[herrixgton] township of SIDXEY 89 



In 1843 and 1844 the town meeting appointed the usual officers, 

 and each year enacted a complete set of by-laws instead of continuing 

 in force those of some other year as so frequently occurred. There 

 were no less than nine distinct resolutions in the latter year, and these 

 appear to cover nearly every contingency that was likely to arise 

 within the limited sphere of their jurisdiction. The draftsman ex- 

 ercised more care than in the earlier years in defining the restrictions 

 and the penalties to be imposed for the violation of them. One can 

 almost read between the lines an increasing desire for more power and 

 a restless and irritating inclination to break away from their environ- 

 ment. 



In 1845 and 1846 very slight alterations were made in the by-laws. 

 In the latter year an inno\ation was introduced by inserting in the 

 minute book declarations of office whereby all the newly appointed 

 officers undertook to faithfully and diligently perform the duties of 

 their respective offices. 



The meeting of 1847 was marked by no special occurrence and 

 the by-laws of 1844 were accepted with one or two minor variations. 

 The meeting of 1848, however, reached the highest point yet attained 

 in the matter of the making of by-laws. 



The last town meeting was held on the first day of January, 

 1849. At this meeting 55 overseers of highways, 21 pound keepers 

 and 15 fence viewers and water course men were appointed. The 

 by-laws of the previous year were renewed. The several officers 

 elected signed their respective declarations of office after which follow 

 a schedule of pound keepers fees and a memorandum respecting the 

 duties of their office, and thus conclude the minutes of the last town 

 meeting of the township. 



When the District Councils Act of 1841 was first introduced there 

 was a great outcry from certain quarters that it was too democratic 

 in principle and few attacked it more mercilessly than Mr. Robert 

 Baldwin the member for Hastings who declared that it was an abomin- 

 able bill and that he viewed it with detestation. So successfully did 

 the Act work out the objects of its sponsors, that, within the space 

 of two years, the same gentleman had become such a thorough convert 

 to its principles, that in 1843, as the Honorable Robert Baldwin and 

 Attorney General for Upper Canada, he introduced an Act going 

 several steps farther and providing for the incorporation of Town- 

 ships, Towns, Counties and Cities in Upper Canada. It passed the 

 Legislative Assembly but was strangled in the Legislative Council. 

 It, however, was a question that could not be kept down. Respon- 

 sible government for the local municipalities was demanded from 



