
Is improved and unimproved lands. York Ex-
,eeds Kittery abundantly in trade, In Shipping,
In building and Merchandise, more than tweu-
ty haveing Vessels and In oil kind Of Riches,
Silver and Gold. In Cattle and tlllage and 1--WE
think) In numbers Of Men too. Especially
Gentlemen, and Merchants. Moreover oil the
Courts In the County Except one) ore held at
York. and what money Is Spent in the County
d Spent there. and York has the Benefit Of Il
rom every Town In the County
Berwick was taken of from Kittery and have
more than Double the Quantity Of Land, and
The advantages Of the Mills and Lumber trade.
which Kittery has not d.
Wells has Excellent farms, and Lumber trade
TOO, Seated In Pleasant Bay for Ash, A Wealthy
md CAREFUL People, Can well Support them
,elves, and are as Independent a. any town 10
he County, have about three times - much
and as Kittery, and have abundance Of snlt
Meadows and Cattle, and Saw.mills
md timber, and near as many men a. Kittery
has.
B,ddeford produces more Lumber to Sell, and
brings more money into tasir Town In one
Year, than oil the Expert from Kittsry, OF its
,wn produce does, in ten Years, and have three
lines as much Land. ,t.1
There is nothing Of al this In Klttery. No
Person ilveing can Show that Klttsry Does pro-
luce any one Commodity TO trade upon Of any
Sort; bat poor Widows and Orphans they have
n Plenty, more than any other Town In the
County. The Province Bills never Deprecated
u their Value. 30 much as Kittsry has Dsprs.
,iated In It's.valus. Il has nothing 70 Show
,ut integrity and Honssty for it. support; and
Poverty fbr it, Defence.
It's true that In times Of War. Kittsry vss
lot 20 much exposed to danger Of the Indians
y any Of the Other Towns In the County wersi
,ut little part Of Kittsry vss very nuen kx'
,o,sd, and for that reason the Town was Year
> Taxsd more than what would otherwise b
hair Proportion Of the Publiek taxes. But
hat Extraordinary Tax.tion Ought not to Con-
Inus becsuss the rsAsous Asign'd for the
,sms now vanish and are At an end. Towns
,urht to pay according % their ability and I'd.
,sn,agss. which are Not always the Same.
Tn war tImss those Enjoying Most Safety