Dorr v. CommonWealth

<p>On the 13th day of June, 1800, the General Court passed the following resolve, viz.—“ Whereas, it hath been represented to the General Court that Elias Norberg, otherwise called Elias Newbury, formerly of Sweden, and a naturalized citizen of the United States of America, is now dead, intestate ; that administration on his goods and effects, rights .and credits, has been duly committed by the judge of probate for the county of Suffolk, to Ebenezer Dorr, of Boston, in the same county; that there is in the hands of said administrator a large sum of money, the estate of said intestate, to which no person has yet entitled himself as next of kin to said intestate, and that the same money, in defect of heirs of said intestate, doth and will belong to the commonwealth. Therefore, resolved, that the Attorney-General be, and hereby is, authorized and directed to take all due measures to obtain a decree of the said Probate Court, that the same money be paid to the treasurer of the commonwealth, in order that the same may be retained by the said treasurer, to and for the use of the commonwealth, until some person or persons shall be entitled to receive the same as next of kin of the said intestate, or in some other legal way and manner. And, also, that said Attorney-General cause such decree, when obtained, to be carried into effect.”</p>