History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

192 HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
Before the election of members of the second council arrived, the
law of congress was amended, the territory was divided into districts,
the number was increased from eighteen to twenty-six, and the president
nominated thirteen persons.
Again, before the election of members of the third council, the law
of congress was amended. The people in the several districts elected the
number of members apportioned to the district, and the result certified
by the district canvassers, entitled the member to his seat. Therefore the
president was relieved from the burthen of selecting and commissioning
the members, and the election given directly to the people, which mode
continued until the establishment of the state government.
In the first council, two of its members, Col. Stephen Mack and the
Hon. Roger Sprague, were citizens of the county of Oakland. At the
election of the members of the second council, the county formed a district and Sidney Dole and William F. Moseley, were selected by the
president, they having received the greatest number of votes, to represent this county.
LEGISLATION AFFECTING TOWNSHIP AND COUNTY
On the 2ist of April, 1825, an act was passed by the legislative council,
authorizing the election of county commissioner, county treasurer, constable and coroner. At the first election under this act, William Thompson was elected treasurer; Stephen Reeves, William Burbank and Arthur
Power were elected county commissioners.
In that year an assessment was made by William Morris, sheriff and
S. V. R. Trowbridge, from which it appears there were at that time 78,900
acres of land taxable within the jurisdiction of the county, more than
2,500 acres lay out of the limits of the county. In the villages of Auburn
and Pontiac there were 46 lots taxed to individuals. To the Pontiac Company there were taxed I86 lots valued at $II,ooo. There were in the
county 282 houses, 47 barns, 2,621 acres of improved lands. Major Oliver
Williams, Col. Stephen Mack and John Sheldon, had each sixty acres;
no other person exceeded fifty.
On the 3oth of March, 1827, an act was passed, authorizing the election of supervisors and other town officers.
On the I2th of April, 1827, an act was passed establishing the towns
of Oakland, Troy, Bloomfield, Farmington and Pontiac.
TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED
On the last Monday in May, 1827, elections were held in the several
townships, and town officers elected. Then a new era was inaugurated
-township governments were established: the board of county commissioners was abolished, and that of supervisors was established, and from
that time the finances of the county came under the immediate control of
officers selected and chosen from the several towns.
As stated, on the 3oth of March, 1827, an act of the territorial council provided for the election in each township of a supervisor and other
township officers; and on the same day another act of the council was