cause to be prepared and issued a statement briefly setting forth such arguments as the Convention may see fit relative to any revision, alteration or amendment of the Constitution adopted by it, or any part thereof. The members of the Convention shall receive the mileage specified in section eight of chapter three of the Revised Laws, as amended by chapter six hundred and seventy-six of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and eleven. The Governor, with the advice and consent of the Council, is authorized to draw his warrant on the treasury for any of the foregoing expenses.

SECTION 8. The Secretary of the Commonwealth is hereby directed to transmit forthwith printed copies of this act to the selectmen of each town and the mayor of each city within the Commonwealth; and whenever the Governor shall issue his proclamation, calling upon the people to elect delegates, the Secretary shall also, immediately thereafter, transmit printed copies of said proclamation, attested by him, to the selectmen and mayors.

SECTION 9. All laws relating to nominations and nomination papers, and to primaries, elections and corrupt practices therein, shall, so far as is consistent herewith, apply to the nomination of candidates for delegate to the Convention, and to the primaries and special election provided for by this act. [Approved April 3, 1916.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

BY HIS EXCELLENCY SAMUEL W. MCCALL, GOVERNOR, A PROCLAMATION

CONCERNING THE CALLING AND HOLDING OF A
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

Whereas, by an act of the General Court of this Commonwealth approved on the third day of April, nineteen hundred and sixteen, entitled "An Act, to ascertain and carry out the will of the people relative to the calling and holding of a constitutional convention," being chapter ninety-eight of the General Acts of nineteen hundred and sixteen, it is provided that the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall cause to be placed on the official ballot to be used at the annual state election for the year nineteen hundred and sixteen the following question: "Shall there be a convention to revise, alter, or amend the constitution of the Commonwealth?" and

Whereas, provision is made in said act for the due return of the votes upon this question to the Secretary of the Commonwealth and for the opening and examining of said votes by the Governor and Council; and

Whereas, it is further provided that the Governor shall, by public proclamation, on or before the first Wednesday in January in the year nineteen hundred and seventeen, make known the result by declaring the number of votes in the affirmative and the number in the negative; and

Whereas, it is further provided that if it shall appear that a majority of said votes is in the affirmative that the Governor shall in his proclamation call upon the people to elect delegates to the convention at a special election to be held in all the

cities and towns of the Commonwealth on the first Tuesday in May in the year nineteen hundred and seventeen; and

Whereas, said question was placed upon said ballot by the Secretary of the Commonwealth; and

Whereas, the votes upon said question have been duly returned to the Secretary of the Commonwealth and opened and examined by the Governor and Council:

Now, therefore, I, Samuel W. McCall, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby declare and make known that upon an examination in the manner provided by said act of all the votes upon this question it appears that the whole number of votes in the affirmative is 217,293, and that the whole number of votes in the negative is 120,979, making the whole number of votes upon this question to be 338,272; from which it appears that a majority of said votes is in the affirmative.

And, therefore, by virtue of the authority contained in said act, I do hereby call upon the people to elect delegates to the convention aforesaid at a special election to be held in all the cities and towns of the Commonwealth on the first Tuesday in May in the year nineteen hundred and seventeen, in accordance with the provisions of said act and in the manner therein provided.

Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston, this nineteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and sixteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and forty-first.

By His Excellency the Governor.

SAMUEL W. McCALL.

ALBERT P. LANGTRY, Secretary of the Commonwealth.

God Save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

ACT PROVIDING FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A
COMMISSION.

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A COMMISSION TO COMPILE INFORMATION AND DATA FOR THE USE OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. For the purpose of facilitating the work of the Convention to revise, alter or amend the Constitution of the Commonwealth, as provided by chapter ninety-eight of the General Acts of the year nineteen hundred and sixteen, a Commission of three learned and discreet persons shall be appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall be designated as chairman, who shall forthwith proceed to compile and render accessible, in convenient form and arrangement, such information, data and material as may aid the Convention in the discharge of its duties. The members of the Commission may receive such compensation and may incur such expense for clerical assistance, incidentals and printing as the Governor and Council may approve, not to exceed in all the sum of ten thousand dollars. The Governor is also empowered to fill any vacancy that may occur in said Commission. The provisions of the laws relating to civil service shall not apply to clerks appointed by the Commission.

SECTION 2. The Commission shall place at the disposal of the members of said Convention as soon as may be after their election the aforesaid information and data, from time to time, as the same is prepared and compiled and may, with the approval of the Governor, distribute to such members before or after the organization of the Convention as much thereof as the Governor may authorize to be printed. The Governor and Council, upon such terms and conditions as they may deem

expedient, may order that any material ordered printed for the use of said members shall be printed in sufficient quantity and distributed by the Secretary of the Commonwealth to the people at large.

SECTION 3. The Commission shall be provided with suitable accommodations in the State House and shall, together with the members of the Convention and the officers and employees thereof, have the same right of access to the State Library as the members of the General Court. There shall also be provided in the State House, subject to the approval of the Governor and Council, a room or rooms, conveniently near the place of meeting of the Convention where the aforesaid information and data may be suitably arranged, indexed and catalogued.

SECTION 4. The service of said Commission shall terminate upon the final adjournment of the Convention, or whenever at any time prior to such adjournment, the Governor may determine that the purposes and objects of said Commission have been accomplished.

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Approved February 28, 1917.

NOTE. On February 28, 1917, His Excellency the Governor appointed to the Commission William B. Munro of Boston, Chairman, Lawrence B. Evans of Medford and Roger Sherman Hoar of Concord. The Commissioners took the oath of office and entered upon their duties March 1, when they completed their organization by naming Commissioner Evans to be Vice-Chairman and by the appointment of Henry Ward Bird to be Secretary.