Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-06
From the State House.
noaron. wednesday. April s, 1871.

BOSTON, Wednesday, April 8, 1871.
The temperance question occupied the attention
of the house to-day, to the exclusion OF nearly all
other business Mr.. Towne of Fttchburg desired to
introduce the bill which he withdrew yesterday,
the effect of which would be to repeal the first three
sections of the present liquor law By vote of l04
to leo leave was granted to introduce the bill An
Intellectual attempt was made to suspend the rules,
so that it might go into the orders of the day. and
not take the usual course Of reference to a commit
tee Mr.. Towne then desired to have 1t referred to
special committee, but the house, in a spirit OF
hostility referred it to the committee on the judi
ciary, by a vote of SO to 96.
Mr. Rufin, Of Boston, who has become impatient
at not hearing further from his resolves asking con.
gress to pass an anti-kuklux bill. which were re-
erred TO the committee on federal relations brought
forward new set of similar resolutions to-day, and
tried to press a vote without reference to commit
tee. But the house evidently thought our represen-
tatives in congress could get along very well with
out advice from Boston, and so laid the resolves on
the table.
change the name of the Blackstone Athen9um.
Committees reported bills to incorporate the
town of Maynard from portions or the towns OF
Stow and Sudbury; to increase the salary Of the
the inspection and testing of water-wheels.
The report of the joint commission, composed of
the harbor and railroad commissioners on the
terminal facilities of the railroads at the north
part OF the city Of Boston, was received and
ordered to be printed. The commissioners
under the following divisions: l. terminal accom-.
modations for passengers; 2, terminal accommOda-
tions for freights; 3, approaches to terminal sta
tions including Herewith the obviating as far as
possible the several grade crossings of the different
railroads; 4, increased facilities for navigation and
decrease of obstacles to the flow of the tide; g. how
to obviate the Inconvenience caused to land travel
by the draws of the bridges and g. the probable
cost of the proposed improvements, and how to APP
portion it and meet 1t; The commissioners
length, and plan is presented by them for an
exchange of property. by. which the Fitch
burg and Lowell roads shall cross the river
another in this way obviating the crossings of each
others roads. The expenditures by the various
roads they estimate as follows after making the
necessary exchanges of territory between the sew
eral roads: For the Fitchburg, if they retain all
land transferred from the Lowell, S1,500,000; Low
ell, S650000 Eastern So, 100 000 Maine, 81 900;
total Sc, 350000. They think the plan feasible, and
offering ample accommodation and convenience to
all interests.
pensaton of the members of the legislature was dis
cussed. Mr.. Pierce of Mddesex moved to substi-
tute resolve providing for the pay of members at
the rate of SIS per day for the session. Mr.. Rich
ardson of Middlesex moved as an amendment
provision that for each days session after May LIST
$40 shall be deducted from the pay of each MEM
ber The amendment was rejected by vote of to
~ the yeas being Messrs Bird of Norfolk Clark of
Franklin, Halves of Bristol, Richardson of Middle
sex, Stearns of Hampden, and W1llcomb OF Essex.
The substitute of Mr. Pierce was rejected by vote
OLA yeas to 20 nays Messrs. Clark Fox, Pierce and
Wood voting in the affirmative The bill was then
ordered to third reading by vote of % yeas to
nays.
The bills to establish the city of Somerville, to
amend the charter of the city of New Bedford, and
to authorize the county commissioners of Middle
sex county to construct bridge over the Merri-
mack river severally ordered to be engrosssed
in the senate and the bill to authorize the Massa-
chusetts Central railroad company to build track
from Weston into Boston, was ordered to be en-
crossed in the house.
The committee investigation into the designs of
the state constabes particularly interesting to
Worcester people, from the fact that a notorious
character known as "Dan Green" testified that he
had paid 5000 to New Bedford constable, and 800
to Mr.. Hair of Worcester; also $50 to another one.
At the cross-examination of this model witness on
Monday, to which time the investigation stands adj
iourned, the connection of this fellow with houses
of il-fame and the fact that the state constables
made Worcester too hot for him and "his woman"
will give some idea to those who do not know him
Of tho voua nj his tpgtimOnV