TOWX AND COLONIAL LEGISLATION. 175 whereas upon experience we find, that the moving of many- public or private concerns in the beginning or time of our town-meetings before the first be considered and stated, tend to the neglect of many, and imperfect stating the rest : we therefore agree and order that some meet person be yearly chosen by paper votes, to whom all public and private con- cerns before the town-meeting shall be brought, and in the town-meeting shall orderly declare the same as time will permit, having a solution or ejection of the first, before he proceed to a second, always preferring public before private concerns to consideration ; and that no man shall depart from the town-meeting before it be dissolved by our mod- erator so chosen aforesaid, on the penalty of 6d.. for every such fault." 1678. "To Prevent Strife ye Town thought it Con- venient to make This order. It is ordered that all horses that are undermarked within the Town shall be brought up to see who Can lay claim to ym & Mr. Brown & Mr. Allen & Samuel Luther shall have ye dispose of ye sd horses & those men that have those horses shall pay the Charge for ye bringing up of ym." Mr. Myles, during the Indian war, had retired to Boston, and was instrumental in establishing the first Baptist church there in 1679. O" the 21st of May, 1678, " Mr. John Allin and John Brown were chosen to draw up a letter in the behalf of the church and town, to be sent to Mr. John Myles, pastor of the church and minister of the town, mani- festing our desires of his return to us." Thomas Easta- brooke was chosen to carry the town letter to Mr. Myles at Boston. On the 26th of November in the same year, " it was voted for the encouragement of Mr. Myles in the work of the ministry amongst us, to pay to the said Mr. John Myles sixty pounds yearly, thirty pounds in provision at money price, and thirty pounds in current country pay. And whereas Mr. John Myles desires to be accommodated with a servant, horses and cart, and other conveniences for his com- fortable subsistence, the town doth promise to give to the
