Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 281, § 2: Construction of General Laws as continuation of former acts

Section 2. The provisions of the General Laws, so far as they are the same as those of existing statutes, shall be construed as a continuation thereof and not as new enactments, and a reference in a statute which has not been repealed to provisions of law which are revised and re-enacted herein shall be construed as applying to such provisions as so incorporated in the General Laws.