Scope and Content: During the Revolutionary War, families of Continental Army soldiers in Massachusetts lacked money to pay for supplies sold at rapidly inflating prices.  To assist them, Resolves 1777-78, c 406 (Oct. 10, 1777) provided that towns must provide supplies to the families of noncommissioned officers and privates at rates set by the act “to prevent monopoly and oppression” (St 1776-77, c 14, Jan. 25, 1777)–except in cases where soldiers had received sufficient bounty payments to afford the extra cost–for a period of three years or for the duration of the war, as chosen by soldier at enlistment.  Resolves 1778-79, c 446 (Feb. 6, 1779) directed towns to keep exact accounts of supplies distributed in order to be reimbursed by the state, which would in turn receive settlement from the soldiers for amounts charged to them, when service pay was received (see: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Certificates of payment for the Continental Army ((M-Ar)58X)) –Resolves 1779-80, c 67 (June 8, 1779) provided for a system of recording the accounts, which were to be sent to the General Court.  Examination of the accounts was done by the Committee on Accounts, in accordance with Resolves 1777-78, c 12 (June 5, 1777).  Additional legislation stipulated that towns’ supply and bounty (paid for military service) accounts up to Oct. 15, 1779  be lodged with the state secretary’s office (Resolves 1779-80, c 470, Oct. 8, 1779), that the Committee on Accounts would give a roll of sums due to each town to the treasurer’s office (Resolves 1779-80, c 653, Dec. 20, 1779), and that the Council would issue warrants for corresponding payment of towns to the treasurer’s office (Resolves 1779-80, c 915, Apr. 3, 1780).  Finally, Resolves 1779-80, c 933 (Apr. 7, 1780), reaffirmed town obligations to provide supplies until the end of soldier’s term of service.
Arrangement: Alphabetically by county, thereunder alphabetically by locality
Notes: Box 1. Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol.  Box 2. Essex, Franklin, Hampden.  Box 3. Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth.  Box 4. Suffolk, Worcester (thru Royalston).  Box 5. Worcester (Rutland- Winchendon).  Box 6. Cumberland, Lincoln, York (Maine) –Many towns in Middlesex and Plymouth counties lacking
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Scope and Content: Resolves 1806, Jan 1807 Sess, c 45, in response to an 1803 petition from towns in the District of Maine, required Maine towns, districts, and plantations to hold an Apr. 6, l807 vote on the question of separating Maine from Massachusetts as a state.  The vote, the third such authorized by the General Court, was open to all qualified to vote for its members.  Returns of the vote were submitted to the state secretary pursuant to the resolve.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by county, thereunder alphabetically by town
Notes: Forms part of: Separation of Maine papers
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Scope and Content: Resolves 1815, c 157, in response to petitions from the District of Maine (see: Massachusetts. General Court. Petitions of 1816 from Maine supporting separation of Maine from Massachusetts ((M-Ar)97X)) required Maine towns, districts, and plantations to hold a May 20, 1816 vote on the question of separating Maine from Massachusetts as a state.  The vote, the fourth such authorized by the General Court, was open to all qualified to vote for Maine senators.  Returns of the vote were submitted to the state secretary pursuant to the resolve.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by county, thereunder by town
Notes: Forms part of: Separation of Maine papers
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Scope and Content: St 1819, c 161, in response to petitions from the District of Maine (see: Massachusetts. General Court. Petitions of 1819 from Maine towns supporting separation of Maine from Massachusetts ((M-Ar)100X)), required Maine towns, districts, and plantations to hold a July 26, 1819 vote on the question of separation.  The vote, the sixth such authorized by the General Court, was open to all qualified to vote for its senators or for governor.  Returns of the vote were submitted to the state secretary pursuant to the act.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by county, thereunder alphabetically by town
Notes: Forms part of: Separation of Maine papers
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Scope and Content: Orders of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Jan. 30, 1827, required complete returns to the state secretary of the number of accounts (inventories) of executors, administrators, guardians, and trustees for 1823-1826 as filed with county probate registries.  Series consists of letters dated 1827 reporting the requested information.
Arrangement: Arranged by alphabetically by county
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, box 7
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Scope and Content: In 1858 the state secretary requested statements of municipal aggregate indebtedness and in 1870 (per order of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Feb. 21, 1870, pursuant to St 1870, c 76), the state secretary requested statements of municipal and county aggregate indebtedness. Series consists of signed and completed printed forms supplying the information.
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, boxes 27 and 28
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Scope and Content: Pursuant to Const Amend Art 21, a census of legal voters in each municipality of Massachusetts was taken in 1857, and, beginning in 1865 and every ten years thereafter, a census of legal voters was taken as part of a census of inhabitants.  Numeration was the basis on which the House of Representatives the following year apportioned its members among the counties, which were then divided in the same manner into representative districts by a meeting of the county commissioners (in Suffolk County the mayor and aldermen of Boston).  Apportionment procedures were redefined by Const Amend Art 71 (ratified 1930) for decennial censuses beginning in 1935. –Also included is an 1840 gubernatorial proclamation listing numbers of senators and representatives by district as determined by governor and council under provisions of an earlier procedure pursuant to Const Amend Art 13, which provided for a decennial census of inhabitants beginning 1840 (St 1840, c 68).  For a possibly related series see: Returns of numbers of voters in cities and towns in 1850, 1851 ((M-Ar)999X)
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year, thereunder by county
Notes:  Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, box 72. Box 1: 1856-1926.  Box 2: 1939-1968
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Scope and Content: The state secretary, pursuant to St 1862, c 26, asked the clerks of the cities and towns of Massachusetts to report amounts paid for assessing and collecting taxes in 1861.  Again, pursuant to St 1871, c 112, the same information was requested for 1870, as well as the percentage of each on the whole amount assessed and collected.  Series consists of completed printed forms from 1862 (box 1) and 1871 (box 2) reporting this information.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year of return, thereunder alphabetically by county, then alphabetically by town
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, boxes 29, 29A, 31
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Scope and Content: An order of the Massachusetts House of Representatives of Jan. 28, 1843, directed the state secretary to provide it with a list of all officers, commissioners, and agents, who held, or who had held in the past ten years, an office or other appointment by executive or legislative authority, along with date of appointment, compensation, and compensation of deputies and clerks.  The secretary requested this information from appointees, who furnished these returns by letter.
Arrangement: Arranged by type of appointment
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, boxes 7, 20, 34, 45
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Scope and Content: A committee of the Massachusetts Council reported in 1845 that the governor should direct the state secretary to issue a circular to any officers who had not posted bond as required by law, to inform them of their neglect and that failure to give bond would result in removal from office.  A list of coroners with names appearing on the books of executive appointments who had not yet given bond was given to the committee, which recommended that lists of all appointed coroners living and residing in the counties be prepared.  Series consists of responses to secretary’s inquiries, and resulting list.
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, box 71
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