Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-28
From the State House.
BosToN, Monday, Feb. %, 1871.

BosToN, Monday, Feb. q, 1871.
A message was received from the governor in
the senate to-day, transmitting the annual re-
port of the adjutant general, and communi-
| cation from the trustees of the Antietam ma
tional cemetery. The adiutant general states
that the enrolled militia was increased during
last year by $3.50 men. The active militia now
consists of five batteries of light artillery, five
companies of cavalry, ninety-two companies of
infantry, including the two companies of cadets
The amount paid for military bounty was S122,-
AGO; military accounts, $1,000; extra clerk hire
and messengers, S10,4 armory rents, $685.
900; books of instruction, S173.50; expenses of
quartermasters department supplies, $4,000;
incidental expenses, S5,979,92; employees, 81
$3.50; superintendent at arsenal, 81 1882.
The adjutant general renewS the recommended
ton to take land for muster purposes. The
records of Massachusetts, soldiers have been com
pleted, and as most of the papers from which the
records have been made, from frequent handling
have become worn and almost illegible, the pre-
servaton in print becomes more important.
Sales Of military property had been made
during tue year to the amount of 52,s17.42. A
recommendation is made in the report, that the
militia should be armed with breech leaders,
most of the expense of which could be betrayed
from the sale of the present arms.
The report of Henry Edwards, trustee of the
Antietan national cemetery states that the sum
OF S1572 is due from Massachusetts, as its pro-
portion of the expenses in the completion of the
cemetery.
In the house a communication was received
from the state treasurer transmitting a report
of all the sums now remaining audited on the
books of his department to Massachusetts vol.
unteers during the war for the allotment of their
United States pay.
The following orders were passed in the sem
ate: That the joint committee on expenditures
consider the expediency of leyying a tax upon
the gross receipts OF the railroads in the COM
monwealth; that the committee on the judiciary
consider the eXpediency of providing by law for
the furnishing of proofs of the opinions of the
supreme judicial court to the judges of the sew
eral courts in advance of publication; that the
committee on roads and bridges be authorized to
visit such places for view as in the course
of their inquiries may become necessary.
The following reports of committees were
made in the senate: lneXpedent on the order
to provide for uniformity of textbooks to be
used in the public schools of the state, and also
for their publication and sale; a dill to author
ize the town OF Dudley to raise and appropriate
a sum not exceeding $4,000 for Nicholas acade-
my; and bill requiring the returns of amounts
paid for assessing and collecting taxes in the
commonwealth in the year 1870. lneXpedient
on the order relative to tax on corporate stocks
held by firms, and on the order relative to tax
on bank shares held by firms.
In the house the committee on the judiciary
reported bill for the election of road commits
sioners, which provides that any town in the
commonwealth may at a meeting called for the
purpose, choose by ballot three competent and
| discreet men, inhabitants of said town, who
shall constitute the board of street commission
| rs for said town. one of whom shall be chosen
| for one year, one for two years, and one for
| three years; and at every subsequent annual
| meeting they shall choose one member of said
| board to serve for three years. The commits
| SiOuer to have all the powers and duties now
vested by law in selectmen and surveyors Of
\ highways concerning the LAYING out, altering,
/ repairing, making or disseminating streets,
/ ways, Sidewalks, sewe 5, and drains Commit
tees also reported in the house that the bills TO
! incorporate the young mems Christian aSsOcia-
ton of Fitchburg, and to amend an act for the
| abatement of a nuisance in the city OF Boston
| ought 10 pass; and bill TO reimburse the Yer
| mont and Massachusetts railroad company for
| expCn liture on the Troy and Greenfield railroad,
| appropriating $40 1921 therefor.
A discussion TOOK place in the house on the
resolve appropriatiug $500 for the use OF the
House Of the Angel Guardian, the opponents
the passage of the resolve claiming that it was
aiding particular religious sect, the Catholic,
and that the legislature should make no dis
tinction. 1t was also claimed that there were
many similar private institutions in other parts
| of the state which had never asked for any ap-
preparation or assistance from the common
wealth, and that, if this resolve was passed.
these other institutions would be justified in
asking fol like aid. The resolve was, however,
| finally adopted bV n vote of ~ TO 80. A resolve
was also passed giving $500 TO the Springfield
home for friendleSs women and children.
fhe bill offered by Mr.. Hovey, of Boston,
which appropriates S6OG0 to be expended by the
commissioners appointed under chapter 81 of the
resolves Of 1870, for the benefit of disabled SOL
diers who have served in Massachusetts Tegi-
ments, was substituted for the resolve app-opri-
ating $4,000, to be expended by the surgeon gen.
era for the same purpose, and it was then or
| dered to be engrossed.
The bill to incorporate the Blue Hill land
company was, after brief discussion, ordered
TO be engrOssed.