The following general rules for the construction of statutes have been laid down by the supreme court:

Punctuation is not to be regarded in construing statutes. Cushing v. Worrick, 9 Gray 382, 385.

A limiting clause is ordinarily to be confined to the last antecedent, unless there is something in the subject matter which requires a different construction. Cushing v. Worrick, 9 Gray 382, 385.

Statutes are to be construed "according to the manifest intent of the legislature, though apt words to express that intent may not be used, or though such construction may not accord with the letter of the statute." Commonwealth v. Dracut, 8 Gray 455, 457. - Howard v. Harris, 8 Allen 297, 298.

"The law does not favor the repeal of a statute by implication. If there are no words of repeal a subsequent statute will not be held to abrogate a former one on the same subject if by a fair and reasonable construction both can stand together. It is only when the later statute covers the whole ground of a former statute, or the provisions of the two are repugnant to or inconsistent with each other, that it will be held that the more recent enactment repeals the earlier one upon the same subject matter." Per BIGELOW, J., in Commonwealth v. Flannelly, 15 Gray 195.

"Whenever a statute is passed which embraces all the provisions of previous statutes on the same subject, the new statute operates as a repeal of all antecedent enactments. This well settled rule of interpretation is founded on the reasonable inference that the legislature cannot be supposed to have intended that there should be two distinct enactments, embracing the same subject matter, in force at the same time, and that the new statute, being the most recent expression of the legislative will, must be deemed a substitute for previous enactments and the only one which is to be regarded as having the force of law." Per BIGELOW, C. J., in Commonwealth v. Keliher, 12 Allen 480, 481.

When the time limited by statute for the doing of a certain act is less than a week, Sunday is to be excluded from the computation. Hannum v. Tourtellott, 10 Allen 494, 495.- Commonwealth v. Certain Intox. Liquors, 97 Mass. 601, 602.Thayer v. Felt, 4 Pick. 354.- Penniman v. Cole, 8 Met. 496, 501. But when such time is more than a week, Sundays are to be included. Robbins v. Holman, 11 Cush. 26, 29.

"Statutes should never be allowed a retroactive operation when this is not required by express command or by necessary or unavoidable implication. Without such implication or command they speak and operate upon the future only. Especially should this rule of interpretation prevail where the effect and operation of a law are designed, apart from the intrinsic merits of the rights of the parties, to restrict the assertion of those rights. King v. Tirrill, 2 Gray 331, 333. — Garfield v. Bemis, 2 Allen 445, 446, 447.

"The intention of a remedial statute will always prevail over the literal sense of its terms, and therefore when the expression is special or particular, but the reason is general, the expression should be deemed general." See Brown v. Pendergast, 7 Allen 427, 429.

Validity of remedial statutes affecting vested rights. Such laws, though they may formally affect vested rights, may be valid if they do not injuriously defeat or impair such rights. Wildes v. Vanvoorhis, 15 Gray 139, 147.-Jacquins v. Commonwealth, 9 Cush. 279, 281.

Ex post facto laws. As to what statutes are invalid as such, see Jacquins v. Commonwealth, 9 Cush. 279, 281.- Dolan v. Thomas, 12 Allen 421, 424.- Flaherty v. Thomas, 12 Allen 428, 434.

CHAPTER IV.

OF PUBLIC REPORTS AND DOCUMENTS.

SECT. 1. Annual report of the bank commissioners to be made on or before first day of January, and to include the result of all examinations made during the year preceding that date. St. 1864, c. 94.

SECT. 2. Reports of railroad corporations to be deemed public" documents, and each of said public documents to bear the same number from year to year. St. 1863, c. 219, s. 2. SECT. 4. Number of public reports and documents to be printed, altered by St. 1863, c. 219, s. 1.

CHAPTER V.

OF THE STATE LIBRARY AND OTHER PUBLIC PROPERTY.

