83 



from the union of the Colonies of Plymouth and Massa- 

 chusetts Bay in 1691, to the adoption of the Constitution 

 in 1780. Hon. N. H. Whiting, Chairman of the Com- 

 mittee to which this recommendation was referred, made 

 an elaborate report to the Senate, in whicji the importance 

 and necessity of publishing these statutes was very 

 clearly set forth, many instances being cited from the 

 decisions of the Supreme Court, showing the influence 

 these Provincial laws have upon many important ques- 

 tions. 



At a meeting of the Essex Institute, Feb. 23, 1863, a 

 resolution was passed approving the recommendation of 

 the Governor above referred to and. which had been re- 

 peated by him in his Address of the following year, and 

 requesting members to join in any proper measure to 

 carry out the object proposed. A similar resolution was 

 subsequently voted by the New England Historic-Gene- 

 alogical Society, and by the Massachusetts Historical 

 Society. 



In 1865 the Governor again renewed his recommenda- 

 tion, referring to the resolutions above mentioned, and 

 the Committee on the Judiciary, to whom the subject was 

 referred, made a favorable report, in accordance with 

 which a resolve was passed authorizing the preparation 

 for publication of a complete copy of these Statutes, in- 

 cluding all the sessions acts, public and private, tempo- 

 rary and perpetual, passed by the Provincial Legislature. 



In 1867, as already stated, a further resolve was passed 

 providing for the publication of the material which had 

 been collected under the first resolve of 1865. 



An essential foundation for the accomplishment of this 

 work was the very full series of Provincial Statutes 

 which Mr. Ames was over thirty years in collecting, 

 and which is now the property of the Commonwealth. 



