Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-01-24
MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE.
SENATE.

SENATE.
MIR. Davis ofPlymouth, from the Committee
on Education, reported a resolve granting for
the term of five successive Years to the Massa-
chusetts Teachers Association, the sum of
three hundred dollars for the purposes of said
Association.
The orders of the day were taken up
The bills to amend an act entitled an act to
secure the safety of passengers at railroad
crossings las amended) and additional to an
act relating to the Mystic River Corporation,
were passed to be engrossed and others to a
third reading.
HOUSE.
Petitions Presented and Refc1red.-Of sundry
persons in aid of Wesleyan Academy A; remoIl-
STRANGE of the Massachusetts Historical Socie-
ty, to the proposed change of name of the New
England Historic-Genealogical Society
Sundry orders were adopted.
Several Reports of Committees were made
one from the Committee on Finance, that the
House ought to concur in the amendment of
the Senate to the resolves in relation to the
late Sergeant-at-Arms. The resolves on mo-
ton of Mr. Russell of Boston, were laid on the
table.
Orders ofthe Day-The report of the Com.
mittee on Elections, ON the petition of Job L.
Tobey, that said Tobey is entitled to seat in
this House, in place of Mr. King of Rochester,
as representative from District No. 8, of the
County of Plymouth, was accepted.
The bills extending the time for taking out
alias executions; to legalze assessments of
taxes in certain cases; extending the time for
the construction of the Agricultural Branch
Railroad; and several others of private ma
ture were severally passed one stage.
SATURDAY, Jan. %.
SENATE.
Mr. Field of Worcester, from the committee
on so much of the Governors Message as re-
lates to the salaries of Justices of the Supreme
Court, reported bill, which was read once,
providing that the Chief Justice of the Su-
preme JudiciBl Court shall receive an annual
salary of fifty-fve hundred dollars; and each
of the Associate Justices of said Court five
thousand dollars.
The Committee on the Judiciary reported
bill in relation to vacancies in the Senate, max
ing provision for filling vacancies which occur
IN the Senate in the same manner as vacancies
are filled in the House.
The resolve in aid of the Massachusetts
Teachers Association was passed to third
reading.
Bills relating to election returns to author
ize the Springfield Fire and Marine Insurance
Company to increase its capital stock; to in
corporate the Thurber Medical Association,
were passed to be engrossed.
HOUSE.
Sundry orders were offered and adopted
Mr.. Griffin, from the judiciary Committee,
reported a bill providing that no person shall
be excluded from testifying on account of his
religious belief Evidence that a witness dis
believes in the existence of God may be receiv-
ed to affect his credibility.
The bill to repeal the section of the law
which denies the Legislature to furnish mem
bers with newspapers, &C., at the expense of
the Legislature, was debated at great length,
and rejected by 113 to 90.
The bill to legalize the assessment of taxes
was debated, and laid on the table.
The SEVENTH CENSUS astinqton, Jan.
l5-lt is the fate of the Seventh Census never
to be finished 1t was commenced ten years
ago, year being occupied in the preparation
Of the schedules. In 1858, four years after the
beginning of the work, Mr.. Pierce's Secretary
OF the Interior made an Eruption into the Of
1ce, and rashly expressed the opinion to Mr.
Kennedy, the Superintendent, that the same
Olymplad ought to have seen the finale of it,
10 promote this desirable end, Mr.. De Bow
was appointed to take charge of the business
He threw aside the manufacturing returns as
incomprehensible, and after another interval of
five years, Mr. Kennedy was again desperately
appealed to, to bring order out of chaos 1t
appears tnat unuer MS second administration q
third failure had been effected. An extra ap-
preparation was obtained at the last session for
extracting the statistics of manufactures, and
they were reported ready at the meeting of
Congress The session has half expired, and
still they are not forthcoming. 1t appears that
the author of the schedules can make nothing
OF the answers to them. The seige of Troy
was mere trolic compared with this ten years
fight with the figures of the Seventh Census.
Men, money, and mind have been in vain ex-
pended upon them. Better go back at once to
the old quarrel with the squaring of the circle
than attempt to separate the head from the tail
of those numerals.