Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-03-15

the Wakefield real estate and building associa-
ton; revising the several statutes requiring
oaths to proceedings in the probate courts; and
to authorize the Wellesley Congregational
society to sell real estate, were severaly passed
to be engrossed. The resolve providing for an
amendment to the constitution in relation to the
qualification of voters was discussed, and 1t was
ordered that the vote on the question he taken
at % O'Clock on Wednesday. Bills were intro
duced on leave, authorizing the Worcester and
Nashua railroad company TO lease the railroad
of the Nashua and Rochester railroad company;
in relation to the Arlington Lake company; and
uniting and consolidating the proprietors of the
fremont mills and Suffolk manufacturing COM
pany, with a capital stock not exceeding ST.
500 900 Committees reported as follows: A bill
authorizing the city of Boston to pay Charles
Burrill the sum of $4,000, for credits obtained
on the quota of the city in the late war. bill
amending the charter of the city of Boston, es
tablishiug board of street commissioners. The
billistrikeS out the provision giving the power of
abatement of taxes and substitutes $4,000 inplace
of $4,000, as the limit upon which the commits
sioners can act without the concurrence of the
city council. Leave to withdraw on the petition
of the LenoX glass company for an increase of
capital.
The committee on intoxicating liquors, TO
whom was referred the several orders, bills, res
olutions, memorials and petitions relating to in
toXicating liquors, reported that they were una
BILE to agree, and asked to be discharged from
the further consideration of the subject
Additional petitions were presented in both
branches to-day in favor of the re-enactment of
the prohibitory law. A petition was presented
for the protection OF quail on the Island Of Nam
tucket; and several circumstances against the
building of a dixie across Green Harbor river, in
Marshfield; and against the adoption of the
name Of Sandwich for the town of North
Bridgewater
Some Of the committee hearings this morning
were very interesting. Miss Abbie May and
Others explained the working of the horticu-
tural school for women at Newton, and asked
for an appropriation. Miss Aurora Phelps, Ella
f. Gibson, Jennie Collins and others explained
to the committee on hours of labor the reasons
why the state should purchase tract of land
near Boston, TO be laid out in small lots for the
poor workingwomen of Boston, the state to
furnish them with rations, seeds and horticu-
tural instruction. The committee on state po-
lice held preliminary meeting this forenoon
and decided to begin its investigation into the
charges of bribery and corruption made against
the state police force on Tuesday next and con-
tnue the sessions daily, except Saturday, until
the matter is disposed of. The testimony TO be
presented by Rev. j. c. Loveioy, the chief agent
of the prosecutors, if they may be called so, it is
anticipated will be presented first The whole
hearing will occupy at least two weeks, and
possibly portion of the evenings of that time
The committee will require photographic ac-
count OF the testimony, and we shall undoubted-
ly have voluminous report given to the pub
lie.
The committee on prisons had up for consid-
Grafton matters affecting the prison commission
Thomas Lamb, Esq, of Greenfield, and Mr.
Burroughs, chairman of the county commits
sioners of Franklin county, objected to the pres
ent law giving certain powers TO the prison
commission. Hon. Amasa Norcross of Fitch
burg Said the act of 1870 has for its purpose the
effect to practically destroy the county organi-
cations $50 far as theyelate to correctional insti-
NtaNtA j., n,N,lrA q NI,a az, T.
contracts for the labor of all the counties, which
would be thrown into the hands of one board
of commissioners, as matter of great impor-
lance The act at present interlered with the
judiciary, giving the prison commissioners pow
er to transfer prisoners, and thus perhaps to de-
feat the ends Of justice. He desired the repeal
of the act, as the officers of each county should,
in his opinion, have the ultimate responsibility
in regard to the care of prisoners, and that
could not be the case with the present provi-
sions. If the act was not repealed, he would
have it so amended that the prison commission
ers should appoint the sheriffs and county COM
missioners, as they were merely subordinate Of
ficers to that body. He would also make the
jails the property of the state, and have the
whole correctional system state matter.
Hon. Veorous Taft was in favor of having
the state establish independent prisons, and have
the success or failure of the system given to
separate board, instead of having it thrown upon
the county commissioners. j. D.. Daniels, one
of the overseers of the jail at Worcester, made
some statements concerning the effect of the law
on the contract system. When he entered upon
his duties, some five or six years ago, the con-
tract price for the prisoners was thirteen cents
per day, but by competition it had since been in
creased to twenty-eight cents per day, with a
prospect of obtaining thirty or forty cents per
day for the coming year. Although they had
advertised several days since for the work
of the prisoners, not bid had been received.
The contractors say that if they are going to bid
they want to know whether the prison commits
sioners were going to take away the long term
prisoners, for if they were they would have
nothing to do with it. He believed that the law
would prove detrimental to the interests Of the
prisoners, and could never be made practical in
its workings, as he thought that commissioners
sitting in Boston or in the western part Of the
state were unable to judge who should be re-
moved from the prisons. After further sugges-
tons concerning the difficulties attending the
operation of the law, the hearing was adjourned
to some future day, when the views of the other
side will be heard.
There will be hearing at the green room to-
morrow morning on the women suffrage matter
at which Mrs. Howe, Mrs. Lvermore, Lucy
Stone and I. w. HigginSon will speak.
The committee on federal relations were about
TO report resolve mildly acquiescent on the
San Domingo matter, when the exhibition of
total depravity at Washington came to frighten
them, and they are now dumb as an oyster.