The town-meeting is held in the town-house, but at first it used to be held in the church, which was thus a “meeting-house” for civil as well as ecclesiastical purposes.  At the town-meeting measures relating to the administration of town affairs are discussed and adopted or rejected; appropriations are made for the public expenses of the town, or in other words the amount of the town taxes for the year is determined; and town officers are elected for the year.  Let us first enumerate these officers.

[Sidenote:  Selectmen.] The principal executive magistrates of the town are the selectmen.  They are three, five, seven, or nine in number, according to the size of the town and the amount of public business to be transacted.  The odd number insures a majority decision in case of any difference of opinion among them.  They have the general management of the public business.  They issue warrants for the holding of town-meetings, and they can call such a meeting at any time during the year when there seems to be need for it, but the warrant must always specify the subjects which are to be discussed and acted on at the meeting.  The selectmen also lay out highways, grant licenses, and impanel jurors; they may act as health officers and issue orders regarding sewerage, the abatement of nuisances, or the isolation of contagious diseases; in many cases they act as assessors of taxes, and as overseers of the poor.  They are the proper persons to listen to complaints if anything goes wrong in the town.  In county matters and state matters they speak for the town, and if it is a party to a law-suit they represent it in court; for the New England town is a legal corporation, and as such can hold property, and sue and be sued.  In a certain sense the selectmen may be said to be “the government” of the town during the intervals between the town-meetings.

[Sidenote:  Town-clerk.] An officer no less important than the selectmen is the town-clerk.  He keeps the record of all votes passed in the town-meetings.  He also records the names of candidates and the number of votes for each in the election of state and county officers.  He records the births, marriages, and deaths in the township, and issues certificates to persons who declare an intention of marriage.  He likewise keeps on record accurate descriptions of the position and bounds of public roads; and, in short, has general charge of all matters of town-record.

[Sidenote:  Town-treasurer.] Every town has also its treasurer, who receives and takes care of the money coming in from the taxpayers, or whatever money belongs to the town.  Out of this money he pays the public expenses.  He must keep a strict account of his receipts and payments, and make a report of them each year.