Scope and Content: St 1969, c 704 reorganized the executive branch of Massachusetts government into a cabinet system consisting of executive secretariats. Series documents the reorganization through files accumulated before, during, and after this process by William A. Waldron, who served as special counsel to the General Court’s House Committee on Rules, 1969, 1971, 1973-1974–at the time when the committee played a major role in that reorganization–and was associated with other organizations listed below. Files contain correspondence, notes, memorandums, reports, and background materials including print and near-print items.
Notes: Transferred to Archives from Littauer Library, Harvard University, April 13, 2000. Series constitutes part of the papers of William Augustus Waldron, an attorney practicing in Boston with an additional career in public administration. He held posts with the New York State Assembly and Constitutional Convention (1937-1938), the federal Dept. of Justice (1942), and the National War Labor Board (1942-1945); and in Massachusetts served with the Special Commission on the Structure of the State Government (1950-1954, from 1952 as executive director), as special assistant attorney general (1962), as commissioner of administration (1963-1965), and as special counsel to the General Court’s House Rules Committee (1969, 1971, 1973-1974) –See also: Massachusetts. Special Commission on the Structure of the State Government. Commission files, 1950-1954 (bulk 1952-1953) ((M-Ar)2227X); Massachusetts. Executive Office for Administration and Finance. Commissioner’s administration subject files, 1956-1980 (bulk 1963-1965) ((M-Ar)2226)
Related Catalog Records:
Cabinet and post-cabinet reorganization files [Massachusetts General Court House of Representatives Committee on Rules]
Bribery investigation files [Massachusetts General Court House of Representatives Committee on Rules]
Scope and Content: The Committee on Rules is generally in charge of procedural matters for the House of Representatives of the Massachusetts General Court, and considers all matters referred to it. In 1906 the committee was responsible for investigating and adjudicating charges affecting the integrity of House members, after bribery charges were made in connection with votes on an amendment to the “Bucket Shop Bill” relating to gambling places. Series, which documents the committee’s investigation, contains draft reports, statements, motions, letters, memorandums, notes, and newsclippings.
Related Catalog Records:
Speaker’s general correspondence [Massachusetts General Court House of Representatives Office of the Speaker]
Scope and Content: The Speaker presides over House sessions, chairs the House Committee on Rules, and nominates the chair and majority party members of the other House standing committees. Speaker’s general correspondence is generated largely by constituent-related and ceremonial aspects of these functions.
Related Catalog Records:
Speaker’s administrative files [Massachusetts General Court House of Representatives Office of the Speaker]
Scope and Content: The Speaker presides over House sessions, chairs the House Committee on Rules, and nominates the chair and majority party members of the other House standing committees. Speaker’s administrative files are created to enable performance of these functions from an administrative aspect.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by term, thereunder by subject
Related Catalog Records:
Speaker’s legislative files [Massachusetts General Court House of Representatives Office of the Speaker]
Scope and Content: The Speaker presides over House sessions, chairs the House Committee on Rules, and nominates the chair and majority party members of the other House standing committees. Speaker’s legislative files are created to enable performance of these functions from a legislative aspect.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by term, thereunder by subject
Related Catalog Records:
Reports of contested elections [Massachusetts General Court House of Representatives]
Scope and Content: The House of Representatives of the Massachusetts General Court, primarily through its Committee on (Contested) Elections, reviewed credentials of those representatives whose elections were contested to determine the right of a representative to his seat. Cases before the committee were those where the validity of the election process or the eligibility of members in regard to conduct, character, or property ownership were questioned. The committee’s reports were filed with House records and referred to as precedents when further decisions were required.
Arrangement: In four subseries: (1) Journal of the Committee on Contested Elections, 1780-1834 (bulk 1780-1811) (2) Draft of book on contested elections, 1834 (3) Papers on contested elections, 1783-1843 (4) Papers for individual town cases, 1777-1843; Within each subseries, arranged chronologically
Notes: Series removed from: Massachusetts. Office of the secretary of State. House unpassed legislation ((M-Ar) 230), dockets 1134 and 4512-4521 (drawers 82-84). Additional materials from that series (and from: Senate unpassed legislation ((M-Ar)231)) removed for filming only, as part of subseries (3), 1816-1849, and subseries (4), 1816-1825, then refiled. Box 1: Subseries (1-3), subseries (4), 1777-1809. Box 2: Subseries (4), 1809/1810-1812/1813. Box 3: Subseries (4), 1813-1843
Related Catalog Records:
Committee files [Massachusetts General Court Senate Committee on Ways and Means]
Scope and Content: The Committee on Ways and Means, a standing committee of the Senate, considers all legislation affecting the finances of the Commonwealth and other referred matters, as documented in this series.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year
Notes: Files for 1976-1977, 1983 only
Related Catalog Records:
Commissary of Prisoners of War letterbook [Massachusetts General Court]
Scope and Content: During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress (Journals, Oct. 7, 1776) resolved that a commissary of prisoners of war be appointed in each state. The Massachusetts General Court elected Robert Pierpont commissary (exact terminology varies) (House Journal, Jan. 24, 1777). He was replaced when the General Court elected Joseph Henderson commissary (House Journal, Feb. 10, 1778). Pierpont was paid for his services per Resolves 1777-78, c 1038, Apr. 28 1778. Series consists of an outgoing letterbook kept by Commissary of Prisoners of War Robert Pierpont, Jan. 31, 1777-Feb. 21, 1778.
Notes: Originals loaned to Archives for photostatting sometime before 1985
Related Catalog Records:
Records [Massachusetts General Court]
Scope and Content: The Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay, chartered by the English Crown in 1629, sat as a General Court, which after the 1630 emigration to America became the government of the Massachusetts Bay colony. It consisted of freemen (company stockholders), represented from 1634 by elected deputies (as a legislative lower house); and the governor, deputy governor, and assistants chosen by the freemen. Series consists of public documents created during the period of the colonial charter (1629-1686) and revival of colonial government (1689-1692)–and a few related earlier items–reflecting the legislative, executive, and judicial phases of that government, with the exception of judicial documents specifically pertaining to the activities of the assistants sitting in their judicial capacity as the Court of Assistants.
Related Catalog Records:
Resolves respecting the sale of eastern lands [Massachusetts General Court]
Scope and Content: The General Court oversaw the surveying, sale, and other disposition of Massachusetts public lands in the District of Maine from 1781, and after its separation as a state in 1819 until 1861–to 1801 through a succession of appointive bodies generically known as the Committee for the Sale of Eastern Lands, and then through various land agents/commissioners designated in 1816 as the Land Office. Resolves 1802, c 113 (1803) directed the state secretary to publish 300 copies of a transcript kept by the land agents of resolves and other legislative documents relating to such lands. Series includes transcript (to Mar. 8, 1803), published resolves, and a second similar compilation identified as being printed by order of the legislature of Feb. 14, 1811 (see below)
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Forms part of: Eastern Lands papers
Related Catalog Records:
Meta
Search collections
Collection categories
Browse collections
