GROTON AS A SHIRE TOWN. 20I 



February A.D. 1764, Perfered a Petition to the General Court then 

 sitting ; shewing forth the Disadvantages the said Towns and others 

 Laboured under by reason of their Great distance from the several 

 Courts of Justice in the said County of middlesex and other reasons 

 mentioned in said Petition, the Petition was Taken under Con- 

 sideration at the last may session when the Honourable Court 

 ordered the the [j/V] several Towns in the Countys of middlesex, 

 and Worcester should be Notified, which was done in .the Publick 

 Prints, that at this Present Session the said Petition was Taken under 

 Consideration and a Com-" Chosen to Examine into yf afair which 

 has been done and as your memorialist are Informed the majorty 

 of the Com"-^ agreed and thereupon Reported that y"^ s? Petition 

 should bee Dismissed which report as your memorialist are Informed 

 is accepted by the Honourable Board (how True we dont know) 

 but if it should so happen, we Pray this Hon— house not to accept 

 of said report, how Ever if we should be so unfourtunate as not to 

 have the Prayer of said Petition Granted we Earnestly Pray that 

 they may at Least be so far releived as that one Inferiour Court 

 may be held in or near the town of Groton in s'^ County and that 

 the Inhabitants of the northerly part of said County of middlesex 

 may be otherwise releived in regard to the Transacting their Pub- 

 lick afairs, as much as Possibley n)ay be and your Petitioners in 

 behalf of themselves and Constituents as in duty Bound shall Ever 

 pray. 



Abel Lawrence 

 BENiAMiN Brooks James Prescott 



Jonathan Lav^'rance Jonas Cutler 



EpH- HlLDRETH OlIVER PrESCOTT 



Jonas Prescott W- Prescott 



In the House of Rep"" Feb^ 8 1765 



Read and Ordered that the Pet'^ serve the several Towns con- 

 cerned in the event of this Petition with copies thereof that so they 

 shew cause if any they have why the prayer thereof should not be 

 granted 



Sent up for concurrence 



James Otis Speak': pro. Tempore 



In Council Febr^ 15. 1765. Read and Nonconcurred. 



A Oliver Sec^ 



Massachusetts Archives, XLIV. 540. 



