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fame time to obtain and hold offices of power,-it is, therefore, propofed, (from the example of the common law of England) that the officers of magisterial power and command over the militia, as Sheriffs, heads of thousands, hundreders or headboroughs, and their respective deputies or affiftants, shall not be allowed Salaries; nor be elected into any offices to which falaries are annexed, unless they shall confent to give up their offices of power and command; and on the other hand, that no perfons holding offices with falaries, fhall accept any office of power or command in the militia, without vacating and yielding up the former office of profit.

There ought to be fix officers in each hundred, to whofe employments falaries muft neceffarily be annexed, viz.

1 Town Clerk.

N 2

I School

1 Schoolmaster, who must alfo act as parish clerk, and reader to the congregation of the hundred, and as proclamator or usher of the Hundred Court.

2 Afiftant town clerks.

2 Afiftant proclamators or ufhers of the court; being also trumpeters of the militia.

It is therefore proposed that these fix hired officers, or minifters of the hundred with falaries, fhall be affociated in a half-dozen, and fhall pledge each other to the common peace, chufing their own chief pledge from time to time; but they shall be subject to the orders of the Hundred Court, from whence they receive their falaries; in which court, however, as being refponfible mafters of families, having one common interest in the peace and welfare of the Settlement, they shall be allowed a voice or vote, and

freedom

freedom of debate in folkmotes or council, as individual members of the hundred, and alfo a voice or vote like all other boufeholders, in the common council of the Settlement.

When a chaplain shall be appointed to the care of a fingle hundred families, he may be affociated with the half-dozen, for the more easy and effectual accommodation of any differences that may arife among themselves, as he will be a proper balance to the influence of the town clerk.

That all these minifters with falaries, fhall be amenable to their own Hundred Court, according to the due process of the law, for all fuch charges as are cognizable by the court, when duly preferred against them; but leffer differences or difputes may be difcuffed amongst themfelves in their own Half-tithing, (where

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in

in they pledge each other;) and may be fubmitted to the opinion of the majority of them; fubject, however, to an appeal, if required, to the weekly Court of four Tithings, or to the monthly Hundred Court, and ftill higher, if the business or complaint cannot otherwise be fettled.

That the officers with falaries, fhall not receive from any perfon whatsoever, any the leaft gift, fee, or reward, by way of perquifite of office, more than their established falaries for referring to the public books, making out indents, registering lands, caufes, or any other branch of their respective duties as public officers.

That they shall be affociated in the hundred by which they are elected; as follows; The town clerk, 1 affiftant town clerk, and I trumpeter, fhall be affoci

ated

ated with the firft 4 dozens of the hundred or ift fifty; and the Schoolmaster, the other affiftant clerk, and the other trumpeter, with the 2d fifty of the hundred---The Hundred Court, by this addition of a half dozen to the former propofed 8 dozens, will confift of 102 householders, or masters of families, befides the chaplain.

That when each Dozen have chofen their chief pledges or head-boroughs, and their affiftants, each 50 fhall chufe an affiftant hundreder out of their 4 dozens refpectively, and the 102 householders, with their chaplain of the hundred, when appointed, fhall altogether chufe, out of the whole 8 dozens, one hundreder, by the majority of votes.

That when any beadborough, or affiftant beadborough, is chofen hundreder, affiftant hundreder, they fhall vacate their former

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