Scope and Content: The Experimental School for Teaching and Training Idiotic Children conducted at the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts Asylum for the Blind from 1848 was incorporated by Massachusetts as the Massachusetts School for Idiotic and Feeble-Minded Youth in 1850.  It was renamed Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded in 1883 and Walter E. Fernald State School in 1925.
Arrangement: Arranged numerically in order of examination
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Scope and Content: By its constitutional authority to provide advice and consent to the governor, the Council approves the granting of pardons, including commutations and respites (Const Pt 2, C 2, S 2, Art 8).  Pardon files include all relevant information concerning petitions for pardons and commutations that the Governor has denied or that have become inactive (and which therefore do not require Council endorsement but that are nonetheless maintained by the Council). –For 1907-1935 see: Massachusetts. Council. Council pardon files ((M-Ar)328). For a listing of other related series see: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Records of commissions, proclamations, pardons, and other official documents, 1713-1945 (bulk 1747-1936) ((M-Ar)161X)
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by varying spans, thereunder alphabetically by petitioner
Restrictions: Correspondence: Evaluative information restricted by statutory provision; for conditions of access consult repository; MGLA c 4, s 7, c 26 (c ) and c 66A
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Scope and Content: The Dept. of Public Welfare has the responsibility to provide and administer a comprehensive public welfare financial assistance program (MGLA c 18, s 2). The commissioner of public welfare served as chair of the Massachusetts Committee for the Midcentury White House Conference on Children and Youth, which organized Massachusetts participation in the conference held in Washington, D.C. in 1950, creating this series.
Arrangement: Arranged by topic
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Scope and Content: Several groups of Massachusetts commissioners worked with their Connecticut counterparts to resolve disputes that surfaced after the Revolutionary War concerning the boundary between the two states.  An agreement was reached on the section of the line west of the Connecticut River in 1803 and on the line east of the Connecticut River in 1826.  These files were created by the various commissioners and compiled by the state secretary to assist in the resolution of the boundary line dispute.
Notes: Formerly part of state secretary’s: Miscellaneous Collection, box 64
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Scope and Content: In 1825, 1883, and 1885, the General Court authorized the governor of Massachusetts to appoint commissioners who would work with commissioners from New Hampshire to resolve boundary disputes.  The 1825 commission was unable to work out a line acceptable to both states and a boundary marked in 1741 remained in effect.  The commissioners appointed in 1885 reached agreement on the eastern portion of the boundary in 1888 and on the western portion in 1894.  These files were created by the various commissioners and compiled by the state secretary to assist in the resolution of the boundary line dispute.
Notes: Formerly part of state secretary’s: Miscellaneous collection, box 64
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Scope and Content: Massachusetts had unlimited claims on lands west of the Hudson River, based on provisions of the Plymouth Colony (1620) and Massachusetts Bay (1629) charters, while New York had competing claims based on provisions of the 1664 charter from King Charles II to his brother, James, Duke of York.  After American independence, Congress urged that boundary lines and land disputes between Massachusetts and New York be settled.  The boundary between the colonies of Massachusetts and New York (i.e., east of the Hudson River–for lands west of the Hudson see: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Agreement between Massachusetts and New York relating to western lands, 1784-1793 ((M-Ar)31X)) was to have been settled by an agreement signed at Hartford, May 18, 1773, but the actual line had not been ascertained pursuant to that agreement.  St 1784, c 1 (June 4, 1784, replacing St 1783, c 61, Mar. 18, 1784, which erroneously dated the agreement as 1772) appointed Joseph Hawley, Caleb Strong, Timothy Edwards, and Theodore Sedgwick (member of the Continental Congress) commissioners to meet with their New York counterparts to ascertain the boundary and to adjudicate title claims of private landholders affected thereby.  Negotiations had broken down by November 1784, and Resolves 1784, Jan 1785 Sess, c 116 (Mar. 11, 1785) authorized the delivery of commissioner reports to agents who would represent the claims of Massachusetts in federal court. –On June 29, 1785, Congress appointed commissioners of its own to settle the dispute (Thomas Hutchins, John Erving, and David Rittenhouse as of Dec. 1785).  In Massachusetts, Resolves 1785, Feb 1786 Sess (Mar. 14, 1786) appointed Edwards, Sedgwick, and Jahleel Woodbridge agents to assist them, again with the collaboration of New York agents.  St 1786, c 8 (June 27, 1786) reiterated this arrangement, this time with Edwards, Strong, Woodbridge, and Dr. Samuel Williams as agents.  Massachusetts gave Congressional commissioners additional time to complete their mandate (St 1786, c 70, Mar. 1, 1787), and an agreement with both states was completed on July 21, 1787.  Resolves 1787, Oct Sess, c 101 (Nov. 21, 1787) directed the agreement and accompanying papers to be filed with the state secretary (actually now found in: Passed resolves ((M-Ar)228))
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Arrangement: In two subseries: (1) Evidentiary files (2) Commissioners’ report
Notes: Formerly part of state secretary’s: Miscellaneous collection, box 74
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Scope and Content: The Court of Registration, established in 1898, was successively renamed the Court of Land Registration in 1900 and Land Court in 1904.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Spine title: Decrees Microfilm reel number 5 (October 1955-February 1956) missing
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Scope and Content: The Council has constitutional authority to provide advice and consent to the governor in approving warrants authorizing expenditures from the Treasury (Const Pt 2, C 2, S 1, Art 11), and over time acquired similar statutory authority to approve a variety of financial transactions of the executive branch.  (Such authority was in general repealed by St 1964, c 740.)  In this connection Finance Committee reports contain annual information on state securities, bonds, and notes in effect during a given year.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
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