Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/256

 202 THE HISTORY OF BAIUMNGTOIS;. US and our posterity." Rev. Samuel Luther heads a remon- strance, signed by seventy-eight others, " of ancient first proprietors," "of their posterity," and "of new comers," against the division of the town, on the ground that " in the foundation settlement of this town " the minister should be maintained by a mutual agreement," that " according to the said agreement the worship of God is and hath been main- tained in this town, and in that part the petitioners would have you be a township," and that " our neighbors, the petitioners, always enjoying the same liberty according to covenant, have no reason to complain," On the 24th of October, 171 1, the Council passed the fol- lowing order : " That this Court see no reason as yet to divide Swansea into two distinct towns, but approve the good and laudable inclination of the petitioners to encourage religion in that part, and to recommend to them the estab- lishment and support of a learned orthodox minister of good conversation, and to endeavor by subscription for his com- fortable and honorable maintenance." The -question of the division of the town continued to occupy the minds of the people of old Swansea, and the third petition to the General Court, in 171 7, was heard and answered by the formation of a new town, and Phebe's Neck and New Meadow Neck were " erected into a town- ship by the name of Barrington," on the eighteenth of November, 171 7. Under the ancient rule in Massachusetts, the business relating to the settlement, support and dismission of the ministers was transacted by the town in town meeting as- sembled, and the town records now relate that at the second town meeting of the town, held April 21, 1718, the inhab- itants of Barrington chose Rev. Samuel Torrey to be the minister of the town. "For the labor the town voted to give one hundred pounds as a settlement to the Reverend Samuel Torrey. Those that have paid anything already as to a settlement, to be reck- oned towards shares so far as it will go, and what any person