Massachusetts General Laws Part I. Administration of the Government (Ch. 1-182) Ch. 3, § 5

Any petition to the general court for the incorporation of a city or town, for the annexation of one municipality to another, for the consolidation of two or more municipalities or for the division of an existing municipality, or for the incorporation or revival of a railroad, street railway, elevated railroad, canal, telephone, telegraph, water, gas, electric light, power or other public service corporation, for the amendment, alteration or extension of the charter or corporate powers or privileges, or for the change of name of any such company, whether specially incorporated or organized under the General Laws, or for authority to take water for a water supply, or relative to building structures in or over navigable or tidewaters, which is seasonably filed in the office of the clerk of either branch and is accompanied by a bill embodying the legislation petitioned for, shall, be transmitted by such clerk to the office of the state secretary.

Said secretary shall within ten days notify the petitioner by registered mail that such petition shall be published at the petitioner's expense, within thirty days, in such newspaper as the secretary shall prescribe and a copy thereof shall be transmitted to the mayor, board of selectmen and town council, as the case may be, in all cities and towns affected by said petition.

Upon receipt of proof of notice, or upon the failure after sixty days to produce such notice, the secretary shall return said petition and bill forthwith to the clerk of the branch in which they were filed accompanied by a statement that such advertisement or notice was or was not made.

Every petition seeking as aforesaid the incorporation or revival or change of name of a public service corporation and every petition by or on behalf of such a corporation seeking as aforesaid legislation otherwise amending, altering or extending the charter or corporate powers or privileges of such a corporation shall be accompanied by a fee of twenty-five dollars which shall be paid to the commonwealth.