Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-05-12
From the State House.

Boston, Thursday, May IL, 1871
The liquor question was up in the senate to-day
and the debate ii occupied the principal portion
of the time of the session. The bill under discussion
provides in substance that the sale of Gale, porter
strong beer lager-bier," be prohibited by law as
part of the prohibitOry law with the further pro-
vision that any person may be allowed to manutac-
ture, sell and keep for sale such malt liquors, by
vote of any city town voting to allow such sales
The bill was amended on motion of Mr.. Halves Of
Bristol, the author of the bill, to make
the time of voting thereon the first Sat
urday of July, instead of the first Tuesday in
May. The bill was amended by excepting from the
requirements of voting thereon the present year
such towns and cities as have already voted the
question of prohibiting the sale OF malt liquors.
Mr.. Stearns of Hamilton opposed the bill. Mr..
Monroe of Norfolk moved amendment to in.
include "cider" among the prohibited sales. The
motion was lost, by vote of IA yeas to % nays.
Mr. Bird of Norfolk moved to strike out section 8,
requiring the submission of the questions to the
people, making the law entirely prohbitory, and,
in support of the amendment declared that the law
as it is, is better than as proposed by the bill Mr.
Collins, of Suffolk, opposed the bill, the ground
that, in doing So, he was promoting the cause OF
temperance. After being debated for about two
hours, the bill was ordered to third reading by
vote Of 25 to IL, as follows:
YRAs-Messrs. Atwood, Bartholomew, Bates,
Bradley, Clark of Franklin, Clark of MiddleseX,
Crosby, Elliot, Fletcher, Frost, Goodman, Greeley
Hawes, Kimball, Packard, Rhodes, Stafford, Stick
ney, Tenney, Thayer of Worcester, Thayer of Berk-
shire, Wakefield, Whiting, Whitney, Wicomb.%
| NAYs-Messrs. Bird, Boardmau, Collins, Fox
| Howe, Monroe, Park, Pierce, Richardson, Stearns
Wood-l.
The committee on the Judiciary reported that the
act to legalize the aongs of the town meeting held
| in Uxbridge, May q 1871, ought not to pass. The
| committee on expenditures made report in the
senate on the order of inquiry into the expediency
oflaying tax upon the gross receipts of railroads
After referring to the tax upon railroads by the
| general government, and general remarks upon the
| subject, in which the committee say that under
| ordinary circumstances, and tested by any correct
principles, such tax as is proposed would in their
Judgment be ineXpedient they refer to the general
prosperity Of railroad and the expecta
ton, on being relieved from the government tax,
that a reduction would be made Of
freights and fares. With an increase CT re-
cepts nearly three fold since 1851 by the railroads
of Massachusetts, and of net receipts nearly double,
the rates of fares and reghts absolutely higher
than in 1860. Should the railroads adhere to their
present rates Of fare and freights although objec-
tionabe, such tax will probably, and very justif
ably be imposed, Mt some not far distant time Sew.
eral OF the railroad corporations have revised their
tariffs, and it is hoped Others will do In conf.
dent expectation that the managers of these corpo
| rations will not be slow to recognize the justice
and strength of the demand made upon them in
this respect, by the community ut large, the COM
mitee report that it is inexpedient to legislate
| the subject
| Inc committee on larD0rS reported in the house
leave to withdraw on the petition of the city of Bos
ton TO be relieved from the payment Of the assess
| ment made by the harbor commissioners for COM
pensatiOn account of tide water displaced by the
| construction OF Atlantic avenue. Messrs. Novel;,
| Cotton and Barney dissent, and report bill pro-
viding that the city shall repair any injury done to
the harbor by the construction of said avenue pro
| vided it shall appear to the harbor commissioners
that injury has been done.
The report of the committee on railways, leave TO
| withdraw, on the petition of G. L. Wilder and
Others for railroad from Lancaster to Leomnster,
was accepted The bills to provide for the punish.
ment of common night walkers; for the protection
of shell fisheries; to authorize the county commits
soners of the county of Norfolk to lay out high
| way and construct bridge over Neponset river,
| were severally rejected. The resolve relating to a
clearinghouse for the state normal school at West
field was rejected during the morning, Al to g. but
i'll the afternoon, motion to reconsider was made,
and the motion will take its place in the orders OF the
| day for tomorrow.
The bill in addition to acts for the improvement
| of Boston harbOr and the commonwealth flats
therein was still further amended, and then
dered to be engrossed. The following bills and re-
solves were also ordered to be engrossed: To esab-
lish and maintain school at the Hoosac tunnel; to
enable the state amshouse at Tewksbury to erect an
addition to their buildings for the harmless and in.
durable insane; to provide for the construction OF
the Troy and Greenfield railroad between the west
ern portion of the Hoosac tunnel and North Adams
authorizing the appointment of a clerk for the dis
triet court of southern Berkshire; relating to dea
| mutes.
The resolve In aid of the Washingtonian home in
the erection Of a new building was debated and or
dered to third reading by vote of 6S to Sc. The
| bill drawn by Elizur Wright to fix the surrender
| value of life insurance policies was amended BY
| making the provisions of the bill apply to for
| eign companies doing business in the state and
| also changing the time in which the law shall go
| into effect from June, 1871, to January, 1872 Mr.
Kellogg hoped the bill would be referred to the next
| general court. Mr.. Adams thought no one in the
house knew anything about the matter before them
and If they acted would do so blindly Mr.. Sanford
of Taunton hoped the bill as amended would be
printed The bill was then ordered to third read
ing.
The bill exempting the town of Barnstable from
maintaining high school rejected in the fore
noon session, but in the afternoon the vote was
reconsidered, and after being amended so as to
provide that the town shall be relieved from the
penalties incurred. provided it shall hereafter
maintain such school, was ordered to ae engrossed
| Gen. Joseph Hooker visited the state house this
forenoon and was received in the house of repre-
sentatiyes with three rousing cheers by the MEM
Ders as he advanced to the speakers desk where he
| was cordially greeted by speaker Jewell. On mo-
| ton of Mr.. Kimball of Boston, recess was taken
to enable the members to pay their respects to the
Genera, but it was announced that he could remain
put few minutes, as he was to leave on the noon
| train Speaker Jewell then introduced him TO the
| house as Fighting Joe Hooker" and after being
greeted with tremendous applause, Gen. Hooker
said that he claimed his parentage and birth in the
| Old commonwealth of Massachusetts. He had long
| been anxious to visit this commonwealth where
he expected to meet his old soldiers and friends He
knew 1t was good state where order was pre-
served, but he did not expect to find the legislature
IN session, and he didn't suppose that it took them
| so long to make the laws. tLaughter.) He was
inclined to think that it must be bad state to re-
quire so much legislation, but he was, however,
well satisfied with the state, the governor. the
legislature, and our senators and representatives in
congress. He then alluded to his attempt to get
command OF Massachusetts, troops when he was
first appointed, but found himself opposed by Gen
Mcclellan, and said that the LIST and 18th Massa-
chusetts regiments which were In his command
were two as good regiments as ever served in the
army. He especially commended the 10Th regiment
under Col. Wyman, for the vaor and discipline ex-
hibted at the battle of Glendale where they bore
the brunt of the battle, and said that he had never
seen better discipline in any troops in the world
mat the troops of Massachusetts were SO well APP
| pointed and so well commanded, was due TO Gov
Anarew the hero Of the war and if history did not
MAKE nun SO Il would be greatly at fault. (Great
I;p Il ne was to touch politics it would be
man the state ever produced (Renewed applause
the applause Of the members ''' "---N