New Britain herald., 1921-04-12
BERLIN DIVIDED AND NEW
 BRITAIN MADE A NEW TOWN
Two Representatives Claime and Won Because the New Town Was in Fact tn Old Town Having the
 Old Berli in Records.

i 'S" "AO SlSneu SllHeE JOlnI
 petition for dividing the town of Der | lin.
 Parties from New Britain appeared
 before the general assembly and were l heard in opposition to Berlin's peti-
 ton which was. however. granted. That clause in the act of incorpora- | ton which set off to Now Britain the
 old records Of Berlin might not have
 been embodied therein had it not l been for the said opposition.
 Section 3 of Article , of the Con-
 stitution of Connecticut of ISIS, reads
 in part as follows: Tn case a new
 town shall hereafter be incorporated
 such new town shall be entitled to | one representative only; and if such town shall be made from one or more towns, the town or towns from which the same shall be made shall be en- ! titled to the same number of repre- sentatives as at present allowed, un-
 less the number shall be reduced by
 the consent of such town or towns" Many attempts had been made from time to time. prior to ISIS. to lessen i as far as possible. the unnecessary expense of a large number of repre- sentatives. The matter was agitated as carly as 1861. By the provisions of the constitution above quoted it was impossible, on the incorporation
 of a new town to increase the whole number of representatives by more than one. Tho last clause of this sec- tion gave the general assembly the right to make the relinquishment of one representative by the old town, condition upon which a new town might be admitted, thereby prevent ing any additional representation.
 The resolution for the division of 1, srxx. <@f
 mates New Britain as the "new town" and Berlin the "old town" and it specifically limited each of these towns to "one representative only.' It resolved that that part of the town of Berlin which is now includ- cd within the limits of the Society of New Britain with all the inhabi- tant residing within said limits be and the same is hereby incorporated into and shall remain distinct and sepa- rate town by the name of New Brit ain." 1t thus appears that the terri tory of the town was defined only by that Of the society which was in corporated in 1754.
 The said resolution further provid- ed that The records of said old town of Berlin and all books and papers belonging to said town before the passage of this act shall be set off and belong to the said town of New Brit ain" .. -..-
 The first town meeting of Berlin was ordered to be held fin the Con- gregational meeting house" in Ken rington. July 22. with Samuel Hart, Ed. moderator with power to warn the meeting. The first town meeting of New Britain was to be held in the town hall, July 22, 1850, with OziaC P CT to warn the meeting. and finally the act specified that This grant shall be of no effect unless the in habitants of the town of Berlin (not including those within the limits of the said new town of New Britain.) shall at meeting to be legally warned and held at the Congregation- al meeting house in the Society of Kensington on or before the first day of July next pass a vote relinquish- ing all claim to two representatives and consenting forever hereafter to have but one representative to the general assembly of this state"
 The said meeting was held June 2s. 1850. when all claim to two representatives and the consent to have but one. was passed by a vote of Ell, yes to 27 no. This was the last town meeting ever recorded in the old records of Berlin.
 There are seven towns which were allowed two representatives each in ISIS and have since been relieved of one. This happened on the incor- poration of Bridgeport from Strat- ford, 1921; Monroe from Hunting ton. ls2S; North Branford from Bran ford. 1881; Bethany from Woodbridge. | 1892: Westport from Weston. 1855: New Britain from Berlin. 1850: North l Canaan from Canaan. 1858.
 None Of these fourteen towns. save New Britain, ever made any objection to having been allowed only one rep 'resentative each.
 The resolution dividing the town of Berlin and incorporating New Brit ain as town, became effective and in full force on July g, 1850, upon the organization of the said two towns | in their respective town meetings held on that day, whereby Berlin became new town, retaining the old name. and New Britain became a distinct and separate town, retaining the old records of Berlin. each town being restricted to one representative only. Upon the division of the old town property. Berlin was given tie poor house and the town farm and New Britain was given the Berlin town hall, in whios New Britain held its first town meeting on July 22, 1850. At this meeting a protest against the the restricted representation which | had been imposed on "the pretended new town was presented and after