1878-04-01At a meeting of the qualified voters of the town of Beverly, held at the Town Hall on Monday the
First day of April in the year Eighteen Hundred and Seventy Eight at One o'clock afternoon the same
being an adjournment of the Annual Town meeting held on the fourth day of March in the same year.
Voted, by ballot, that Augustus Stephens be Overseer of the Poor, in place of Thomas Pickett elected
at the March meeting and since deceased.
Voted, by hand vote, that Chester Hobbs be Surveyor of Highways in Ward 6 in place of Horace W.
Dodge who declines serving; that George Swan be Surveyor of Lumber in place of Jacob Brower
who declines serving; that Daniel Foster 2d be Fence Viewer in place of John Meacom who declines
serving.
Voted that the following persons be field drivers in place of other who declines
Ward 1 Charles L. Moulton in place of Charles Wallis
Ward 2 Larkin West in place of Samuel Foster
Ward 4 Samuel F. Colamer in place of Joseph E. Ober
Ward 5 Ezra S. Pierce in place of Thomas Appleton
Ward 10 Henry Wilson in place of Sullivan Brown
Ward 12 Levi K. Goodhue in place of Otis Burnham
Ward 13 David S. Ramsdell in place of Charles Marshall
Voted that Henry Blanchard be Clerk of the Market in place of Thos. Elliott.
Voted that the Collector of Taxes deliver or cause to be delivered at the last and usual place of abode
of each inhabitant of the town who may be taxed or to such inhabitant in person, as soon as
practicable after the taxes have been assessed a list of the taxes assessed upon such person,
accompanying which list shall be a notice of the time and place where the Collector will be present
to receive the taxes, and also a notice of the meetings of the Assessors to determine upon abatements,
and a discount of one half of one per cent a month shall be made on all taxes paid before the first day
of November next and interest at the rate of one per cent a month shall be charged upon all taxes not
paid on or before the first day of November next, which interest shall be added to and considered a
part of said taxes, and that so far as practicable the Collector shall on the first day of January next,
put in suit all taxes then due and unpaid, commencing at the highest and so on to the lowest tax.
The Report of the Committee in regard to the manner of Electing Town Officers was read and
accepted and is as follows.
"Upon the Resolution introduced by Jesse G. Trask and adopted by
the town at the Annual Meeting in March The Committee have attended to their duty, have visited
the towns of Danvers, Marblehead & Peabody and conferred with the Selectmen of each town, in
regard to their methods of choosing town officers at their Annual Meetings. In Marblehead after
choosing Moderator and Town Clerk, the Polls are opened for the choice of the remaining officers
necessary to be chosen by ballot and are received all on one piece of paper, the same as the voting
is done at the State Election. In Danvers & Peabody after choosing Moderator and clerk the polls
are opened, and kept open for a definite time, and the ballots for the remaining officers are deposited
in boxes provided for each Board of Officers, having as many boxes as there are Boards of Officers
necessary to be chosen by ballot, after consultation with the Town Officers of the different towns
mentioned, We would recommend that the same plan be tried here, as it appears to have been so
satisfactory to the towns of Danvers and Peabody for many years.
Beverly April 1st 1878 Respectfully Submitted
Joseph Wilson
Isaac Appleton
George A. Woodberry 2d
Voted that the recommendation in the foregoing Report be adopted.
The Report of the Trustees of the Sinking Fund was read and accepted (and said report will be found
on the next page.)
Report of the Beverly Sinking Fund
The Treasurer of the Beverly Sinking Fund herewith presents the following report for 1878.
Amount of Sinking Fund March 1st 1877
Accumulated interest, Etc.
Received from Town Treasurer
$32,000.00
2,214.79
10,000.00
$44,214.79
$44,200 of the above amount is invested in Town of Beverly notes, and the balance $14.79 is on
deposit in the Beverly Savings Bank which is respectfully submitted by
George A. Woodberry 2d Treasurer of Beverly Sinking Fund
Beverly March 30th 1878
Voted, that the Janitor ship of the Town Hall and School Houses be let out to the lowest responsible
bidder.
Voted that the office of Superintendent of Water Works, be let out to the lowest responsible bidder.
Voted that this meeting be dissolved.
A true record
Attest
James Hill, Town Clerk