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[Governor's Message] and reenacted here; and on turning to the Council records, that the Justices of that Court do not hold their Commissions from the Executive of this State, except such only as have been appointed to fill vacancies. Of course that Court exists by virtue of a law of the parent state in force under the provisions of the Act of Separation, and the whole of its members in the first and third circuits, and one in the second, hold their offices during the pleasure of the Executive instead of during good behaviour as contemplated by the Constitution. For the convenience of the citizens, as well as to enable the Executive more fully to carry into effect the provisions of the Constitution, I suggest the propriety of revising and re-enacting all the Statutes intended to be in force as law within this State, and of repealing all others. Unless this be done, it will still be necessary to resort to the volumes of Massachusetts Statutes to find here and there a chapter applicable to our own State.

The Statute for the relief of Poor Debtors, having been by the last Legislature referred to a Committee to sit in the recess, from the character of that Committee a report may now be expected which will serve to assist your deliberations on that interesting subject.

I find by a "Resolve declaring the sense of the Legislature of the powers of the General Government over the Militia passed by the Legislature of this State, June 28th, 1820, that, among other things "the Senators in Congress from this State were instructed to bring the subject of the claims of Massachusetts and Maine before the National Councils, and to adopt such measures in relation thereto, as are best calculated to bring those claims to a speedy and equitable decision; and that our Representatives in Congress were also requested to aid in the same object;" but I am unable to find that any progress has been made in what appears to have been the object of that resolution. To me it has seemed proper to refer the Legislature to the Resolve, a part only of which is above cited, that they might perceive what were the sentiments of our predecessors in