JAMES B. CONGDON, who has been for a long time at work upon the official records of Dartmouth, arranging the scattering fragments, and restoring many imperfect and fast decaying pages, exhibited photographs of the two oldest existing pages of these records. They are the work of the Brothers Bierstadt, and convey a perfect idea of the ancient, dim and defaced originals. Copies are, we understand, to be presented to each of the municipalities whose connection with the old records renders these pictures of the first recorded proceedings of the town interesting and valuable. It is understood that Mr. Congdon will continue his labors upon these records until they are as nearly restored as their dilapidated condition will admit. The following is a transcript of the first page of the records of which a photograph copy has been taken as before stated. man "At a town meeting the 22: of May in the year: 1674. John Cook was chosen debity arther hathaway grandiuryWilliam earl Constable John Russell iams Shaw and William Palmer selectmen daniel willcoks peleg Shearman and Samuel Cudbard survaers and James Shaw Clark. At a town meetinge yo 22 of Jouly 1674 it is ordered that all our town meetings doe beginne at ten of ye clocke and to continue untill ye moderator doly releace the town not exceeding four of ye clocke. It is all so ordered that all such parsons as doe necklectt to a yeer all the town meetings shall for fitt to the town 1 shilling and six pence a pece and for coming to meeting to leatt three pence an hour. It is all so ordered that the town clarke shall gather up all a for said finnes and shall have ye on hallfe of them for his pains and in ceace any doe refuse to pay them returne the neame to ye towne. It is ordered by the towne by vote that there shall be no alteration in the rulle of............ for this following year. Henry Tucker Joseph Tripp and Jeames Shaw are chosen reatters for this following yeer. At a town meeting in the 17 of May 1675 John Cook is chosen deputy for this following year. John Russell is chosen constable for this following year. Joseph Allinne is chosen Grandiuryman for this following year William Earlle Acha Howland Junior Thomas briggs are suruires for this following year. Whereas there is complaint of the badness of fences the town hereby chosen thomas teabor and Jeames Shaw for Acushenett and John Smith and pelige Shearman for ponegansett and pelige tripp and William Wood for acocksett to vew mens fences and ........... fence or condemn .... and bad to mend them." ADDRESS. To the Mayor, Recorder and Aldermen of the City of Dartmouth, County of Devon, England: GENTLEMEN, On this day of our solemn festivity, while we are assembled to commemorate the incorporation, two hundred years ago, of the town called by a name which your historic city has borne for nearly a thousand, we, the people of the city of New Bedford, and of the towns of Dartmouth, Westport, Fairhaven and Acushnet, municipalities into which the territory of the mother town has been separated, would to you, and through you to the inhabitants you represent, send a greeting of remembrance and regard. Forcibly and pleasantly have we at this time been reminded of the many interesting circumstances which connect your ancient borough with the town whose corporate birth-day we now commemorate. We call to mind the fact, that it was from Dartmouth, and in a Dartmouth ship, bearing a name significant of that feeling of CONCORD which will we trust forever characterize the intercourse between the nations to which we respectively belong, that BARTHOLOMEW GOSNOLD in 1602 put forth upon his voyage to America, landed upon our shores, and upon an island often called by his name, in sight from the spot upon which we are now assembled, erected the first white man's dwelling upon the soil of NEW ENGLAND. Deeper still have been our recollective associations as we have remembered, that it was in your noble harbor, and in the nobler hearts and homes of the then inhabitants of your city, that our Pilgrim Fathers found a shelter, when the perils of the storm drove them from their course across the ocean to found an empire in the NEW WORLD. It was the |