Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 6.djvu/107

 THE SURPLUS REVENUE IN CANAAN.

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��The "learned counsellor" held the same opinion of the action of the town and of the proprietors of the academy as did Mr. Kittredge — that it was unlawful for a part of the tax-pay- ers of the town to vote away the pub- lic money to pay the private debts of the proprietors of the academy, with- out first giving notice, in the warrant. to that effect.

In August the proprietors held a meeting, and offered to pay into the town treasury the principal due on their notes to the town, i\m\ to take back their deed, ''provided, at their next meeting, the town would vote to give the said proprietors the interest due on their notes.''

They made on^ desperate effort to check the strong measures adopted by the town agent, by calling a town- meeting on the 2 2d of August, 1842, to reconsider the work of March 24. But they failed. William E. Eastman was chosen moderator, much to their chagrin, and then it was "voted to dis- solve the meeting." And thus the frost of public condemnation once more struck a chill to their hopes and expectations.

From August until the next Febru- ary no public steps were taken, but the proprietors rallied and got their parti- sans well in hand, so that on the 1st of Feb., 1843, feeling confident of their case, they called a town-meeting, at which it was "vo^ed to give the pro- prietors of Canaan Union Academy the interest on their notes given to the town, for the surplus revenue and liter- ary fund, on condition that they take back their deed of the academy land and buildings to the town, and pay into the treasury the principal due on their notes, and they shall give satisfac- tory bonds for the payment of their notes to the town." Passed by yeas 149. nays 139.

The bill in chancery, and all the suits brought by Mr. Kittredge against the individual proprietors, were ordered to be dismissed and stopped, and "Jon- athan Kittredge is dismissed and dis- charged as agent of the town in regard

��to said notes and in all other matters in which he is authorized to act as agent for the town."

This vote caused much dissatisfaction with a large number of voters who were not present at the meeting, inas- much as it gave to a few men the ac- cumulated interest on the money of the whole people. They said " it was not a fair division, and if the public business was to be done in that partial way they would all turn out next time, and make it musical for some of them."

It soon became evident that some- thing must be done to soothe and pla- cate these stay-at-home fellows ; but they became troublesome. Various schemes were considered and aban- doned. B;:t at the annual meeting, in March, only one month afterward, the following extraordinary vote, which seemed to meet the worst features of the case, as it gave every body a grab at the bag, was passed :

"To give all the inhabitants of the town, including widows and maiden ladies, paying taxes, a sum of money out of the surplus revenue equal to the sum voted to the proprietors of Canaan Union Academy, Feb. 1, last ; and then, that the remainder of the money be equally divided among all the inhabitants, including said widows and maiden ladies, as also said propri- etors, who are in town on the 1st day of April, and who are liable to the as- sessment of public taxes, not including persons seventy years of age."

The amount of surplus revenue in the treasury, at this date, was $8x4.32, and the division, pro rata, among the tax-payers, was S2.34.

At the same meeting, the following respectful language was adopted in re- gard to '• Messrs. Kittredge and Weeks, the gentlemen employed as counsel in the suits brought against the proprie- tors of the academy, that they be re- quested to dismiss all suits now pend- ing against any and all of said propri- etors." And that request was subse- quently complied with.

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