What is government? The "ship of state". "The government". Whatever else it may be, "the government" is the power which imposes taxes. Difference between taxation and robbery. Sometimes taxation is robbery. The study of history is full of practical lessons, and helpful to those who would be good citizens. Perpetual vigilance is the price of liberty. QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT. SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS AND DIRECTIONS. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE. CHAPTER II. THE TOWNSHIP. Section 1. _The New England Township_. The most ancient and simple form of government. New England settled by church congregations. Policy of the early Massachusetts government as to land grants. Smallness of the farms Township and village Social position of the settlers The town-meeting Selectmen; town-clerk Town-treasurer; constables; assessors of taxes and overseers of the poor Act of 1647 establishing public schools School committees Field-drivers and pound-keepers; fence-viewers; other town officers Calling the town-meeting Town, county, and state taxes Poll-tax Taxes on real-estate; taxes on personal property When and where taxes are assessed Tax-lists Cheating the government The rate of taxation Undervaluation; the burden of taxation The "magic-fund" delusion Educational value of the town-meeting By-laws Power and responsibility There is nothing especially American, democratic, or meritorious about "rotation in office" QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT Section 2. _Origin of the Township_. Town-meetings in ancient Greece and Rome Clans; the _mark_ and the _tun_ The Old-English township, the manor, and the parish The vestry-meeting Parish and vestry clerks; beadles, waywardens, haywards, common-drivers, churchwardens, etc. Transition from the English parish to the New England township Building of states out of smaller political units Representation; shire-motes; Earl Simon's Parliament The township as the "unit of representation" in the shire-mote and in the General Court Contrast with the Russian village-community which is not represented in the general government QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS AND DIRECTIONS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE CHAPTER III. THE COUNTY. Section 1. _The County in its Beginnings_. Why do we have counties? Clans and tribes The English nation, like the American, grew out of the union of small states Ealdorman and sheriff; shire-mote and county court The coroner, or "crown officer" Justices of the peace; the Quarter Sessions; the lord lieutenant Decline of the English county; beginnings of counties in Massachusetts QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT Section 2. _The Modern County in Massachusetts_. County commissioners, etc.; shire-towns and court-houses Justices of the peace, and trial justices The sheriff QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT Section 3. _The Old Virginia County_. Virginia sparsely settled; extensive land grants to individuals Navigable rivers; absence of towns; slavery Social position of the settlers