CHAPTER XXV.
MERIDEN DEED.
"At a general assembly of the State of Connecticut holden at Hartford on the second Thursday, in May, 1806, upon the petition of Phinehas Lyman and others, Inhabitants of the Town of Wallingford in the County of Newhaven shewing to this Assembly, that the Parish of Meriden in said Town constitutes in extent, population and Property, more than one-third part of said Town, and that they do not in their present situation enjoy their just rights to which they are entitled in common with their fellow citizens ; praying that said Parish may be incorporated with the ordinary rights, privileges, and immunities which are enjoyed by other Towns in this State by Petition on File dated February 14th, A. D., 1804. This Petition was preferred to this Assembly at their Session holden at Hartford on the second Thursday in May, 1804, and was legally served on the Inhabitants of said Town, and returned, and by legal continuances came to this session of said Assembly, when the said Inhabitants were three times publicly called and made default of appearance. The Petitioners were heard and the facts stated in said petition were fully proved to be true. Resolved, by this Assembly, that the Inhabitants living within the limits of said Parish of Meriden be and they are hereby incorporated into and made a Town by the name of Meriden, and that they and their Successors Inhabitants living within said limits are and shall forever be and remain a Town and body politic with the ordinary rights,
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privileges and immunities which are enjoyed by other Towns in this State by virtue of their respective incorporation, and the right to elect and send one Representative only to the General Assembly until by law they shall be entitled to elect and send two. That the dividing line between the first Society in said Wallingford and said Parish of Meriden be and remain the dividing line; That all Persons who shall be resident in said Town including said Parish and supported in whole or in part by said Town and Parish at the rising of this Assembly, and also all Inhabitants of said Town and Parish who shall then be without the limits of said Town and Parish, and afterwards return and become chargeable with all charges and expenses which shall arise by reason of any such person or persons, shall be apportioned between said Town of Wallingford and said Town of Meriden according to the amount of their respective Lists for August 20th 1804 as completed and returned to the Town Clerk's Office; said division and apportionment in case said Towns shall not agree, to be made by three disinterested Persons of whom two shall be chosen by said Town of Wallingford and one by said Town of Meriden; and with a just reference to the number and expense necessary for the support of such chargeable Persons; That all Debts which shall be due to said Town at said elate shall be divided and apportioned between said Towns according to the Lists and in the manner herein before prescribed relating to chargeable Persons; That the said Town of Meriden shall repair and when necessary build the Bridge of which one-half is within the limits of said Town of Wallingford, across Wallingford River so called, known and called by the name of Falls plains bridge, at the cost and expense of said Town of Meriden; That all Collectors of Taxes granted or which shall be granted before said time, shall have power to collect the same as fully as if the Resolve had not passed; That said Town of Meriden shall hold their first Town meeting at the meeting-house in said Meriden on the third Monday in June next at one o' clock afternoon, and proceed to the choice of
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all Town Officers. The Moderator of said meeting shall be named by Warrant signed by George W. Stanley Esquire Justice of the Peace for New Haven County, and Posted on the Public Sign post in said Meriden at least ten days previous to said third Monday, and said George W. Stanley Esquire shall be Moderator of said Meeting; and in case of the absence of said Justice, Ephraim Cook Esquire a Justice of the Peace for said County is hereby informed to sign such Warrant and preside in said Meeting."
"Meriden, June 24th, 1806. A true Copy of Record,
"Examined by samuel wyllys, Secretary."
"amos white, Town Clerk."