Scope and Content: In 1869 the state secretary polled colleagues in other states as to the length of legislative session, compensation received by legislators, and date legislature convened.  Series consists of letters in response to those questions, signed by each state secretary.
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, box 57
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Scope and Content: St 1832, c 166 authorized county commissioners in Massachusetts to grant liquor licenses to innholders and retailers. St 1852, c 322 (revised by St 1855, c 215) established state-wide prohibition, forbidding the sale of all liquor except for medicinal, chemical, or mechanical purposes. This was changed by St 1868, c 141, passed in April of that year, which authorized county commissioners (in Suffolk County specially-elected license commissioners) to issue licenses for the sale of liquor in their respective counties. Commissioners were required by the act to issue bimonthly returns to the state secretary, indicating name, residence, type of license issued and fee paid. St 1869, c 191 (Apr. 24) repealed such licensing. St 1869, c 415 (June 19) again severely limited liquor sales, but St 1875, c 99 reinstated the sale of liquor and the license system, with responsibility for issuing licenses given to municipal authorities.
Arrangement: Arranged by county, thereunder chronologically, and then by license no
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Scope and Content: On February 26, 1829, the House of Representatives of the General Court ordered a commission of three to examine the possibility of establishing an asylum to house the mentally ill.  The state secretary printed forms used in the survey, which was sent to the selectmen of each town.  The completed returns provided the secretary with information concerning residents eligible for residential care and treatment.
Arrangement: In three subseries: (1) Returns; (2) Reports  (3) Schedules. Arranged alphabetically by town
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, box 44
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Scope and Content: St 1885, c 379, s 3 required that certified copies of records of deaths investigated by medical examiners be filed with the secretary of the Commonwealth.  This act was repealed by St 1962, c 413.  The secretary’s office bound returns of the medical examiners yearly and created a name index. –Appendix: Record of medical examiner, Worcester County, 9th district, 1885-1897.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year, thereunder alphabetically by county, and then by district
Notes: 1919-1960 in 2 v. each; 1958-1960 units not permanently bound
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Scope and Content: St 1870, c 64 required the clerk of any municipality authorized to subscribe for the stock of a railroad company to transmit to the state secretary a certified copy of the related municipal vote, including any already taken.  Series consists of letters fulfilling this requirement.
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, box 68
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Scope and Content: St 1851, c 256 granted probate judges the authority to hear and determine all applications for changing names of persons residing in their counties and directed them to make annual returns of name changes to the office of the state secretary.  Prior to this time name changes were granted directly by the legislature.  Returns were filed with the secretary until 1976, when new legislation directed that they be filed with the commissioner of public health (St 1976, c 486, s 25).
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year, thereunder by county, and then chronologically by date of decree
Restrictions: Returns of names changed for reason of adoption restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 120, s 5D
Notes: Returns for 1857-1860 and 1866-1869 missing
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Scope and Content: St 1885, c 345, which extended the state naturalization function from the Supreme Judicial Court and Superior Court to district, police, and municipal courts (s 1), required each clerk of court to submit an annual listing of citizens naturalized to the state secretary (s 5).  The state secretary arranged and bound these returns annually for public reference.
Arrangement: Arranged at vol. level chronologically by year; within each vol. alphabetically by county, thereunder by court, and then chronologically
Notes: Spine title: Naturalization returns. –Worcester County naturalizations, 1916-1922, 1923-1929, bound separately (v. 48-49) – -Appendix: Lists of persons (with addresses) naturalized in U.S. District Court, Boston, and state Superior Court, 1975-1976; included with series
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Scope and Content: The state secretary was ordered by the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Jan. 17, 1870, to report the number of legal voters in the state in 1869, and how many of these were assessed for a poll tax but not for any real and personal property.  Series consists of completed printed forms returned to the secretary by cities and towns.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by county, thereunder by municipality
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Scope and Content: The Massachusetts Senate ordered the state secretary on Feb. 1, 1851, to provide it with the total number of voters in each city and town in the Nov. 1850 election.  Series consists of such returns in the form of letters to the secretary from selectmen or other municipal officials.
Arranged: Arranged alphabetically by county
Notes: Formerly part of Miscellaneous collection, boxes 7, 20, 34, 45
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Scope and Content: Per order of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Sept. 15, 1842 (House Journal 1842, p. 349), the state secretary was to prepare a series of questions to ascertain the condition of pauper lunatics and idiots in the Commonwealth, to be distributed to county commissioners, overseers of local houses of correction and of the poor, selectmen, and mayors and aldermen. Printed forms require information as of the year ending Jan. 1, 1843 and are divided into:
Arrangement: Arranged by county, thereunder alphabetically by municipality
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