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Feb 3, 1855
To the Honorable the Members of the house of Assembly of the province of Nova Scotia.
In general Assembly
The Petition of the undersigned inhabitants of Morristown and Cape George in the County of Sydney.
Humbly ??? That your petitioners side on the northern extremity of the township of Dorchester and that Eastern Section of the township of Arisaig And some of them upwards of fifteen miles from either Antigonish or arisaig. When meetings are held for Providing Support for the ???. Assessing rates and other matters touching the General business of ?? that in consequence of the distance And the difficulty of attending at such places of Meeting many of your petitioners are deterred From attending town meetings. The poor in their own neighbourhood and neglected and that General Business of the Sections of these townships In which they reside is also neglected and Is often transacted in a manner injurious To their interest. That for many reasons past your petitioners were obliged to pay Taxes In their Sections of the township in which They reside at the same time that the poor In their own neighborhood in consequence of the distance from the place of Meeting of overseers and either inconveniences are unprovided for and left defendant when what they may collect from charitable persons In their own Neighborhoods.
Your Petitioners would Suggest that This is but one of the many grievances consequences when their present positon and their Settlements being adjacent to each other. They now ?? in this Petiton to pray that a bill may pass to To Constitute the northern Section of the Township of Dorchester and the eastern Section of that of Arisaig unto a new ?? to Township to be called the Township of Morristown.
That our petitioners are desiriouse That the Said New Township be bordered as followsThat is to Say commencing at the waters of the Harbour of Antigonish at the Southern Boundary of John McDonald ?? south Lands. Thence turning a course Northwesterly To a line of land formerly ?? from Malignant Cove to Antigonish thence following the Said Road to a crossroad Called Donald ?? Road Thence following the Said cross land Called Donald ?? Ponds to the land leading from Robert McDonald through The Back Settlement of Cape George Westerly by the last mentioned land to the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence at the Eastern boundary of Donald McDougall Bans land or thereabout thence along the Shore around Cape George following the waters of the bay of St. George to the place of beginning.
That by the division herein proposed The Townships of Dorchester and Arisaig Will be made more Compact and Convenient and the three townships will be nearly the Same size.
Your petitioners therefore Pray that your Honorable house takes The premises into your favorable Consideration and Pass Such a bill as will attain the object of this Petition. And as in duty bound Will ever pray.
Signatures on original transcription.