Government. The Constitution is that of 1780 with amendments adopted at different periods since. A proposed amendment must receive a majority vote of the Senators and a two-thirds vote of the House at two consecutive sessions, and afterwards be approved by a majority vote of the people. In order to vote, one must have lived in the State one year and in the town or district six months, and registration is required. Suffrage is further conditioned upon the payment of taxes by the voter and his ability to read English and to write his name.
Legislative. The legislative power is vested in a General Court, composed of a Senate of 40 members and a House of Representatives of 240 members, elected respectively from Senatorial and Representative districts, composed of contiguous undivided towns or wards, and upon the basis of population. The election occurs annually, on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. The General Court or Legislature meets on the first Wednesday in January and such other times as the members judge necessary, or when called by the Governor. Money bills must originate in the Lower House. The power of impeachment rests with the House, the trial of impeachment with the Senate. A two-thirds vote of each House overrides the Governor's veto. The capital of the State is Boston.
Executive. The Governor and other principal executive officers are elected annually by the people. A council composed of eight members, elected annually by districts, gives the Governor advice upon matters of official duty. The Lieutenant-Governor succeeds to the Governorship in case of its vacancy, and if the office again becomes vacant the council performs the executive functions. The Governor and council grant pardons for offenses.
Judiciary. The supreme judicial court consists of a Chief Justice and six associate justices. The superior court consists of a Chief Justice and 15 associate justices. All judges in the State are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the council, and they hold office during good behavior. Each county has a probate court and court of insolvency, distinct in their jurisdiction, powers, etc., but having the same judge and register. These courts are held by the judge of probate and insolvency appointed for the county; but the judges of the several counties may, in ease of necessity or convenience, interchange services.
Local Government. The General Court establishes municipal governments in towns exceeding 12,000 population, with the consent and upon the application of a majority of the inhabitants. All bylaws of such city governments, however, are at all times subject to annulment by the General Court. Sheriffs, registers of probate, and clerks of the courts are elected by the people of the several counties. District attorneys are chosen by the people of the districts.
Statutory Provisions. The legal rate of interest is 6 per cent. Willful desertion for three years, failure to provide for that period, and habitual drunkenness are among causes for which divorce is granted. Under the local option law more than two-thirds of the cities and towns prohibit the sale of intoxicating liquors.
The State has 14 Representatives in the Lower House of the National Congress.
Finance. Massachusetts has always been one of the leading States in matters of finance and taxation, and its methods have been often followed by other States. In 1646 the Colony introduced a system of direct taxation and a poll tax, and soon after a ‘faculties’ tax, which had income as a basis. The first treasurer's report, though crude, was published in 1655. When, in 1690 Massachusetts was reorganized under a provincial charter, direct taxation upon property and a poll tax were again made the main foundation of the revenue system. In the middle of the eighteenth century lotteries were established for many extraordinary and even normal needs of the treasury. The system was abandoned in 1765 only to be reëstablished at the advent of the Revolution. In 1786 the direct debt of the State was $5,000,000 and as much more was the State's share of the national debt. The immediate current liabilities were $1,500,000. In 1790, however, a large part of this debt was assumed by the Federal Government. By 1794 the State debt was almost canceled. A well regulated system of taxation of corporations grew up in Massachusetts in the early part of the nineteenth century. Banks were taxed after 1812, and insurance companies after 1832. The public debt grew during the Civil War. It amounted at one time to more than $32,000,000. By 1871, however, it had been reduced to $16,573,000, for the payment of which there was created a sinking fund of $8,261,000. The public debt grew again rapidly in the seventies because of many railroad loans and other public improvements, but it was always well protected with a sinking fund. On December 31, 1901, the funded debt for which the State was directly responsible was $25,738,223. The contingent debt for which the State loaned its credit to various cities was $51,958,412. The total cash in the treasury was $6,630,106; the securities were valued at $29,723,729. The general revenues for the year 1901 were $22,086,174 (30 per cent. from loans, 25 per cent. from corporation taxes, 14 per cent. from taxes on banks and insurance companies, and only 8 per cent. from general property tax). The expenditures were $20,859,496. Besides there were a number of special funds for various purposes, receipts on which amounted to $25,257,825 and payments to $25,719,889.
Militia. According to the census of 1900 there were 632,369 men of militia age in the State. The militia in 1901 numbered 5119.
Population. The population by decades has been as follows: 1790, 378,000; 1800, 422,000; 1810, 472,000; 1820, 523,000; 1830, 610,000; 1840, 737,000; 1850, 994,000; 1860, 1,231,000; 1870, 1,457,000; 1880, 1,783,000; 1890, 2,238,000; 1900, 2,805,000—negroes, 31,974. In 1790 Massachusetts ranked fourth in population, then gradually fell to the eighth place in 1840, since which period its rank has been sixth or seventh. In density it stands first, with a population of 348 to the square mile. The percentage of increase in the last decade was 25.3, being exceeded by that of only four other States east of the Mississippi River. The increase in the class of native born of native parents was small (about 76,000), and of the foreign born, large. The increase of the native born of foreign parents was equal to the other two classes combined. Until near the middle of the last century the people of Massachusetts were almost wholly of English descent. Two
