Under the provisions of chapter 548, Acts of 1898, relative to statements of election expenses, 164 duplicate returns were received from city and town clerks, examined and placed on file. This is an increase of 33 in the number of returns received in 1897. PROCLAMATIONS. The usual Thanksgiving and Arbor Day proclamations were printed and distributed under the direction of this office. Of the Thanksgiving proclamations, about 2,400 were sent by mail to churches and about 100 to institutions; and of the Arbor Day proclamation, 1,050 were distributed by mail. PARDONS, REQUISITIONS, ETC. The number of pardons made out and issued in 1898 was 38 ; requisitions upon other States, 37; warrants issued upon requisitions from other States, 9; transfers from prisons, etc., to lunatic hospitals, 14; recommitment for violating condition of pardon, 1. INSOLVENCY RETURNS. Under the provisions of section 143, chapter 157 of the Public Statutes, as amended by chapter 89, Acts of 1897, the returns of 586 cases of insolvent debtors were received during the year from the several registers of probate and insolvency, and entered in this office for convenient reference. An act of Congress, chapter 541, approved July 1, 1898, entitled "An Act to establish a uniform system of bankruptcy throughout the United States", which took effect upon its passage, renders said section 143 inoperative. NATURALIZATION RETURNS. Under the provisions of section 5, chapter 345 of the Acts of 1885, as amended by chapter 36 of the Acts of 1887, returns were received of the naturalization of 2,519 persons before the various courts of the Commonwealth during the year 1897, 1896. a decrease of 1,799, as compared with the returns for These returns were indexed and bound in convenient MISCELLANEOUS. As required by law, the return of the Surveyor-General of Lumber of the various kinds and quantities of lumber surveyed and the amount of fees received by him and his deputies in the year 1898 was received and filed Jan. 11, 1899. The return of the Inspector-General of Fish for the year 1897 was received and published in the Boston "Daily Advertiser" of Feb. 1, 1898. The four special reports from this office which form a part of the Public Document series, namely, Returns of Births, Marriages and Deaths (Public Document, No. 1), Abstract of Certificates of Corporations (Public Document, No. 10), Aggregates of Polls, Property, Taxes, etc. (Public Document, No. 19), and Returns of Assessed Polls, Registered Voters and Persons who voted, etc. (Public Document, No. 43), have been made, as required by law. Respectfully, WM. M. OLIN, Secretary of the Commonwealth. ABSTRACT OF RETURNS made by the several city and town clerks to the secretary of the Commonwealth, in the year 1898, under the requirements of section 5, chapter 100, Public Statutes, showing the number of licenses issued for the sale of intoxicating liquors, the amounts received therefor, and the number of licenses revoked during the year, with a statement of the vote given at their last annual meeting on the question, "Shall licenses be granted for the sale of intoxicating liquors in this city (or town)? [NOTE. The action of a town (in February, March or April) governs the year in which the vote is taken, while that of a city (in December) governs the following year.] Liquor Licenses, 1898. Vote at last Annual Meeting. Shall Licenses be granted? FIRST CLASS. SECOND CLASS. THIRD CLASS. FOURTH CLASS. FIFTH CLASS. SIXTH CLASS. SPECIAL CLUB. 00 00 1.00 1 00 $2.00 $2.00 833 1,855 |