s? When does this examination take place? What is its
purpose?

What report does the board of supervisors make to the people at the town
meeting? When is it prepared? Why is it necessary?

Why so many preliminaries?

2. The Town Meeting.--That everything may be done "decently and in order,"
it will be necessary to consult carefully the statutes or the town manual.
Be sure

(a) That the proper officers are in charge.
(b) That the order of business is announced and followed.
(c) That the polls are duly declared open.
(d) That the voting is done in exact accordance with law.
(e) That general business is attended to at the proper time.
(f) That reports of officers are duly read and acted upon.
(g) That appropriations for the succeeding year are duly made.
(h) That the minutes of the meeting are carefully kept.
(i) That the polls are closed in due form.
(j) That the votes are counted and the result made known according to law.
(k) That all reports of the meeting are made on time and in due form.

3. After Town Meeting.--See that all officers elected "qualify" on time
and in strict accordance with law. Especial care will be needed in making
out the bonds.

Town clerk must certify to proper officer the tax levied at town meeting.

III. LAYING OUT AND MAINTAINING ROADS.

1. Laying out a Road.--Make out a petition for a town road, have it duly
signed and posted. In due season present it to the supervisors who were
elected at your town meeting.

The supervisors, after examining the petition carefully and being sure
that it is in proper form and that it has been duly posted, will appoint a
time and place of hearing and give due notice thereof.

When the day of hearing arrives they will examine the proofs of the
posting and service of the notices of hearing before proceeding to act
upon the petition.

Having heard arguments for and against the laying of the road, the
supervisors will render their decision in due form.

In awarding damages, the supervisors will probably find four classes of
persons: first, those to whom the road is of as much benefit as damage,
and who admit the fact; second, those who should have damages, and are
reasonable in their demands; third, those who claim more damages than they
are in the judgment of the supervisors entitled to; and fourth, those who
from some cause, (absence, perhaps,) do not present any claim. From the
first class, the supervisors can readily get a release of