Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-17

! pdIdtNSly uulllpO1Iuut UdIuGe. III Tue HOu6e
orders were adopted on the expediency of
| authorizing parishes to tax pews in churches
erected at any time, the present statute limiting
| such tax to those erected since 1S45 and on the
| prohibition of deer hunting with hounds in
Barnstable and Plymouth counties. Mr.. Fitz.
\ gerald, of Boston, had passed an order
| giving the state police committee author
| ity TO send for persons and papers, and
| reported from that committee resolve releasing
| all persons who may be called upon to testify
| from the consequences of any disgrace they may
| incur or any risk they may run for giving any
such testimony, except from the penalties of
perjury.
The petitioners from CRANKY, who wish to be
set off to South Hadley, are likely to get no more
satisfaction than they did last year. the commit
tee on towns having, as before, reported leave to
withdraw
The following resolve was reported from the
committee on federal relations, by Mr. Kellogg,
of Pttsfeld:
Resolved, that the recent legislation of the Cana
dian Dominion upon the fisheries upon the north
east coast, and the arbitrary and unfriendly action
of the authorities there toward our citizens engaged
in that important pursuit. constitute grievance
that demands the attention and protection of the
general government, and that it is of great moment
that the negotiations about to take place between
England and the United States should re-estabish,
in clear manner and on a firm basis, the ancient
and invaluable rights of citizens on the fishery
grounds; should secure them such privileges as the
present state of the fisheries make reasonable and
right, and provide indemnity for any unjust seizures
that have been made.
Resolved, that the governor be requested to send
copy Cd this resolve to our senators and represent
attves In congress.
The hearing in the Green room to-day was on
the subject OF the state police, at which Major
Jones was present, and gave statement of the
character and condition Of the force. He chal-
lenged the most scrutinizing inquiry and inves-
tigation. "Rev." J. c. Loyejoy charged the
state constablery with being generally toddy
set; that they grew very rich on the business;
and that they do not enforce the law, nor do
they mean to. He made other serious charges
which Major Jones protested were intended only
to bring the prohibitory law into disrepute, and
were influenced by political motives.
The committee on hours of labor had an inter-
esting hearing. E. Il. Nudge, who is engaged
in the cotton and wooden manufactures, believed
that legislation on the subject under considera-
ton would be unwise for the interest of the
laborer sas much as for the manufacturers mas
much as it would result in an immediate reduC-
ton OF their wages. He was now selling Amer
lean goods in competition with those coming
from foreign countries, and they were not max
ing any interest on their capital. Owing TO the
competition and the depreciation of our curren-
cy, the wooden business was generally depressed
This whole subject he believed to be mixed up
with the currency question. In New York the
operative worked the same number of hours as
in Massachusetts, which was true of Rhode
Island, Maine New Hampshire and Connecticut.
in the law was because he did not think our peo
pie were overworbed. He did not think that per-
sons could be found who got rich except by pro-
tracted labor If they worked twelve hours per
day he did not consider that it would iniure
them but he believed they had struck the hap
ply medium, II hours per day. The dlminution
of the hours of labor and the increase of wages
coupled tOge her, he regarded as having in
creased temptation. Of his own knowledge he
could say that there were more cases of dissipa-
ton to-day than there were twenty years ago.
All the increase of pay had occurred in years
when the value of gold and silver increased, and
it was owing to this cause, rather than an in
crease of wages. The increase of wages had
been prOportionatey greater than the increase
in the prices of the necessaries Of lite and to-
day the laborers are better paid than ever
before. Edward Atkinson objected 10
| any limitation by law of the hours of
labor, except as to children, because it
deprived them Of the free right to contract for
their time, the only thing they had to sell. Such
reduction would prove much more injurious
to the ahorer than to the capitalist, for in some
manner capital would right miSchievous legis-
lation. The best laborers, however, would be
forced out of the state, and capital would be in
iured, and perhaps business would be destroyed.
Its tendency would also be to drive capital out
of the state. He obected TO the change on all
principles of economies The effect of reduc-
ton would be to decrease the product of cotton
cloth, and he claimed that all matters of labor
regulated themselves He was opposed to any
corporations disregardag the school laws as
applied to their employees, and Mr.. Atkinson
made some interesting statements concerning
the advantages of the operatives of the mills at
Indian Orchard, with which he was connected.
The railway committee had an interesting
| hearing on cheap railway trains out of Boston,
at which Hon. Josiah Quincy, 10 presenting his
| views first submitted "a bill which provides that
the corporations shall run regular Or special
| trains for laboring men and women once each
way per day for distance of fifteen miles. The
sum to be charged per week is twenty-five cents,
and the limit of the liability of the corporation
in case any passenger sustains injury on such
| trains is fixed at $1,000.
There were several other interesting commit
tee hearings which were well attended, and the
results of which will in due time be manifest in
| intelligent legislation.
A large number of the members of the legis.
latures of so and 70 were seen about the state
| house, this morning, admiring Balls statue of
| Gov. Andrew. They came at this time to at
| tend Speaker Jewels reception, which took
| place last evening, and was a very fine affair.
His house on Beacon street was throIged with
legislators and the dignataries and renowned
men OF the state. Mr. JEWELS gubetnatorial
brother from Connecticut, white-headed, urbane
and courteous as himself, assisted at the recep-
ton. The entertainment provided was of the
most elegant and hospitable character, and
prominent in the floral decoration of the tables
were multitude of canelas.