452 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



At that date the President called for three- 

 years volunteers. Of these there were forward- 

 ed 26,175 during the year, (of whom 4,337 only 

 were from Boston and neighborhood,) making 

 30,736 men in addition to 2,900 Massachusetts 

 men in independent and other organizations. 

 There were also 11,000 men enlisted in the 

 navy. From this number are to be deducted 

 1,622 men of other States enlisted in Massa- 

 chusetts regiments. The following are the 

 three-months regiments : 



These were from every county in the State, 

 Boston furnishing 352 men. 



The three-years men were as follows : 



Thus, previous to the battle of Bull Run, 

 Massachusetts had supplied but four regi- 

 ments of three-years men to the war, notwith- 

 standing the urgency with which the troops 

 had been pressed upon the "War Department 

 early in January, and drilling and arming had 

 been extensively carried on at a time when 

 conciliation was generally attempted. In the 

 same period of time, viz., from May 19 to July 

 12, New York had sent forward 42 regiments, 

 36,000 men. 



The Massachusetts Legislature met in the first 

 week in January, and Gov. Banks, in his vale- 

 dictory address, Jan. 3, 1861, dwelt long on the 

 importance of repealing the personal liberty bills, 

 on account of their unconstitutional character, 

 but repelled the idea of peaceable secession. 



Gov. Andrew, in his Message to both Houses, 

 sustained the personal liberty bill. 



The Massachusetts Senate, Jan. 15, passed a 

 resolution endorsing Mr. Buchanan's position 

 in his last annual Message. In the House, on 

 the same day, resolutions were passed by unan- 

 imous vote, tendering to the President aid in 

 men and money to support the Federal author- 

 ity, and declaring that the State of South Caro- 

 lina had committed acts of war. A bill also 

 passed to increase the volunteer military of the 

 State. 



Jan. 19, resolutions were passed establishing 

 the office of Private Military Secretary to the 

 Governor, and Mr. Brown, the agent to Maine 

 for a military confederacy, was appointed. 



Jan. 24, the Senate Committee on Federal 

 Relations reported that a law to prevent search 

 for runaway slaves in Massachusetts would be 

 in violation of the Constitution of the United 

 States. The same committee reported that the 

 militia laws of the commonwealth were in con- 

 formity with the Federal laws. 



The Committee on Federal Relations voted 

 to report leave to withdraw on the several pe- 

 titions for a law against slave-hunting in Mas- 

 sachusetts. 



An order was introduced in the House look- 

 ing to the enactment of laws for the protection 

 of citizens travelling in the States, which was 

 referred. 



Gov. Andrew sent in a Message to the House 

 enclosing a communication from Col. Jones, of 

 the Sixth Regiment, tendering the services of 

 the regiment to the Government ; also, a simi- 

 lar offer from Major-General Sutton and staff. 

 The light artillery, National Lancers, and nu- 

 merous other efficient military corps of the city 

 and State, voted nearly unanimously to respond 

 to a call for active service. 



April 5, the House of Representatives unani- 

 mously passed a resolution on the petition of 

 fifty-four mercantile houses trading with Hayti, 

 instructing the Massachusetts Senators and Rep- 

 resentatives in Congress to use their influence 

 to obtain the recognition of Haytian independ- 

 ence. 



The Rhode Island boundary question, which 

 had been pending many years, was settled, 

 finally, by the adoption of a new line, which 

 transfers Pawtucket and part of Seekonk, 

 Mass., to Rhode Island ; and Fall River, R. I., 

 to Massachusetts. 



On the 24th of January, amidst the public 

 anxiety, the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society 

 announced its annual sittings in the Tremont 

 Temple, where the John Brown meeting had 

 been attempted. This it was declared would 

 not be suffered, and the aid of the Mayor was 

 invoked. The Mayor replied that " he knew 

 nothing of the character of the meeting, or of 

 the threats to ' summarily abate such assemblies 

 as a nuisance,' but if the originators of the 

 meeting and the trustees of the Tremont Tem- 

 ple thought that any thing would be said during 

 the sessions against the Government, or likely 



