On October 16, 1815 a committee that considered the question of reforming Boston town government reported to the town meeting and advanced sustained arguments against the open town meeting in large towns.
"It is impossible that all the individuals of which they are composed should be well acquainted with the principles on which depend the prosperous conduct of the moneyed concerns of a corporation and with those other subjects of internal regulation by which the prosperity of the city is increased and by which it is best enabled to encourage and protect the industry of its own. If all the inhabitants of such towns assembled it is obvious that business cannot be well transacted by so numerous a body, viable as it always must be to be swayed by local views, party feelings, or the interest of designing men: if the meetings be, as it most frequently will be, but thinly attended, those present must act as a representatives of the whole; and it is very seldom that men of the best intelligence and most capable of conducting public business will leave their important private concerns to attend to affairs in which they have only a general interest; and therefore unavoidably happens that the affairs of a large town are conducted by a very small number of persons, who represent an act for the whole, but who are not chosen by them, who do not possess their confidence and act under no, or very slight, responsibility.".

Not unlike the problems experienced in Massachusetts towns of more than 6,000 population and challenging issues in governance.