its Militia, not only during, but since the revolution. And the annals of the late war will attest, that to the promptitude and spirited exertions of a patriotic Militia, the State was indebted for its protection. The condition of the Militia, generally, through the State, I presume, was never in all respects so respectable as at the present time, and the mili tary experience acquired by the officers, and emulation that is observable in the ranks, promise still further improvements. Many obstacles, I am aware, oppose themselves at present to further attainments; but some of them, 1 should hope, might be obviated by a revision of the law for regulating the Militia, which has been long contemplated, and is now recommended to your consideration. Council Chamber, January 17th, 1822. J. BROOKS. CHAP. XXXVII. Resolve authorizing Lucy Cushing, to execute a Quit Claim Deed to Perez Pincin. January 18th, 1822. On the petition of Lucy Cushing, Executrix of the last will and testament of Christopher Cushing, late of Scituate, in the County of Plymouth, Esquire, praying to be authorized and empowered to convey, by a quit claim deed, certain land named in the petition; Resolved, For reasons set forth in her said petition, that the said Lucy Cushing, in her said capacity of Executrix, be, and she hereby is authorized and empowered, to make and execute, to Perez Pincin, a quit claim deed of the land named and described in a bond, given by her late husband, Christopher Cushing, Esquire, deceased, to the said Perez Pincin, bearing date the seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, according to the condition thereof. CHAP. XXXVIII. Resolve on the petition of Moses Emerson. On the petition of Moses Emerson, of Haverhill, in the County of Essex, yeoman, Resolved, That this Commonwealth do hereby transfer, release and quit claim, to the said Moses Emerson, his heirs and assigns, all the right, title and interest, which has accrued to the Commonwealth, by way of escheat, in and to a tract of land, of which one William Cobbet, late of said Haverhill, died seized, and containing about three acres, as described and set forth in said petition. CHAP. XXXIX. Resolve on the petition of Walter Hunnewell. On the petition of Walter Hunnewell, of Watertown, in the County of Middlesex, praying for leave to make sale of the real estate of his ward, Stephen Cook, of said Watertown, a lunatic; Resolved, That the said Walter, as Guardian of said Stephen, for reasons set forth in said petition, be, and hereby is authorized and empowered to make sale of the real estate of his said ward, as set forth and described in said petition, at public or private sale; he the said Walter, first giving bonds to the Judge of Probate in said County of Middlesex, with sufficient sureties, to account for the proceeds of said sale: Provided, however, that the sum for which the said Guardian should sell the estate of his said ward, be equal to the sum for which the co-tenant of his said ward, named in said petition, shall make sale of his interest in the said real estate. CHAP. XL. Resolve on the petition of Benjamin M. Farley. On the petition of Benjamin M. Farley, of Hollis, in the County of Hillsborough, and State of New Hampshire, Guardian of Lucretia G. Farley, Benjamin M. Farley, Junior, Sally Farley and Lucy Farley, minors and children of the petitioner, and heirs at law of Lucretia Farley, deceased, praying for leave to make sale of real estate of his said minor children; Resolved, That the said Benjamin M. Farley, Guardian, as aforesaid, of his minor children aforesaid, who are heirs at law of Lucretia Farley, deceased, as aforesaid, for reasons set forth in said petition, be, and hereby is authorized and empowered to make sale of all the real estate of his said children, as heirs at law of the said Lucretia Farley, deceased, as set forth in said petition; and also, all other real estate situate within the County of Worcester, whereof his said children are seized, at private sale; he the said Benjamin M. Farley, first giving bond to the Judge of Probate in the County of Worcester, with sufficient sureties, to make a perfect and true inventory of all such real estate, and render the same to the Judge of Probate of said County of Worcester, and to account for the proceeds of said sales, according to the existing provisions of the laws of this Commonwealth, relating to minors' estates. CHAP. XLI. Resolve on the petition of Colonel Thaddeus Page, respecting the discharge of Adjutant Clark. January 22d, 1822. Whereas Samuel Clark, of Boston, in the County of Suffolk, Adjutant in the first regiment, third brigade and first division of Massachusetts Militia, has been afflicted for two years with a mental derangement, and still continues in that state, without any hope of amendment or restoration to the proper exercise of his faculties. And, whereas the Militia law of this Commonwealth contains no provision by which an individual in the above described condition may be discharged from his office; and whereas, in consequence of the foregoing circumstances, the first regiment of the third brigade of the first division of Massachusetts Militia is at this time, and may so continue, deprived of the services of an important officer; therefore, Resolved, That His Excellency the Commander in Chief be authorized, and he is hereby requested to grant to the aforesaid Samuel Clark, an honorable discharge from his office of Adjutant of the aforesaid regiment. CHAP. XLII. Resolve remitting Taxes to the Gore, so called, in the County of Berkshire. January 24th, 1822. Resolved, For reasons set forth in a statement of the Treasurer of this Commonwealth, that the sum of sixteen dollars be remitted to the inhabitants living in a place called the Gore, lying north of Florida, in the County of Berkshire, for taxes for the years one thousand eight hundred and twenty, and one thousand eight hundred and twenty one. CHAP. XLIII. Resolve on the petition of Stephen Adams, granting $35 75. January 26th, 1822. On the petition of Stephen Adams, of Holliston, praying the allowance of his expenses and trouble in pursuing, arresting and bringing to justice, Michael Martin, a horse stealer; Resolved, That there be allowed and paid to Stephen Adams, out of the public treasury, the sum of thirty five dollars and seventy five cents, in full of his account for said services and trouble; and that His Excellency the Governor be requested to draw his warrant on the treasury therefor. CHAP. XLIV. Governor's Message. January 19th, 1822. Gentlemen of the Senate, and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives, Pursuant to a resolution of the Legislature, passed the fourteenth day of February last, by which the Governor, with the advice and consent of Council, was authorized to take such measures as may seem necessary, to adjust and settle the claim of this State on the General Government, for expenses incurred during the late war, the Executive proceeded to examine into the grounds on which the merits of the claim rested, and to the consideration of the best measures for bringing the same before the government of the United States. To obtain a correct view of the principles which governed the decisions of the Councils of the Commonwealth, during the period in which the disbursements. were made, thorough research among a vast accumulation of documents was undertaken by an Executive Committee, and the result embodied in as condensed a report as the complicated nature of the subject would admit. Having proceeded thus far in pursuing the responsible duties enjoined by the resolution under which they acted, the Governor and Council deemed it expedient to transmit a copy of the report to each of the Senators and Representatives of this State in Congress, invoking their aid in bringing the claim to a successful issue. Sufficient time has not elapsed since the transmission of the copies to the seat of the General Government, to be informed of the course the Senators and Representatives of the State may deem it advisable further to pursue in prosecuting the claim. In the mean A |