Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-01-30
From The State House.
Another Debate on the General Railroad
BiII-LitiIc Progress Madc-lHaisers in
the Senate.



The house was rather thin to-day. Many OF
the members evidently thought it well to
avoid the discussion of the general railroad bill
this afternoon, being sure of an opportunity of
voting upon the bill tomorrow at four o'clock
The discussion was left until after the disposition
of all other matters which occupied about half
an hour. Petitions were presented from the
Bay State, Peoples and First National fire in
surance companies, of your city for modifca-
ton of the tax on bank shares
The salary fever has evidently attacked all
the police justices and clerks in the common.
wealth; those functionares in Charlestown sent
in their requests for an increase to-day The
Gloucester and GAINESVILLE railroad company, of
which scarcely any one ever heard, asks
for an extension of the time for its
construction. Bills were introduced to enable
the town of MedGord to increase the amount of
its water bonds, and also for the guarding of
wells in public squares and highways.
That unlucky Office of the adjutant generals
is to have a formal oyelhauling, or at least its
conduct is to be quite strictly regulated if bill
passes which was reported this afternoon from
the joint committee on state commissioners and
officials. 1t provides that the adjutant general
shall be at his office every day when he is not
away on official business, and requires him to
give his personal supervision to all the details of
his office. He is TO be allowed one clerk, with a
salary Of $500, whose duties are very carefully
prescribed. An additional clerk, with a salary
of $1,000, cannot be appointed except with the
sanction of the governor, and no further clerical
assistance can be engaged except on the
written order of the governor. The only
order passed to-day, requires the Judiciary COM
mttee TO consider the adyisabiity of allowing
corporations having a stock of fifty thousand
dollars or less, to Ak the par value at twenty
five dollars. Most of the matters in The orders
were acted on without debate, and only one
the act to amend the charter of the New Eng,
land conierence-was postponed until tomorrow,
The discussion on the general railroad law
was long, but did not exhibit the talking pow
ers of the house in a most favorable light. The
debate was opened by Mr.. Anderson of Lowell,
who made a long and decidedly legal speech in
favor of the bill, arguing that in its original
form it was entirely constitutional, and that the
seventh section introduced in the senate, was not
an honest attempt to improve the bill, else the
same language should have been used that is
employed in the general statutes in regard to
the laying out of highways, In fact, he argued
hat railroads were as necessary, and ought to
be laid out with as little difficulty as highways
The debate next turned upon The subject of al
lowing existing railroads to guarantee one-third
ofthe stock of branch railroads chartered under
the law. He ALLEGED that the new railroads now
demanded in this state could not be built with
out such provision, and that the bill would be
mere rhetorical flourish in its present FORM
Subsequently Mr.. Shaw of Boston offered an
amendment to strike out the Sth, 9th and 18th
sections, and insert in place of the 7th section
a section giving county commissioners power
TO decide both upon the exigency and the
route of railroads constructed under the bill.
Mr.. Bailey Of Charlestown, Mr.. Palmer of Bos-
ton and Others attempted, with poor success, to
make it appear that the committee did not ex-
plain or defend their bill Mr. Goldman of Bos-
ton defended the committee report in a vigorous
speech, and at hall-past four the house adj
jouTned.
Mr., Towne OF Ftchburg attempted to have
the bill specially assigned for consideration at
half-past two O'Clock tomorrow, but Mr.. Cogs-
well objected, that his observations of special
assignments had been that they impeded the
business Of the house and protracted its ses-
sons. The house agreed with Mr.. Cogswell,
and therefore the bill will come up in the orders
Of the day tomorrow, when Mr.. Towne will en-.
deayor to take the floor against the bill.
In the senate to-day, a bill was reported
authorizing the town of Abingdon to take water
from Vine Brook The following preamble and
resolution were introduced and passed under a
suspension of the rules:
Whereas, the fisheries of Massachusetts are en-
dangered by the anticipated effect of the treaty of
washington, which proposes to admit foreign fish
into American markets, free of duty; therefore,
Resolved, that the congress of the United States
Is hereby respectfully urged TO provide relief and
indemnity for the damage to the fishing interests of
Massachusetts by bounty allowance on tonnage
or in such other form viii preserve from destruc-
ton this important branch OF our industry upon
which the very existence OF portion of the people
of the state depends and, to great extent the
prosperity of all its inhabitants.
TIC resolve was passed under suspension of
the rules, and the rules were also suspended so
as to allow it to 90 at once to the house.