The New York herald., 1871-01-08
MASSACHUSETTS.
The General Interests Of the State as
Viewed by Governor Claain.
The Prohibitory Liquor Law Defended The In
crease Of the State Police Force Urged, and
an Asylum for Inebriatss Suggested-Im-
mediate Legislation Rsquiredto Check
the Ravages of the Cattle Pagus-
A Plea for Woman Suf-
frage-Ihe Hoosao Tunnel
BOsToN, Jan. :. 1871.

=,
There ore 2la grave members Of ths Ho,se and
forty dirnned gentlemen OF the Scna'c, who,
unitcdlv. form body known rs the Massachusetts
Legislature. They assembled here on Wednesday
last and VIII probably nger arounu until lcng
alter the advent OF the birds and flowers ol the
coming summer. Not even the legislators OF the
Empire state find more annual business TO com.
mand their attention than do those OF Massacnu-
sets, and In the matter OF lob wing and jobolng
there Is not much TO choose 5eta cen the two com.
mOnwcanhs. The same presiding oriccrs as last
year have been chosen Horace H. Co Hid re- CT Bos-
ton Tor President or the Senate. and Harvey Jewell
OF, Boston. for Speaker OF the House The clerks,
100, are the same who have discharged similar
duties for The last decade. AMI the same old Ser
geant-ltArms is re elected lor about the twentieth
time.
THE ADDRESS OF GOVERNOR CLAFLIN.
Notwithstanding the Legislature came together on
Wednesday, the Governor did not deliver his address
until to-day In his opening ne r,turacd thanks to
Him whose care had beel SO constant in the past
and invoked HIS continual blessing for tic future.
He reloiced at the prosperity OF the Slate, and
claimed assurance or present and future ab lty for
the prompt liquidation OF the principal OF oil exist.
ing liabilities without recourse to taxa;ion.
THE GREAT H0OsAC TUNNEL.
His Excellency alluded al some len tn to the great
enterprise Of penetrating the Hoosac Tunnel with
line Of railroad The progress during he year, he
said has been very satisfactory. he central SHAFT is
now flushed down 10 the gra lc, ana the contractors
are working frcm that both ways though as yet for
the want Of machinery they are unable to make
great progress Thus far there seems to bc no
serious obs acic to early completion OF the tun.
nel-cer ainly, sooner than the stipuaIons In the
contract require. Tie lice has been carefully ex.
amiped recently, so tnat NJ reasonable doubt can
be entertained that the position OF the central shaft
Is 0orrecI, and That the headlngs will meet ana form
q continuous tunnel in straight line from end to
end.
INTOXICATING LIQUORS.
For nearly twenty years, witn single exception,
the prohibtory law, so called, has been on The
statute book IL has been changed. more or less at
nearly every session OF the LEGISLATURE TO meet the
demands OF public opinion. Notw andiny these
changes It would appear that the sen:im of The
State Was unquallhcdly in favor OF the principle OF
the law, for MS enforcement to-tay /, more ge lera
and quite AS stringent rs at any former period,
ana aJ the same time there IS little opposition
expressed. except by .hose who are amen
tion ON the sale Of intoxicating oriuks ue
made efectual-aJ least, no otner way has
much on the power ot law e. stem the de Of inten-
pciancs, have become discouraged because the de
sued results nave not YET been att,inel Thcy have
ceuSured TIE authorizes Tor supposed uiiaiItiul-
ness, LOJ having acquainted themselves with tue
practical obstacles TO rigid enforcement oil The law
Those engaged IN the traillc nave not been idle but
have brought every possible innueacc 10 bear upon
the pupllc, IN the no OF Creating an IMPRESSION
that 40 law could be executed. with all these en-
barrassments there doubt that the law more
eIectye ana better observed IN this State than SINH
lar enactnents Tor the restcton OF the safe Ci lntox
1Catlug urlnkS Ia other States OF .he Union. Under
II I"og SANDS OF dram saops are suppressed and tue
Wh0.e tradc Is curtallod.
AsYLUMs FOR lNgBRIATEs.
For long ti,ne efforts have been made to estab.
lish an institution wiicl smaI be exclusively devo-
ted 10 The restraint and reclamation oi persons SEN
tencet 10 prison for drun&eLness. Ihey are
source OF constant sorrow To their lrien0s, and q
burden TO the community when free. Many OF them,
Wnen sober peaccu aud adustrtoss, dong
what tney can for the comfort and supp IT OF tnef
families. Tne api eite for stimuanis has been IN.
dugcd by them 80 lolg taat the ordinary periods OF
imprisonment serve llttle else than to make the
desire Gpoontio. ALE, when tney are again brought
int places tempiatou. By a lons scr term or re-
sraint it is hoped core may Ue cdected, as their
physical 81 stems h We becl Improved. their moral
powers gradually strengthened. and thus lhey
become enaoitd 10 overcome the hao Is.
