Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-03-16
From the State House.

The green room was crowded this forenoon
by an audience composed largely of women, to
| listen to hearing on the subject of so amend
| ing the constitution as to allow women to vote
| and be eligible to Office. The committee were
addressed by Mrs. Cheney, William Lloyd Gar
rison, Mrs. Lucy Stone, Mrs. Julia Ward Howe,
Mrs. Z. L. Daniels and others. The usual ar
| guments were advanced in favor of granting the
petition, and it was urged upon the committee
that the advocates of the measure feltvery hope
full that it would be passed, and felt sure that its
adoption was only question of time.
In the house, in the afternoon, the princi-
pal subject of discussion was the bill for the
annexationEof Charlestown and Somerville to
Boston, Mr., Town, of Fitchburg, speaking
in favor, and Cotton, of Charlestown, against
the adoption of the bill. Mr.. Bowman
| of Somervile began to make speech in opposi-
ton to annexation, but, on account of indisposi-
ton, was obliged TO postpone his remarks until
some future time. The further consideration
Of the bill was assigned for tomorrow at 2!
O'Clock, and the hour for taking the vote was
fixed at O'Clock on Friday.
Among the reports of committees presented
to-day were the following: A resolve instructing
itary organizations of the state one set of Gen.
Lippitt,s Treatises on the Art of War; bill to
! incorporate the Worcester Choral Union, to hold
property to the amount of $4,000; a bill to
change the name of the Hollis Evangelical So
ciety in birmingham to the Plymouth society in
birmingham; that the resolve in a new draft in
favor of disabled soldiers ought to pass.
On motion of Mr.. Baker of Beverly, the fol-
lowing order, having reference to some of the
points which were presented at the hearing on
female suffrage in the forenoon, was passed.
That the tax commissioner obtain from the
assessors of the several towns and cities in the
commonwealth, and report the same in print TO
the legislature as soon as may be, return of
the number of females in their respective NUM-
CAPABILITIES, who are taxed directly; also the num-
Der of such who have property taxed to hus-
bands, guardians or trustees, stating the aggre-
gate in numbers, and amount of each class sep
arately; and that said commissioners also in
clude in said report, classified in the same man
ner, the proportion of the corporation taxes thus
paid so far as the same can be ascertained from
the returns in his Office.
The following bills were ordered to be en-
crossed: To increase the jurisdiction in civil
cases of certain police and municipal courts and
of the district court of central Berkshire; to
authorize the president and fellows of Harvard
college to extend their wharf in Cambridge; to
incorporate the Everett and Chelsea street rail-
road company; to repeal chapter POS of the acts
OF the year 1870 concerning travel on Haverhill
bridge. The motion to reconsider the vote by
which the bill to amend the 36th section of chap
ter SO of the general statutes, in relation to the
maintenance of school houses, was carried, and
the bill was ordered to be engrossed.
A bill was introduced on leave by Mr.. Towne,
Of Fitchburg, fixing the compensation of MEM
bers of the Legislature. 1t provides that each
member Of the senate and house of representa-
tives shall receive $3.50 for the regular annual
session for which he is elected and one dollar for
every five miles travel once in each session from
his place of abode to the place of the sitting Of
the general court, and the president of the senate
and the speaker OF the house shall receive double
| the compensation provided each individual menu
| Der by this act. 1t was referred to the commit
| tee on expenditures.
| 8 Mr.. Bird introduced, on leave, in the senate,
the following resolutions, which were laid on the
| table and ordered to be printed:
| Resolved, that every invasion by one depart
| ment OF the government of the prerogativeS of
| another, tends to defeat the fundamental end of
all constitutional government, that it shall be a
| government OF laws and not of men.
Resolved, that the people of Massachusetts
have seen with alarm the recent attempt UNI
happily successful, by the president of the Unit
ed States not officially proclaimed, but notorious
and avowed, by its supporters, to dictate the
organization and appointment of the committee
on foreign relations of the senate Of the United
States.
Resolved, that the acquiescence of the senate
in the dictation of the executive of the appoint
ment Of the committee on foreign relations i'm
plies subserviency which disqualifes that
branch for the independent performance of its
constitutional duties to supervise the nomina-
tons and treaties laid before the senate by the
president, and threatens the removal of the
great bulwark against executive usurpaton
The bill to exempt private libraries from tax
alton was discussed and amended by providing
that all libraries not exceeding $1,000 in value,
and used for private purposes, shall be exempt
from taxation, and was then ordered to a third
| reading.
The resolve providing for an amendment to
the constitution in relation to the qualification
of voters, striking out the reading and writing
clause, was taken up by assignment in the sem
ate, and third ireading was refused by vote
OF IL TO IL. The vote by which the bill relating
10 county law libraries was rejected was recon-
sldered, and after debate the bill was again re-
jected.