Scope and Content: Per resolves 1896, c 87, the governor appointed commissioners to consolidate and arrange the Public statutes of the Commonwealth, collecting those relating to the same subject under appropriate titles and chapters, on the plan of the code then in force.  A joint committee of the General Court was appointed by order of Feb. 26, 1901 to review and amend the reprt of the commissioners.  The resulting codification known as the Revised laws was enacted on Nov. 21, 1901 (effective Jan. 1, 1902) and printed with federal and state constitutions per a resolve of Nov. 21, 1901.  Series is signed enacted copy consisting of bound printed proof sheets.
Arrangement: Arranged by chapter no
Notes: In keeping with traditions established in the colonial period, the state secretary is custodian of foundation records of the Commonwealth, including this series
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Scope and Content: Per Resolves 1832, c 30, the governor appointed commissioners to revise, collate, and arrange colonial, provincial, and other general statutes of the Commonwealth, collecting those relating to the same subject matter under appropriate titles, chapters, and sections.  Successive joint committees of the General Court (both known as Committee on the Revised Statutes) appointed per orders of Jan. 22, 1835 and Mar. 18, 1835 respectively, reviewed and amended the report and continuing work of the commissioners.  The resulting codification known as the Revised statutes was enacted on Nov. 4, 1835, and printed with federal and state constitutions per Resolves 1835, Ex Sess, c 107.  Series is signed enacted copy consisting of bound ms. vellum sheets.
Arrangement: Arranged by chapter no
Notes: In keeping with traditions established in the colonial period, the state secretary is custodian of foundation records of the Commonwealth, including this series
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Scope and Content: Resolutions of the General Court deal with matters of a temporary nature, such as congratulations or memorials to Congress, and may be passed jointly or by a single chamber.  Copies engrossed on parchment may be made for presentation to parties mentioned in the resolutions or for other ceremonial or archival purposes. Such copies may be signed by the House speaker, House clerk, Senate president, Senate clerk, sponsoring legislator, and/or state secretary.  Original papers are found in: House unpassed legislation ((M-Ar)230) or: Senate unpassed legislation; see also: Resolutions ratifying amendments to the U.S. Constitution ((M-Ar)37) –Series currently includes resolutions: –(1) In recognition of the honor conferred by the Republic of France upon certain soldiers of Massachusetts; joint, 1918 –(2) On the observance of the bicentennial of the State House; House, 1998. –(3) On the observance of Performance Recognition Day (state and local employees); Senate, 2001. –(4) Supporting private property rights in Massachusetts; House, 2005.
Notes: The state secretary is custodian of this and other foundation records of the Commonwealth
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Scope and Content: Until the passage of Resolves 1861, c 1, which provided for the appointment of a private secretary to the governor, the state secretary served in that capacity as well as being record keeper for the Commonwealth.  Executive correspondence maintained by the secretary documents subjects of special gubernatorial concern.
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, boxes 2, 20, 55A, 56-57, 84, 93
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Scope and Content: In keeping with traditions established in the colonial period, the secretary of the Commonwealth is the custodian of the foundation records of Massachusetts.  This exemplification has been in the custody, successively, of the secretaries of the province and the Commonwealth.  The document, issued in 1685, attests to actions taken earlier by the king respecting the charter of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England (see series (M-Ar)23X)
Restrictions: Access by permission of state archivist or curator of Massachusetts Archives only
Notes: On the reverse of the first leaf there are two inscriptions.  The first, in a contemporary hand, is as follows: An Exemplification for our Souaigne Lord the King Against the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay in New England.  The second, in a later hand, contains the legend: Exemplification of Proceedings Quo Warranto vacating the Colony  Charter by James 2d
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Scope and Content: Under the Provincial Charter ((M-Ar)26X), the Massachusetts House of Representatives (as the lower legislative house was generally known by 1705) and Gov. Samuel Shute (1716-1722) were in continual conflict as to their respective prerogatives, specifically in 1719 as to whether the governor could nullify the House’s choice of speaker, and in 1721, when the House undertook to adjourn itself without gubernatorial permission. The explanatory charter (this series) was issued by King George explicitly to state the governor’s authority over choice of House speaker and House adjournment.
Restrictions: Access by permission of state archivist or curator of Massachusetts Archives only
Notes: In keeping with traditions established in the colonial period, the secretary of the Commonwealth is the custodian of the foundation records of Massachusetts
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Scope and Content: The state secretary, as official record keeper of the Commonwealth, received facsimiles of the official seals of other states and territories usually filed according to their own statutes.  Facsimiles include seals of New York, Kentucky, Oregon, California, and of the territory of Minnesota.
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, box 20
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Scope and Content: As a corollary to the state secretary’s constitutional and statutory record-keeping function in relation to laws passed by the General Court, the secretary receives and maintains legal documents in cases where the state is a defendant or respondent.  Series documents litigation in which the state has been involved.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year in overlapping sequences
Notes:  Formerly part of Miscellaneous collection: boxes 89, 89A-J, 91, 92, 92A-D. Box 1: 1879-1903.  Box 2: 1904-1924.  Box 3: 1890-1926.  Box 4: 1927-1928
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Scope and Content: The state secretary, as custodian of the records of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is responsible for the care and filing of public documents.  Series was created as a compilation of the forms and some informational publications issued/used by the secretary’s main office and the units relating to public documents, legislation, archives, elections, corporations, and commissions.
Notes: Extracted from: Massachusetts. Elections Division. Subject files ((M- Ar)420)
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Scope and Content: Pursuant to St 1996, c 151, s 567, county government of Franklin County (Mass.) was abolished (b), its county commissioners reconstituted as the Franklin Council of Governments Committee (h), and all powers and dutiies previously conferred on the county and its commissioners retained by the Franklin Council of Governments (r) and the Committee, all effective July 1, 1997.  A regional charter commission (w) comprised of the committee and one selectmen-apppointed representative from each constituent municipality was to report a recommended structure of govenrment for the council by Dec. 31, 1977, such charter to be approved by majority vote of town meetings in a majority of towns or by majority vote in a county-wide election, to be effective July 1, 1998.  In fact the charter was approved by the former method and adopted effective July 1, 1997, providing for governance by the Franklin Regional Council of Governments through an administrative Executive Committee.  The state secretary, as chief record keeper for the Commonwealth, received a copy of the charter.
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