compensation of town officers in certain cases; and
to perform such other duties as come within the usual powers of towns.
The powers of towns, however, are not precisely the same in all the
states.

Sec.3. Among the town officers elected at town meetings, are the following;
not all of them, however, are elected in any one state: One or more
persons who have the general oversight and direction of town affairs,
called by some name corresponding to the nature of their duties; a town
clerk; one or more assessors; justices of the peace; overseers of
highways; overseers of the poor; school officers; constables; a
collector of taxes; a treasurer; fence-viewers; pound-keepers, &c. In
some states there are also sealers of weights and measures; persons to
measure and inspect wood, lumber, bark, and other commodities.

Sec.4. The officers first mentioned in the preceding section, are, in the
New England states, called _selectmen_, of whom there are at least
three, and may in no state be more than nine, in each town. In a few
states they are called _trustees of townships_, and are three in number.
In a few other states, there is in each town one such officer, called
_supervisor_. The powers and duties of these officers are more numerous
in some states than in others. They have power to lay out roads, and lay
out and alter road districts; to do certain acts relating to roads,
bridges, taxes, common schools, the support of the poor, &c.; and to
examine and settle all demands against the town. In some of the states,
some of these duties are performed by other officers.

Sec.5. The _town-clerk_ keeps the records, books, and papers of the town.
He records in a book the proceedings of town meetings, the names of the
persons elected, and such other papers as are required by law to be
recorded. In some states, deeds and other conveyances are required to be
recorded by the clerks of towns.

[For a description of the duties of _assessors_ and _justices of the
peace_, see Assessment and Collection of Taxes, and Justices' Courts.]

Sec.6. For the repairing of _highways_, a town is divided by the proper
officers into as many road districts as may be judged convenient; and a
person residing in each district is chosen, called _overseer_ or
_supervisor_, or _surveyor_ of _highways_, whose duty it is to see that
the roads are repaired and kept in order in his district. In some states
a tax is laid and collected for this purpose; and each perso