Norwich bulletin., 1911-12-07

are or shall be church members In fui
 communion, equal privileges in tn'
 above mentioned town affairs. To th'
 early settlers of Connecticut, the dis
 tinction between civil and eccles1ast'
 cal affairs was not very clearly denn- ed- The town meeting held in the
 meeting house." and town business
 and church business were often settled at the same meeting. Until 1127 the same body laid the taxes. called the ministers and provided for his salary The code of 1850 required that all per l sons should be taxed for church, as l well as for state, and both taxes were levied and collected the same way
 First Meeting House. I The meeting house at first was only 8 ] little log house; before the meeting house. under the stairs, 359 pounds anc 1 was built the services were held l in the house of one of the planters oi 1 even in the open air. Our ancestors
 did not view the meeting house as a ] public purposes without any compunc- 1 ton of conscience. It would seem to l us a very strange place for the keep 1 ing of military stores, but 1t was
 very general custom at that day as be- l ing central, and a well protected depot : for the purpose. September IA, 1885
 at Windsor the townsmen met and took i some of the towns lead in view, and , found and left at Return Strong's old
 John Tyler'S 138 pounds, and 1t IS
 judged under the meeting house north ] gallery 500 weight, besides a body of 1 bullets at MT. John Tyler's. Even as i late as 1765 the church on the site of l the present Second Congregational | church was used as a polling place, ] until it was forbidden. they spit so
 much tobacco on the fioor
 Now every elector in the town not only has a right to be present, but may propose or discuss any measure within the jurisdiction of the meeting Not so in the colonial town meeting.
 There seems to have been a growing { desire on the part of the electors to { be heard as well as seen, quite in con- trast to the decorous propristy of the first generation, and it appears to have
 become so diStaSteful that at town meeting January 19, 1696, it was vot- ed that Whosoeyer at any town meet ing shall speak without leave from the
 moderator of the meeting shall forfeit one shilling,and it was to be distrained
 by the constable for the use of the town.
 It was voted that if any person at this meeting, or any town meeting to be holden hereafter by the inhab- itaDts of this town, shall presume to speak in town meeting without liberty of the moderator, he shall pay a fine of 20 Shillings to the town treasurer. Judging from the wording of the vote and the increased fine. the manners of the people had grown much worse since the vote of 1897.
 The town meetings were convened as often as business or convenience dic- tated. Sometimes by special appoint ment (to publish some orders made at the general court which had been brought home by the deputies) or to read the capital laws; sometimes after lecture or on training day, when it was presumed that most of the inhabitants would be in attendance, and the most important orders were engraved in the town book.
 The Eirs+ Of5oers
 The first officers created by the in and surveyors. The townsmen had power to issue orders which were act ed upon in town meeting. The town also had the power of vetoing such actions of the townsmen as they did not approve. For example, at a town meeting in Windsor, March 15, 1850, Also this day the order concerning sheep was published and the town did not approve of the penalty set by the townsmen." Almost the first business of the first town meetings was the ap- pointment of men to lay out lots and define boundaries. These boundaries confusions and the contestants were frequently obliged to resort to the courts to settle their disputes.
 The setting of the watch was a very important matter, and very stringent laws were made in regard to it. At New Haven it was voted, '-The drum mer is to beat the drum at the going down of the sune. The master of the watch is to be at the court of garde within half an houre after the setting of the Sune with his arms complete. All the Watchmen are To be there an hour after the setting of the sune with their arms complete and ready charged, and if anyone Of the watch failing to be on time tue fine Was one shilling. The night was divided into three watches, sending forth two and two to walk outside, and the suburbs. and to bring in any suspicious persons whether Eir Slish or Indians.
 In Windsor, 1639, the office of town recorder or clerk was first establish ed by the court. De Bray Rossiter a man of fine education and much dis tinc;i ion was he first occupant of the ofnces which he held until his removal to -fuiiford in 1852. At another town there were chosen three men to take list of the towns estate ac- cordlng to the order of the court. They We're named listers. Governor Roger Nolcott, who was given to rhyrning in his leisure hours, com posed this en- rious piece of poetry, entitled s'The List of Air. Roger Wolcott's RateabIe Estate in Former Dais:" Sparlkish listers. alias misters,
 That do take the list, That you may here attend with feare l And be exceeding whist. Acres of meadow land I've foure But know with all it is but poore Three quarters of one acre more Have l to add unto the score. have 2 horse, but he's so thin His bones appear most threw his skin. | 4 winter Tiil1s and new niIkkine likewise have ami two poor swine. A yearling calf. a pretty creature, Handsome in carriage and in feature. mother calfe had last yeare But where he's now I cannot heare. Which fills my heart with siths and
 groans
 For feare the crows have picked his bones.
 He was so poor before he died They gatl CT gauped for his hide. But now he's gone, both he and I n sorrow, both sympathy
 Pray take this for a perfect list, For I think there's nothing mist That doth belong to my estate
 For which l ought to bear a rate.
 After the establishment of the civil government tho church and the minis CT were foremost in the minds of the .OlOniStS l presume all inc towns Were