SECT. 12. Tents and camp materials may be lent to military schools. St. 1866, c. 295.

Additional. All licenses, granted in session of 1869 or afterwards, to build upon, fill up, or enclose ground over which the tide ebbs and flows, to be subject to certain conditions. St. 1869, c. 432.

TITLE II.

OF ELECTIONS.

CHAPTER VI.

OF THE QUALIFICATIONS OF ELECTORS.

SECT. 1. All Indians within the state declared to be citizens. St. 1869, c. 463, s. 1. (Certain Indians previously allowed rights of citizenship by St. 1864, c. 184.)

Article 23 of the amendments to the state constitution having been repealed, all reference to it in this section might be omitted. See 26th Article of Amendment, printed at end of Supplement to Statutes for the year 1863.

No person to vote for representative to congress unless he has resided in the district six months, &c. St. 1861, c. 145. SECT. 6. No name to be added to the voting lists in any city after the lists have been placed in the hands of the ward officers unless, &c. St. 1867, c. 206. As to the law on this point prior to this statute, see Waite v. Woodward, 10 Cush. 143.

As to the proper mode of proceeding at such hearings as are provided for in this section, see Lombard v. Oliver, 7 Allen 155, 156.

SECT. 11. As to the force and effect of this section, see Lombard v. Oliver, 3 Allen 1, 3.- Blanchard v. Stearns, 5 Met. 298, 301.

CHAPTER VII.

OF THE MANNER OF CONDUCTING ELECTIONS AND RETURNING VOTES.

SECT. 2. "Meetings for the election of national, state, county, district, city, and town officers may be opened as early as seven o'clock in the forenoon, and shall be opened as early as two o'clock in the afternoon of the election day, but in no case shall the polls be kept open after the hour of sunset." St. 1869, c. 62. (Previous alteration of time of opening by St. 1867, c. 50.)

SECT. 3. The warrant for calling meetings for the election of state officers, representatives to congress, and presidential electors must specify the hour at which the polls may be closed, and not lawful to close the polls before that hour. St. 1860, c. 138. "But in no case shall the polls be kept open after the hour of sunset.' This does not apply to elections of town officers. Conlin v. Aldrich, 98 Mass. 557.

SECT. 9. In election of town officers not necessary to use

check-list, except when election required by statute to be by ballot; in other cases to be used or not, as town meeting may determine. St. 1862, c. 180.

"In the election of moderators of town meetings, held for the choice of town officers, the check-list shall be used." St. 1863, c. 198.

For acts ratifying prior elections at which check-lists were not used, see St. 1861, c. 144.-St. 1861, c. 197.-St. 1862, c. 180, s. 2.- St. 1863, c. 130.- St. 1864, c. 195.-St. 1865, c. 182. St. 1868, c. 262.

SECT. 10. As to the force and effect of this section, and as to the liability of selectmen for rejecting votes, see Lombard v. Oliver, 3 Allen 1, 3. — Blanchard v. Stearns, 5 Met. 298, 301.

SECT. 15. Ballots cast at elections in cities to be sealed up, and transmitted to the city clerk, &c. St. 1863, c. 144, s. 1–3, 5. SECT. 17. As to the proper form for making the returns required by this section, see Luce v. Mayhew, 13 Gray 83.

SECT. 60. As to the nature of the duties of the board of examiners, see Luce v. Mayhew, 13 Gray 83.

Additional Provisions.

At municipal elections certificates of election of ward officers to be sent to the city clerk in sealed envelopes, which shall remain unopened for twenty days, within which time a recount may be demanded. St. 1867, c. 240.

Votes of persons whose right is challenged, to be indorsed with name of person offering the vote and of person challenging, &c. &c. St. 1863, c. 144, s. 4.

CHAPTER VIII.

OF THE ELECTION OF GOVERNOR AND OTHER STATE OFFICERS.

SECT. 3. This section superseded by St. 1866, c. 221, which divides the state into new councillor districts.