The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-01-09
WORCESTER:
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8, 1928.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8, 1928.
The GOVERNORS MESSAGE will be read
with interest. The clear exhibition which
) it furnishes of the condition of public affairs,
and OF the causes Of this condition whether
prosperous or adverse, render comment I'M
necessary. With regard to the Financial
Department. and the State Prison, there
seems to have been no luck about the
house" for the last year. 1t is strange that
the necessary measures for replenishing the
Treasury should have been so long. neglected
I AS to- the Massachusetts, Claim on the Gen
eral Government, we think the third Auditor
oft Treasury will be glad when the business
is Oft his hands We pity him for the labor to
which lie is doomed. 1t is too much like that
OF Sysiphus. By the way, we could not but
remark an error of the press, as we are bound
to presume it is, which discovers itself in the
printing of the Message in the Boston Daily
Advertiser, where, in the introduction of this
| topic, the Governor is made irreverenty to
speak of it, as " that object of careless con-
Germ" We hope when Mr. Hamilton's reso-
luton for paying back the fines, incurred under
the old sedtion law, passes, there may be found
little of something" left, which may go to-
wards cancelling our military claims.
CONGRESS. But little has been done of late
in Congress, owing to the Christmas and New
Years holidays; but, these over, the members
have again applied themselves to business. A |
most extraordinary measure, in relation to the |
tarid question, has been adopted The COM
mittee of manufactures, at the request of a !
majority of its members, have been invested |
with power to send for persons and papers, TO
compel the attendance of witnesses, and to re-
quire them to testify under oath The pre-
tence of want of information, further than
could be obtained without resorting to such a
measure, is entirely idle. Such is the zeal of
those who feel interested, on both sides of the |
question, that every fact, material 10 the issue.
will be readily and willingly afforded. The I
object of this measure undoubtedly is, to Gre !
ate so much delay before bill is introduced. ,
as to defeat its passage the present session,
without compelling the Jackson members,
from the middle States, to vote directly on the I
main question On the passage of the resolu-
ton, the whole delegations of the southern |
States voted for it, in solid phalanx, with the |
exception Of some half dozen administration !
members from Virginia and North Carolina,
and it was also supported by the votes of
the jackson members from other sections of !
the Union What we have all along believed, !
is now apparent, that the plan is, to defeat the
passage of any bill for the further protection of
domestic industry, by indirect means and as
the Jackson members unite with the south in |
this course, the object will probably be effected
The BANKS. There are sixty banks in Mas
sachusetts, the capital stock of which is S51S,- !
702,150-and which. pay, annually, to the
State, a tax of $l87,O00 By the semi-annual
return of the state of these banks as they ex-
listed on the first Saturday in December, 1927.
the. total amount of specie in their vaults was
$l,7H O36, exceeding the amount stated in
the returns of May last, by 1914, IT'S, and that
existing in Dec. 1926, by $249, 105-a remark
able increase of the &" gold, silver, and other
coined metals" The amount of bills in circu-
lation, issued by the banks, is reported as
S7,567 6O6-an excess beyond the amount in
circulation, in May last, of 1851 leland ex-
ceeding that in Dec. 1926, $853,69O The
amount of debts due to the banks is twenty-six
millions, five hundred and thrty-seven thou
sand, one hundred and eighteen dolars-ex-
ceeding the sum due in May last, two millions,
two hundred and sixty-six thousand, and eigh-
ty-seven dollars; and exceeding that due in
Dec. 1926, one million, seven hundred and six
ty-three thousand, eight hundred and forty lone
dollars The amount of the last semi-annual
dividend, paid by the several banks, was $780,
750-which is a fraction more than two and
half per centum on the whole capital stock, or,
at the rate of five dollars, two cents and one
third on every hundred dollars, for the year
These dividends vary, however, according to
the difference of the amount of the profits of
the respective banks, several paying at the
rate of per cent. per annum, several others
at the rate of A per cent, and others making
no dividends.
| PUBLIC EXECUTION. The scene Of pub
lie execution has been "a subject of frequent
remark and apprehension. When we read
the accounts of the crowds of spectators,
" men, women cnlIureu,
and colors, who attend to witness the last mo-
ments of criminal, without the apology of
sympathy for his fate, and with no other mo-
tive than that which would alike attract them
to a cock fght or a horse race, the relation is