required a higher degree of intelligence, but who, nevertheless, have been inferior to these others in respect to pay. It is true that the past year has been exceptional in its character, and does not afford a proper standard for the permanent adjustment of pay to work for the future; but the present anomalous condition of business is likely to continue through at least the year which lies before us; and I think that the whole subject is one proper for legislative investigation with a view to devise a remedy adapted to the facts.

Ministerial Officers-their Commissions and Fees.

I desire to renew the recommendation of a previous Executive, that the official term of Justices of the. Peace be shortened, and that a payment of five dollars be required for each issue of a commission to them and to certain other officers, such as Notaries Public, and Commissioners for Massachusetts in other States, whose ministerial acts are legally compensated by fees.

The number of Justices of the Peace at present in commission is 6,790, and of Notaries 486, distributed as follows among the Counties:

The aggregate of Commissioners for Massachusetts in other States, who have qualified under their commissions and whose terms have not expired, is at present 135.

The labor of supervising these appointments is very considerable, and in respect to Justices and Notaries, is necessarily transferred by the Governor in great part to the members of the Executive Council, each for his respective District. It seems worthy of

inquiry whether the public convenience really requires so extraordinary a number of Justices of the Peace; but the term of their commissions being for the long period of seven years, it would be impossible for a Governor within his own executive term of a single year, to effect any essential change in this particular; and indeed the custom of issuing commissions so freely is of such long standing as to interpose additional obstacles to the restriction of their number.

But considering the labor which these commissions impose upon the department especially of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and considering also that they afford means of pecuniary emolument to those who hold them, it seems not unreasonable that their issue should be compensated and restricted in the manner proposed.

The Governor's Secretary.

My experience has fully justified the resolve adopted by the last General Court, upon the recommendation of my predecessor, for the appointment of a Private Secretary to the Governor, and indeed, when I review the year, it is difficult for me to perceive how the necessary labor of my department could have been accomplished without such assistance. The mere

statement that the number of letters addressed to the Executive on business more or less of an official character, has averaged more than a thousand per month, and for some months has exceeded two thousand, a

large proportion requiring attention and reply, is sufficient to indicate in part the necessity of such an officer. The year, to be sure, has been exceptional in the character and amount of the labor of the Executive, but I have had reason to perceive that the office would have been of public advantage if it had earlier been established, for on assuming the duties of my present position, I was surprised to recognize the fact that no copies whatsoever of any communications to or from the Executive of the Commonwealth, had ever been preserved among the official State papers, except such as had passed into the hands of the Secretary of the Commonwealth in his official character of custodian of the records of the Governor and Council, or had been referred to some one of the Departments, or transmitted to the General Court. When the history of our country during the present century is considered, many events in which, in their relation to this Commonwealth, might have been illustrated more or less, by the preservation of such correspondence and documents, it is a matter of regret that hitherto no care has been had in this regard.

For several months I have had to avail myself of the aid of an assistant secretary in the military department; nor have the possible hours of work in the whole twenty-four hours of the day, been more than enough. As soon as the public service will permit, I shall discontinue this assistance; but, at present, it cannot be dispensed with, unless we leave undone

many details of business to the inconvenience of the

people.

The Executive Apartments.

In this connection I beg to call attention to the defective arrangement of the suite of rooms assigned to the Executive in the State House, with special reference to the entire absence of proper facilities for ventilation. In their present condition, they are inconvenient and unhealthy.

Preparation of Legislative Business.

One of the desirable things often spoken of, less often accomplished, is the prompt disposition of the legislative business, the necessary condition of short sessions, which are, in their turn, the condition on which our ablest citizens are willing to become members. But this seems greatly dependent on an early and perfect preparation of the public business. If an early fixed day, common to all the departments and bureaus of the State was adopted as that on which all their books and affairs were to be annually closed, and their reports made up, and were those reports placed in proper hands,-for example the bank abstracts into those of the Bank Commissioners, the railway returns, of a State Surveyor, the reports of the different penal, charitable, and sanitary institutions into the hands of the secretary of a central board, -all these crude materials might be reduced to order