A Dialogue between a Boston man and a country man.

A Dialogue between a Boston man and a country man.

Table of contents

A DIALOGUE Between a Boston Man and a Country Man.

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A DIALOGUE Between a Boston Man and a Country Man.

Boston.

WE are like to be involved under great difficulties and bondage by the Projecting Gentlemen of this Town.

1. The Charge of Incorporating this Town will be very Great, in Translating of it into a City, a Town, Prison and Keeper, a Bridewell, and keeper of Two Great Silver Mases, to be carryed before the Mayor, and two Men to carry them; and a Sword Bearer; a Clerk of the Court; a Clerk of the Market; a Recorder; a Chamberlain; and our Paying for our Freedom, that was Free-born and in bondage to no Man.

2. That which is worst than all, is to the Trading part which is put under a possibility of being reduced to manage but one Trade, which will be great Confusion, if not Unsupportable in its difficulties, viz. The Shop-keepers which do many of them occupy more than Twelve Trades; and the Handy crafts-men as many as their Genus and Stock do lead them to, without Interruption.

3. The Laying us under difficulties with respect to our Provision, in that it must be brought into the Market, and there Pay dues and duties, and observe our Customs; which we believe they will not so long as Charlestown and Rexbury do stand.

4. The taking away the Ancient Rights, and undoubted Property of our Voting at Town Meetings, which we now injoy.

Country-man.

1. I Have heard something of this before. and it was resented to me to be for the Honour and Benefit of the Town, which I should be glad of, viz The Mayor and Aldermen must be Men of considerable Substance in the World, which will be for the Honour of your Town: at the least they must be worth a 1000 l.

2. They will be able by this to Regulate your Town better than now it is, and to take Notice who comes into the Town; and to Let in or Keep out who they please: for they hinder by your Charter all that will not Pay 5 l. for their Freedom to the Mayor; and be also able to detect Vice, and to hinder such Outtages as have broke out of late.

3. I should be willing to hope that they will not lay you under those difficulties with respect to the Trading Part of the Town, altho I confess it is in their Power to Reduce each Man in the Town to Occupy but one Trade.

4. What if you lose your Priviledge of Voting, as long as you have Men in of Good Estates, and undoubted Fidelity, for they take off the trouble from you.

5. By this you reflect upon those Gentlemen that Composed your Charter.

Boston Answer

I Alwayes observed, That when any Great Project was in hand by a Designing and Projecting People, it was covered over with some plausible Story: If you look back no further than Dr. Sacheverell's days. That the Church was in danger under the present Ministry, when in reality it was France was in danger, and the Pretender was in danger: but Experience hath taught us, That the Church hath really been in danger ever since that Ministry was turned out, until His Majesty King GEORGE came to the Crown.

Boston.

1. I shall answer your Objections and leave it to your consideration.

2. Object. You say they will be better able to Regulate your Town.

I answer: I do not like the Rule of Regulating of it, not the Qualifications of Mayor & Aldermen; for a Man may be worth a 1000 l. and yet have neither Grace [Page]nor good Manner, but be a Coveteous, Man, that play [...] like a Wolfe among Sheep: An honest Man may not come into the Town without buying his Freedom, and if one never so vile may his Freedom [...] his [...]onde [...] of 5 l. to the Mayor: So now I think we have a much better way already, for a Man to give to the Town Security.

Sir, I think you are mistaken about that, this would [...] such O [...]ges that hath broken out of late, except it should give a Power of Devination whereby they should Divine or Tell who they are; for when we know who they are we have Power enough to detect them already.

3. You say, You are willing to hope that by your being Incorporated, they will not lay the Trading part of the Town under such difficulties, a [...]o they have Power enough in their hands.

Sir, You mistake again, there is no grounds for you or us to hope so, except you believe that Rich Coveteous Mayors will not love Money, not honest Mayors be bounded by the Oath of God, nor Town-Sericants willing to Serve Warrants, nor Counsollors willing to plead Cases. Furthermore, I can assure you, That a Hatter in this Town which understands the Nature of a Corporation, I believe, better than those Projecting Gentlemen did declare in my hearing, That if this Place was Incorporated, they should have a good Trade (for from that day no Shop-keeper might Sell a Hat:) and further added, That there was some Shop-keeper did Sell more Hats than they, which was of the Trade.

4. You say, What if your do lose your Power of Voting at Town Meeting, as long as you have Men in of Good Estates and undoubted Fidelity, to take off the trouble from you.

Answer. Its hard to find them amongst us: but the common Maxim is, If you would have your work well done do it yourself. I observe in that great and last Speech of King WILLIAM, of Blessed Memory, to His Parliament, He Exhorts them to hold the Ballance of Europe in their hands; therefore I conclude, we ought to be careful how we let go the Ballance out of our hands.

5. You say, By this you reflect upon those Gentlemen, even Thirty that Consulted and Composed this Charter.

I answer, Tis true, and if Men will fish in such dirty Waters, and bring or endeavour to bring on their Neighbours such Calamities, they ought not to think or take it hard to have dirt thrown in their Faces, for I see no ground to believe that they were free from Proud Spirits, and a desire from their Places to receive Greetings in the Market Places, and Coveteous, if not of finding the Philosophers Stone; yet to have a fellow-feeling of every bodies Pocket in the whole Town, and of being like to the Great Fish, of being lords over the Small, to make them to observe their Motions, and also in part to live upon them.

Country Man.

I thank you for giving me such light with respect to the Bondage and Difficulties that as you say you are like to be brought under: I am of your Mind, and I would offer you some Advice, which if followed, by the blessing of God may prove effectual.

1. Be careful to bring up your North Nagatives,

2. Be sure that you choose a good Moderator.

3. That for the future there shall be no Publick Business brought into a Town. Meeting, except such & such Things as your Town shall think meet, or Warned for before, and having Voted, then your Town Clerk to Record it, which if you do, I doubt not but it will be for your good, and so you may hold the Ballance with those Projecting Gentlemen.

Boston.

I thank you for your good Advice; and do believe that its our concern to Observe it; seeing we have so Noble a Hero to follow as KING GEORGE, which assured His Council, That there is not One among them shall more Earnestly endeavour the Preservation of Property than My Self.

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PRINTED FOR A PUBLICK GOOD. 1714

Information about this book

Title statement

A Dialogue between a Boston man and a country man.

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI :

Date

2011-05.

ID [DLPS]

N29758

ID [TCP]

N29758

ID [STC]

Shipton 39588

ID [NOTIS]

APY7110

ID [IMAGE-SET]

39588

ID [EVANS-CITATION]

99034537

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Series

Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 39588.

Notes

(Evans-TCP ; no. N29758)

Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 39588)

Images scanned from Readex microprint and microform: (Early American imprints. First series ; no. 39588)

Source

— A Dialogue between a Boston man and a country man.,

Extent

1 sheet (2 p.)

Printed for a publick good.,. [Boston] :: 1714 [i.e., 1715?]. (Concerning the proposed incorporation of Boston.) (Imprint from colophon.)

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