Massachusetts Government Act

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The Massachusetts Government Act (citation 14 Geo. III c. 45) was passed by the Parliament of Great Britain and became a law on May 20, 1774. The Act is one of the Intolerable Acts, the Punitive Acts, or the Coercive Acts, designed to secure Britain's jurisdiction over its American dominions.

The act did away with elections for the councilors and assistants in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, making the positions appointive, the appointments to be made by "his Majesty's commission, under the great seal of Great Britain", the positions to be held "during the pleasure of his Majesty". This left the colonists helpless against patronage and corruption. Before the creation of "the Act", the Council possessed the power to veto or nominate officials.

It also provided that his Majesty's governor would appoint "all judges of the inferior courts of common pleas, commissioners of oyer and terminer, the attorney general, provosts, marshals, justices of the peace, and other officers to the council or courts of justice belong", and "every vacancy of the offices of chief justice and judges of the superior court of the said province, from and after July 1, 1774". Members of the Council had been elected annually by a joint committee chosen by the people, giving them some control over who held an office.

It also stated that the meetings of freeholders and inhabitants (which were the effective local government of the Colony), except for an annual meeting to choose select men in March or May, and meetings filling selectmen's positions that might become vacant, would henceforth require the permission of the governor in writing, with no matter to be discussed that had not the governor's approval.

It also gave the sheriffs, now employed by the governor under the act, the power to select jurors for individual cases. Previously, jurors were selected from a pool of the town in which the case took place. Sheriffs could now place sympithizers on the jury, leading to an acquittal or guilty verdict, whatever favored the Crown.