The arrangement of the submissions offers an interesting example of early record-keeping systems. The alpha-numeric arrangement is similar to that used for the land petitions (for which see the Land Submissions to the Executive Council series, elsewhere within this fonds), but less systematic in appearance. The filing system used by the Clerk of the Executive Council for the submissions on state matters shows less development and regularity than that used for the land petitions. The Clerk assembled the documents pertaining to a particular case and assigned a file title to them, writing it as an endorsement on the back of the last page or on a separate sheet. He then selected a key word from the endorsement - usually the first word - and filed the documents in numerical sequence under the letter with which that key word began. He also noted the alpha-numeric reference in the margin of the corresponding state minute book.
The selection of key words was inconsistent and may seem totally illogical. A file relating to fees claimed by John White as Attorney General for issuing land patents (deeds) for land grants could be filed under "F" for Fees, "A" for Attorney General, "W" for White, or even "P" for Patents. Similarly, an address from the Legislature regarding public accounts could be under "A" for Address, "L" for Legislature, or "P" for Public Accounts. The numeric element within the alpha-numeric reference reflects the chronological sequence of the submissions. The chronology of the numeric sequences, however, is not consistent across the alphabet.
With the land petitions, there is a correlation between the bundle numbers and the land minute books for a set period, as a new petition numbering sequence was begun with the commencement of each new land minute book. With the state submissions, however, it appears that numerical sequences were begun anew at arbitrarily selected points (about 1818, 1825, 1828, 1831, 1837 and 1839), quite possibly at those points when the pigeon-holes in which the Clerk stored the files became overcrowded and he was obliged to clear their contents into chests for storage outside his main office. The result is that researchers must pay close attention to the date and the alpha-numeric reference when working with the state books and the state submissions.
