Voices of the People

Nova Scotia House of Assembly Petitions and Correspondence

4 March 1811

Petition of John Steele and other inn-keepers of Halifax, complaining of the execution of act for repairing etc. the Halifax streets. "By the first section of the above recited Act all Persons in the Town of Halifax are bound to keep the Gutters and Streets before the House and Land occupied by them clean and free from nuisances, under a penalty of twenty shillings for each and every offence, That there are at particular Seasons great number of Farmers and Countrymen with their Teams, Sleds &c. at the houses of your Petitioners, That your Petitioners have not, nor can they procure places in the Town of Halifax for the accommodation of the Sleds and Teams of the Farmers…That the Farmers and Countrymen are therefore under the absolute necessity of leaving their Sleds in the Streets before the Premises of your Petitioners which the magistrates of Halifax have considered to be nuisances and have fined some of your Petitioners pursuant to the said Act, that unless your Petitioner can obtain relief they must give up…innkeeping." Signed with 5 names.

Reference: Nova Scotia House of Assembly Nova Scotia Archives RG 5 Series A volume 17 number 45