The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1849-01-12

certain railroad corporations
We nav | think, reasonably congratulate our
selves that our public finances are in so prosper
Gus and satisfactory condition The expenses
of the Legislature, the Rolls OF Accounts, and
the sum paid Tor the State Reform buildings at
Westboro', the last year, exceeded the amount
pa,d the preceding year, for the same objects, in
the sum of $67, 225 For furnishing the coun-
ties and towns with weights and measures, under
the law of the last session, 500 900 have been
maid Thirty thousand dollars more will be
oured the present year to pay for supplying all
the towns and counties in the state with these ar
ticles. After making the necessary appropra-
tions for the Reform School, how much OF the
other items OF expense, alluded to, may be re-
duced will depend upon the action of the Legis-
ature. The amount paid for the cost of the last
Legislature, over that of the year 1847, by reason
OF the great length of the session, was more than
S23, 000 1t is TO be hoped that this cause of in
creased expenditure will not again occur, least
during the present century.
So great has been the public dissatisfaction in
several of our sister states at the protracted
SONS of their legislatures, that they have been
induced to provide remedy by constitutional pro-
visions and limitations. ! am quite sure that no
such remedy will ever become necessary in this
Commonwealth
The rolls of accounts for the last year amount
to more than ninety nine thousand dollars, near
ly the whole OF which is for the support of state
paupers This large and increasing expense de-
mands of the Legislature the consideration of
remedy against its continuance. The most OBJ
vious remedy seems to be, to transfer the charge
for the maintenance of this class Of paupers,
from the state, to the several towns in which
they may become chargeabe. 1t cannot be
doubted that, ii the towns, instead of the state,
had to pay Tor their support, the annual amount
would be very considerably reduced Whilst the
really necessitous and suffering poor would not
be neglected, the undeserving and the idle would
be more likely to be turned away.
The report OF a commission, appointed by
thority Of law two years ago, shows, that under
the present system, the temptation to enlarge this
item of expense was Too strong to be resisted by
many OF the towns. 1t may be said, that the ef-
feet OF such change would be, to throw, upon
the cities and larger towns, greater portion of
the expense, than upon the smaller towns. The
reply to this suggestion is, that the prosperity
and increase of business in the large towns and
cities, which swell their population with indus
trious and wealthy men, naturally bring along
with them numbers who may become chargea-
BILE but that prosperity and growing wealth in.
creases their ability, and makes it reasonable for
them to bear greater tax for such purpose, as
an incident to their advance In wealth and num-
bers.
The question of settlement, which makes
town liable for the support OF a pauper, is an ar
btrary one, depending upon statute law. If the
subject were TO be discussed de n0uO, it would
not seem to be sefevdent proposition, that,
for any of the set forth in the statue,
town should be made liable for the support OF
family of paupers, whose grandfather happened
to come within any of the conditions for gaining
a settlement within the town, though all the pau
pers may have been born in another town, when,
if that grand-pare had not come within those
conditions, they would have been chargeabe
upon the state. 1t is subject entirely for your
consideration, and its Importance calls Tor careful
discussion and delberation.
For many years after the Revolution and the
adoption of the constitution OF the United States,
the character and Importance OF the militia were
themes much dWelt upon in the executive COM
munications OF the chief magistrates of the Re-
public, and of the different states. The Federal
constitution gives to Congress the power "to pro-
vide for organizing, arming and disciplining the
militia" and for scaling them forth to execute
the laws OF the Union, suppress insure ctions,
and repel invasions." To the states, it leaves the
'sauthority toappoint the officers and of training
the militia, according to the discipline prescribed
by Congress" The power of enforcing obed-
ence to law, when wrongfully and violently re-
sisted, and OF repelling invasion from abroad, is
incident to all human governments. In other
countries, this power has been exerted through
the lnstrumentalty oil standing armies. Under
Our own free constitution, it is reposed in the
mass Of citizens themselves, acting in the capac-
ity OF militia. When called to execute the laws.
it is to compel obedience to their own will, con-
stitutionally expressed; when to suppress insur-
rectlon, it is to enforce submission to their own
government; and when to repel invasion, it is to
drive back the aggressor upon their own rights,
from their own soil. To make them efficient
agents for these conservatives purposes, org aniz-
alton. discipline and training are necessary The
laws OF Congress are TO provide for organizing,
disciplining and arming them, and the states are
to provide for training them in conformity with
the national laws The national Legislature, as
early as 1872, passed law on this subject, in
compliance with the requirements OF the consti-
tuition. The governments of the states, follow
ing the example OF the Congress, and actuated by
the spirit which led to the constitutional provis.
ion, did what they we're required to do But,
for the last twenty years, the whole subject OF
the militia has sunk in Importance in the public
mind and, in most of the states, has lost the pop.
ular favor. The consequence is, that in many
OF the states, the requirements of the laws OF
Congress neglected, whilst the legislation of
other states is in direct conflict with those laws
In Massachusetts there are more than ninety
eight thousand of what are called enrolled militia
The mere act of enrollme il all which oivae