husetts　relative　to　the　selectmen：
  Act　of　February　20；　1786；　vol。　i。　p。　219；　February　24；　1796；　vol。　i。　p。　488；　March　7；　1801；　vol。　ii。　p。　45；　June　16；　1795；　vol。　i。　p。　475；　March　12；　1808；　vol。　ii。　p。　186；　February　28；　1787；　vol。　i。　p。　302；　June　22；　1797；　vol。　i。　p。　539。＇
  The　selectmen　have　alone　the　right　of　calling　a　town…meeting；　but　they　may　be　requested　to　do　so：　if　ten　citizens　are　desirous　of　submitting　a　new　project　to　the　assent　of　the　township；　they　may　demand　a　general　convocation　of　the　inhabitants；　the　selectmen　are　obliged　to　comply；　but　they　have　only　the　right　of　presiding　at　the　meeting。　*d
  ＇Footnote　d：　See　Laws　of　Massachusetts；　vol。　i。　p。　150；　Act　of　March　25；　1786。＇
  The　selectmen　are　elected　every　year　in　the　month　of　April　or　of　May。　The　town…meeting　chooses　at　the　same　time　a　number　of　other　municipal　magistrates；　who　are　entrusted　with　important　administrative　functions。　　The　assessors　rate　the　township；　the　collectors　receive　the　rate。　　A　constable　is　appointed　to　keep　the　peace；　to　watch　the　streets；　and　to　forward　the　execution　of　the　laws；　the　town…clerk　records　all　the　town　votes；　orders；　grants；　births；　deaths；　and　marriages；　the　treasurer　keeps　the　funds；　the　overseer　of　the　poor　performs　the　difficult　task　of　superintending　the　action　of　the　poor…laws；　committee…men　are　appointed　to　attend　to　the　schools　and　to　public　instruction；　and　the　road…surveyors；　who　take　care　of　the　greater　and　lesser　thoroughfares　of　the　township；　complete　the　list　of　the　principal　functionaries。　　They　are；　however；　still　further　subdivided；　and　amongst　the　municipal　officers　are　to　be　found　parish　commissioners；　who　audit　the　expenses　of　public　worship；　different　classes　of　inspectors；　some　of　whom　are　to　direct　the　citizens　in　case　of　fire；　tithing…men；　listers；　haywards；　chimney…viewers；　fence…viewers　to　maintain　the　bounds　of　property；　timber…measurers；　and　sealers　of　weights　and　measures。　*e
  ＇Footnote　e：　All　these　magistrates　actually　exist；　their　different　functions　are　all　detailed　in　a　book　called　〃The　Town…Officer；〃　by　Isaac　Goodwin；　Worcester；　1827；　and　in　the　〃Collection　of　the　General　Laws　of　Massachusetts；〃　3　vols。；　Boston；　1823。＇
  There　are　nineteen　principal　officers　in　a　township。　　Every　inhabitant　is　constrained；　on　the　pain　of　being　fined；　to　undertake　these　different　functions；　which；　however；　are　almost　all　paid；　in　order　that　the　poorer　citizens　may　be　able　to　give　up　their　time　without　loss。　　In　general　the　American　system　is　not　to　grant　a　fixed　salary　to　its　functionaries。　　Every　service　has　its　price；　and　they　are　remunerated　in　proportion　to　what　they　have　done。
  Existence　Of　The　Township
  Every　one　the　best　judge　of　his　own　interest　…　Corollary　of　the　principle　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　…　Application　of　those　doctrines　in　the　townships　of　America　…　The　township　of　New　England　is　sovereign　in　all　that　concerns　itself　alone：　subject　to　the　State　in　all　other　matters　…　Bond　of　the　township　and　the　State　…　In　France　the　Government　lends　its　agent　to　the　Commune　…　In　America　the　reverse　occurs。
  I　have　already　observed　that　the　principle　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　governs　the　whole　political　system　of　the　Anglo…　Americans。　　Every　page　of　this　book　will　afford　new　instances　of　the　same　doctrine。　　In　the　nations　by　which　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　is　recognized　every　individual　possesses　an　equal　share　of　power；　and　participates　alike　in　the　government　of　the　State。　　Every　individual　is；　therefore；　supposed　to　be　as　well　informed；　as　virtuous；　and　as　strong　as　any　of　his　fellow…citizens。　　He　obeys　the　government；　not　because　he　is　inferior　to　the　authorities　which　conduct　it；　or　that　he　is　less　capable　than　his　neighbor　of　governing　himself；　but　because　he　acknowledges　the　utility　of　an　association　with　his　fellow…men；　and　because　he　knows　that　no　such　association　can　exist　without　a　regulating　force。　　If　he　be　a　subject　in　all　that　concerns　the　mutual　relations　of　citizens；　he　is　free　and　responsible　to　God　alone　for　all　that　concerns　himself。　　Hence　arises　the　maxim　that　every　one　is　the　best　and　the　sole　judge　of　his　own　private　interest；　and　that　society　has　no　right　to　control　a　man's　actions；　unless　they　are　prejudicial　to　the　common　weal；　or　unless　the　common　weal　demands　his　co…operation。　　This　doctrine　is　universally　admitted　in　the　United　States。　　I　shall　hereafter　examine　the　general　influence　which　it　exercises　on　the　ordinary　actions　of　life；　I　am　now　speaking　of　the　nature　of　municipal　bodies。
