Worcester daily spy., 1871-03-23
From the State House.

BosroN, Wednesday, March %, 1871
The bill TO authorize the Massachusetts Cen
tral railroad company to extend its road, was
considered in the senate to-day. Mr.. Collins
moved its reference to the committee on har-
borS, which motion was lost. Mr.. Wiilcomb
moved an amendment that the road shall not
cross the Fitchburg railroad at any point.
The amendment was opposed by Mr.. Crosby,
and favored by Mr.. Bird, and adopted by vote
of IA to 10. Mr.. Munroe urged that the road
should be confined to some definite location.
| Other amendments were made of a verbal char
acter, and advocated by Messrs. Crosby and
Howe of Middlesex. As amended it was then
ordered to a third reading.
A resolve was introduced directing the secrc-
tary Of the commonwealth to obtain the original
or duly attested copies of the pay rolls, muster
rolls, and other evidence of service, of Mas
| sachusetts men who served in the army and
navy of the United States in the war of 1912,
now in possession of the United States govern
ment at Washington. The rejection of the bill
TO annex n portion OF Sheffield TO New Marl-
borough was reconsidered, and the bill was re-
committed An order was passed requiring the
committee on insurance to consider the recon-
mendations contained in the first annual report
OF the insurance commissioner, and also
whether any change is necessary in the general
laws regulating the business of fire. marine
and life insurance.
The motion to reconsider the vote by which
the bill to unite the town of Somerville, the city
of Charlestown, and the city of Boston, was re-
jected came up by special assignment in the
house, and after discussion the yeas and nays
were ordered Eighty-three gentlemen voted in
the affirmative and 1876 in the negative, and the
motion to reconsider was lost The motion to
reconsider the vote by which the resolutions in
favor of the shipbuilders of the United States
were passed, was discussed, and the motion to |
reconsider was refused by large majority vote. |
The house accepted the committee reports of in |
expedient and leave to withdraw on the order |
calling for more legislation relative TO the re- |
moval of snow and ice from sidewalks, and the |
petition from Medfield for the removal OF the |
depot to another location.
The bills passed to be engrossed in the house |
were: To change the Hollis Evangelical society |
in Framingham to the Plymouth society; to in |
corporate the Worcester Choral Union; and TO
enlarge the powers of the New England trust |
company which is now allowed TO increase its |
capital stock to one million dollars, and may in
vest it, as well all moneys held by it in trust,
in any New England county, city CT town loans,
and may invest in the securities that savings |
banks are allowed to take.
Reports OF committees were made as follows:
A resolve granting the North End mission in
Boston $4,000 on condition that the friends of |
the institute raise a like sum; inexpedient TO
legislate on the order and consider the eXpe-
diency of an act for the establishment of coun-
ty asylums for inebriates: leave to withdraw on |
the petition of the officers of the Massachusetts
infant asylum for state aid; on the petition for
state aid to the Horticultural school for women,
and on the petition of VIM. Denton, and others, |
for an act of Incorporation as the American lib |
era tract society; ineXpedient to legslate on the
order relating to limiting the number of passen-
gers conveyed upon street railways; a bill to |
regulate the practice of pharmacy in the city of
Boston, which provides for the appointment by
the governor of ascommission of three pharma-
cistS TO examine persons who desire TO engage
in the business OF pharmacy. A committee of
conference reported in favor of granting $4,000
TO the asylum for discharged females at Dedham
instead of $500. Leave to withdraw on the
petition of officers and soldiers of the 18th Massa-
chusetts regiment relative to the correction or
suppression of the records of Massachusetts
officers and soldiers published under the direc-
ton of the adjutant general; ineXpedient on
the order relative TO providing by law that the
board Of state charities may make contracts for
support of town paupers in the state almshouse
in certain cases; a bill to incorporate the
Spencer savings bank.
Among the petitions presented to-day were
several in aid of the petition for an eight hour
| law; in favor Of the petition of the Washing
| tonian home; for branch railroad from East
| Hampton to Mt. Tom; and in favor of the re-en-
| actment of the prohibitoly law.
| The Investigations into the doings of the
| state police was continued this morning in the
| green-room in the presence of large audience.
| Several witnesses were examined who testified
| that they had paid members of the state police
force various sums, generally five or ten dollars,
| for the purpose of preventing prosecutions, but
| almost without exception the witnesses testified
| that they had been prosecuted once a month at
least and some of them much oftener. One
testified that two of the state police had been in
/ the habit of coming into his restaurant and get
| ting their dinners, paying nothing therefor, but
| he said he had no conversation with the officers
| about it, and never asked them for any pay; vet
| at the same time prosecutions were going on
| against him. One other witness said he had
| changed his place Of business four times year,
because he was prosecuted so often by the state
| police officers.