See Act of June 22, 1797, vol.i.p.

539.] It results from what we have said that in the State of Massachusetts the administrative authority is almost entirely restricted to the township, *l but that it is distributed among a great number of individuals.
In the French commune there is properly but one official functionary, namely, the Maire; and in New England we have seen that there are nineteen.

These nineteen functionaries do not in general depend upon one another.

The law carefully prescribes a circle of action to each of these magistrates; and within that circle they have an entire right to perform their functions independently of any other authority.

Above the township scarcely any trace of a series of official dignitaries is to be found.