Note 123 — Chapter XVII · A CENTURY AND A QUARTER OF DIVORCE LEGISLATION IN THE UNITED STATES, 1776-1903

Massachusetts made such provision in 1882. Clerks of court are to submit annual reports to the secretary of the commonwealth who is to embody the facts in his own report to the legislature. The first report is to cover the period 1879-82: Supp. to Pub. Stat., 1882-88, 40, 41. In Connecticut and Rhode Island the clerks are to make a similar report to the secretary of the state board of health: Gen. Stat. of Conn. (1887), 566, 567: Gen. Laws of R. I. (1896), 768, 322. The same officer is made register of vital statistics in New Hampshire: Pub. Stat. (1891), 490; and that state has provided that the clerks of the supreme court shall report to the register the record of all divorces decreed since July 1, 1858: Laws (1901), 513. Similar reports of decrees nisi are required in Maine: Rev. Stat. (1884), 522. Vermont has provided for the registration of decrees under general direction of the secretary of the state board of health, who is to publish a biennial report, beginning in 1900: Acts and Resolves (1898), 41 ff.