  The　township；　taken　as　a　whole；　and　in　relation　to　the　government　of　the　country；　may　be　looked　upon　as　an　individual　to　whom　the　theory　I　have　just　alluded　to　is　applied。　　Municipal　independence　is　therefore　a　natural　consequence　of　the　principle　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　in　the　United　States：　all　the　American　republics　recognize　it　more　or　less；　but　circumstances　have　peculiarly　favored　its　growth　in　New　England。
  In　this　part　of　the　Union　the　impulsion　of　political　activity　was　given　in　the　townships；　and　it　may　almost　be　said　that　each　of　them　originally　formed　an　independent　nation。　　When　the　Kings　of　England　asserted　their　supremacy；　they　were　contented　to　assume　the　central　power　of　the　State。　　The　townships　of　New　England　remained　as　they　were　before；　and　although　they　are　now　subject　to　the　State；　they　were　at　first　scarcely　dependent　upon　it。　　It　is　important　to　remember　that　they　have　not　been　invested　with　privileges；　but　that　they　have；　on　the　contrary；　forfeited　a　portion　of　their　independence　to　the　State。　　The　townships　are　only　subordinate　to　the　State　in　those　interests　which　I　shall　term　social；　as　they　are　common　to　all　the　citizens。　　They　are　independent　in　all　that　concerns　themselves；　and　amongst　the　inhabitants　of　New　England　I　believe　that　not　a　man　is　to　be　found　who　would　acknowledge　that　the　State　has　any　right　to　interfere　in　their　local　interests。　　The　towns　of　New　England　buy　and　sell；　sue　or　are　sued；　augment　or　diminish　their　rates；　without　the　slightest　opposition　on　the　part　of　the　administrative　authority　of　the　State。
  They　are　bound；　however；　to　comply　with　the　demands　of　the　community。　If　the　State　is　in　need　of　money；　a　town　can　neither　give　nor　withhold　the　supplies。　　If　the　State　projects　a　road；　the　township　cannot　refuse　to　let　it　cross　its　territory；　if　a　police　regulation　is　made　by　the　State；　it　must　be　enforced　by　the　town。　　A　uniform　system　of　instruction　is　organized　all　over　the　country；　and　every　town　is　bound　to　establish　the　schools　which　the　law　ordains。　　In　speaking　of　the　administration　of　the　United　States　I　shall　have　occasion　to　point　out　the　means　by　which　the　townships　are　compelled　to　obey　in　these　different　cases：　I　here　merely　show　the　existence　of　the　obligation。　Strict　as　this　obligation　is；　the　government　of　the　State　imposes　it　in　principle　only；　and　in　its　performance　the　township　resumes　all　its　independent　rights。　　Thus；　taxes　are　voted　by　the　State；　but　they　are　levied　and　collected　by　the　township；　the　existence　of　a　school　is　obligatory；　but　the　township　builds；　pays；　and　superintends　it。　　In　France　the　State…　collector　receives　the　local　imposts；　in　America　the　town…collector　receives　the　taxes　of　the　State。　　Thus　the　French　Government　lends　its　agents　to　the　commune；　in　America　the　township　is　the　agent　of　the　Government。　　This　fact　alone　shows　the　extent　of　the　differences　which　exist　between　the　two　nations。
  Public　Spirit　Of　The　Townships　Of　New　England
  How　the　township　of　New　England　wins　the　affections　of　its　inhabitants　…Difficulty　of　creating　local　public　spirit　in　Europe　…　　The　rights　and　duties　of　the　American　township　favorable　to　it　…　Characteristics　of　home　in　the　United　States　…　Manifestations　of　public　spirit　in　New　England　…　Its　happy　effects。
  In　America；　not　only　do　municipal　bodies　exist；　but　they　are　kept　alive　and　supported　by　public　spirit。　　The　township　of　New　England　possesses　two　advantages　which　infallibly　secure　the　attentive　interest　of　mankind；　namely；　independence　and　authority。　　Its　sphere　is　indeed　small　and　limited；　but　within　that　sphere　its　action　is　unrestrained；　and　its　independence　gives　to　it　a　real　importance　which　its　extent　and　population　may　not　always　ensure。
  It　is　to　be　remembered　that　the　affections　of　men　generally　lie　on　the　side　of　authority。　　Patriotism　is　not　durable　in　a　conquered　nation。　　The　New　Englander　is　attached　to　his　township；　not　only　because　he　was　born　in　it；　but　because　it　constitutes　a　social　body　of　which　he　is　a　member；　and　whose　government　claims　and　deserves　the　exercise　of　his　sagacity。　　In　Europe　the　absence　of　local　public　spirit　is　a　frequent　subject　of　regret　to　those　who　are　in　power；　everyone　agrees　that　there　is　no　surer　guarantee　of　order　and　tranquility；　and　yet　nothing　is　more　difficult　to　create。　　If　the　municipal　bodies　were　made　powerful　and　independent；　the　authorities　of　the　nation　might　be　disunited　and　the　peace　of　the　country　endangered。　　Yet；　without　power　and　independence；　a　town　may　contain　good　subjects；　but　it　can　have　no　active　citizens。　　Another　important　fact　is　that　the　township　of　New　England　is　so　constituted　as　to　excite　the　warmest　of　human　affections；　without　arousing