Download or read book Historical Data Relating to Counties, Cities and Towns in Massachusetts (Classic Reprint) written by and published by . This book was released on 2015-08-05 with total page 78 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Historical Data Relating to Counties, Cities and Towns in Massachusetts In colonial and provincial times in Massachusetts groups of individuals within clearly defined areas, not strong enough to become a town, were often established by law as townships and districts, without certain town privileges, as the power of choosing Representatives, etc. Chapter 3 of the Acts of 1775 (section 3), passed Aug. 23, 1775, declared "that every corporate body in this colony which in the act for the incorporation thereof is said and declared to be made a district, and has, by such act, granted to it, or is declared to be vested with, the rights, powers, priviledges or immunities of a town, with the exception above mentioned of chusing and sending a representative to the great and general court or assembly, shall henceforth be, and shall be holden, taken and intended to be, a town to all intents and purposes whatsoever." (Prov. Laws, Vol. V, p. 420.) Since that time these. have been no districts or townships in the State. New towns set off from one or more towns are duly incorporated by law and their bounds fixed. Towns and cities may, of course, establish certain lines within their own areas as town and city limits (using the words in contradistinction to "country" or "outskirts") for the regulation of water, light or police service. These lines, however, would not properly be considered the corporate bounds of the town. "Towns . . . became in effect municipal or quasi corporations, without any formal act of incorporation." (122 Mass. p.349.) March 23, 1786. The inhabitants of every town within this government are hereby declaired to be a body politic and corporate. (Acts 1785, chap.75.) Nov. 4, 1835. "All places now incorporated as districts, except the district of Marshpee, in the county of Barnstable, shall have all the powers and privileges, and be subject to all the duties to which towns are entitled by the provisions of this chapter." (R.S. chap.15, sect.9.) The asterisk (*) following a date signifies that it is Old Style. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.