The COMMISSION have gwen much attention TO
this part OF The sabect hntc1 10 tncnl. and ther
CONCLUSIONS cannot iall deeply 10 interest the public
and justly deciued acton ~ the legislature lt Is
re- ugnaut to our humanity Ii not 10 oar sense OF
justice TO lucafceTate these men WIN proiessio al
ana hardened lelons aud they should slder .hls
wrong no long I. The Commission recommend Inc
incofporator OF an in ,ttuton lorthe meiical treat
ment oi inebra'eS VINO directly place themselves
voluntarily uldef restraint, placed in the l-
stitunon IN the same manner tnat Insane persons
now IL asy luns They also concufIa Inc request
OF the ulectsrs oil asilln ,toni.n Home OF an
Appropriation by he Stle Of the su .. hfty thou-
san aouars on condition tnat ike sum &c liven
by individuals Tor the purposes ! III insiiusion.
TINS Home has been very useful IN years Last IN
Saving NAM men Who appeared to be lost 10 tlem-
creased, tnat 1t may keep pace WITH the demands
made upon It 1t commended 10 your favorable
considerations.
THE STATE Police.
The necessity oil TINS .orcc Is more apparent every
year. 10 ely ony upon the poice oi the several
municipalities Tor The arrest even coinnoI ohenG
er3 would weaken the administration Of law. Ihe
act that there Is central force accus onled To deal
ing Win tnrbulent aud dlSoruer3y persons Is in
Itself check upon the disposition 0l offenders To re-
sist oflct Is OF the law. In no Year vc the
SERVICES ol the police been in such constant reuulsi
tion by the autBoriues OF cities ana Towns where
there were 10 be ,arec gatherings as III the past.
The msi Legislature SO lar reduced the appropiia-
tl0n that ieaiiy one-ha OF the deputies mad to be
discharged. his has lroportlonateiy diminished
the value o. the abors o. the iorcc, and the lmpocy
OF this movement IS seen III the TACT tDat cons ant
calls have Decn made py inc people Of many oil
larger owls Tor the relp pointien OF the discharged
OIces III .her respective locdiitles III oiuer tiat
tney be proteced III their persons and properly
THE CATTLE DIsEAsE-IMMEDIAIE LEGISLATION RE-
The live stock interest OF lhe State especially that
conncc cd with tie dairy, nas been increasing
tent aud importance atr,0g tie last lew years. aud
the well being ol the community Is SO IN luntcly
connected wlth and depenoelt urou II that the
health vi the antsis on wici we rely foi daily pro-
ducts Is Is a matter vi great puUc concern. Con-
tagOu, eases among cattle, therefore have oceu-
ped the attention OF all cviiiZed governments. The
energy ana decision with wnicl Lae State authors
ties cxtirpated a nj hy contagious cattle disease,
impor ell Into this State ten years ago. elected the
highest connenda ions throughout he country. aud.
lnleeu, IL may be said throughout tue CIVILIZED
woru L the meLhods adODted, the actS oi The Leg
islature, ana the reports 0i the Cattle Commission
relating TO IT, nave uecn eagerly sought wherever the
disease HAS appear Il IN tins county ana abroad.
We have u new a .seaSe to contend with. wbch Is
of highiy contagious character, recently imported
aud Spreading rapidly among tue la m STOCK.
Though quite dlnercnt IRON tic disease known as
plcnro-b eunoma, walch tne authorizes so thor.
Oughly eraucated that trace OF II has been found
WITHIN our HmiS Tor The last live or SIX years. IL Is
REGARDED abroad as scalcey lie 3 10 be diea ed not
So much rom It's immediate iatdty US from the
great loss ol property winch IL entails 10y rendering
the cattlc useess he sacrifice uf seveial hundred
Thousand uoiiaiS Is beieved 10 lie nevitdll. IL Is
supposed to he Il, lalc to at acS the disease with
any hope OF crudicatng " completely, out II the
L. LgsIature places sufficient power III the nauds OF
the cattle Commission at once II may be coAuaed TO
Its present nnits by suasle sanitary regulations.
A PLEA FOR MOlAN'S SUFFRAGE.
Womans suffrage has rec ntlv been The sub ect Of