Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/240

 190 THE HISTORY OF BARRINGTON. consideration it was proposed and put to vote, if they would comply with the said petition, and it passed in the negative almost unanimously." Our petitioners either did not attend the meeting or did not vote. It was then voted "that the town remain as now bounded, one town as it is and hath been enjoyed," and the selectmen were authorized "to defend, vindicate, and maintain the town as it is now en- joyed," Voluntary subscriptions were taken in the town's behalf to raise money for the selectmen to defend the town, and William Anthony received £1% for his services. The following remonstrance was sent to Boston against granting the prayer of the petitioners for a new town : To His Excellency, &c. : " Some humble reasons from all the Antient and first pro- prietors and inhabitants of the town of Swansea now living, and the posterity of the first proprietors which are deceased and other inhabitants of said town, who settled here upon the same encouragement as the first, (being all freeholders), shewing our minds referring to a petition from some of our neighbors, preferred to your Excellency and Honored Court. And we having received a copy of said petition in which said petitioners request that they may have a township granted them out of our town, by dividing said town of Swansea, and the Honored Court have been pleased to grant to said petition a hearing, and that our selectmen should be served with a copy of said petition, in order to answer therewith, &c. " Which said petition informs us that our neighbors com- plain that they have no Gospel minister, no Church of Christ, and that a township may be granted them that they may be enabled to settle and maintain a minister among them and reasons of the like nature. " To which we answer it seems very strange to us consid- ering that there was care taken in the foundation of this town, how the minister should be maintained in this town of Swansea by a mutual agreement made and confirmed by those gentlemen that the General Court of Plymouth im-