_Whereas_, In the presence of the Senate and of the House of
Representatives in joint convention assembled, and in accordance with a
decree of the Consistorial and Episcopal Court of London, the manuscript
of Bradford's "History of the Plimouth Plantation" has this day been
delivered to His Excellency the Governor of the Commonwealth by the
Honorable Thomas F. Bayard, lately Ambassador of the United States at
the Court of St. James's; and
_Whereas_, His Excellency the Governor has accepted the said manuscript
in behalf of the Commonwealth; therefore, be it
_Ordered_, That the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts place on record their high appreciation of
the generous and gracious courtesy that prompted this act of
international good-will, and express their grateful thanks to all
concerned therein, and especially to the Lord Bishop of London, for the
return to the Commonwealth of this precious relic; and be it further
_Ordered_, That His Excellency the Governor be requested to transmit an
engrossed and duly authenticated copy of this order with its preamble to
the Lord Bishop of London.
His Excellency, accompanied by the other dignitaries, then withdrew, the
Convention was dissolved, and the Senate returned to its chamber.
Subsequently a resolve was passed (approved June 10, 1897) providing
for the publication of the history from the original manuscript,
together with a report of the proceedings of the joint convention, such
report to be prepared by a committee consisting of one member of the
Senate and two members of the House of Representatives, and to include,
so far as practicable, portraits of His Excellency Governor Roger
Wolcott, William Bradford, the Honorable George F. Hoar, the Honorable
Thomas F. Bayard, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Bishop of
London; facsimiles of pages from the manuscript history, and a picture
of the book itself; copies of the decree of the Consistorial and
Episcopal Court of London, the receipt of the Honorable Thomas F. Bayard
for the manuscript, and the receipt sent by His Excellency the Governor
to the Consistorial and Episcopal Court; an account of the legislative
action taken with reference to the presentation and reception of the
manuscript; the addresses of the Honorable George F. Hoar, the Honorable
Thomas F. Bayard and His Excellency Governor Roger Wolcott; and such
other papers and illustrations as the committee might deem advisable;
the whole to be printed under the direction of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth, and the book distributed by him according to directions
contained in the resolve.
Senator Alfred S. Roe of Worcester and Representatives Francis C. Lowell
of Boston and Walter L. Bouve of Hingham were appointed as the
committee.