Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-03-28
From the State House.
The Exodus of Edward Crane - The
Head Money, bill Killed in the House
A HOOsac Tunnel Suggestion.


BosToN, March 81, 1872.
The railroad committee which will close out
its business and make its final report tomorrow,
was hospitable enough to give Mr.. Edward
| Crane iual chance TO be heard this morning
in behalf of his Boston and Portland railway
trust bill. This is one of Cranes old halucina-
tons. Three or four times during the session
the committee have assigned a day for the hear
ing, and the petitioner has failed to appear and
left the committee unemployed. To-day Cranes
counsel appeared and said that in view of the
verdict of the committee on Cranes reliability,
they had thought best to say nothing more about
it, So the committee reported leave to withdraw
this afternoon in the senate-where the bill was
| offered.
The railway committee also reported leave to
withdraw on the petition of the Fitchburg rail-
road company for leave to change the location
of its station at Belmont and reported bill to
authorize the Hoyoke and Bechertown railroad
company to cross the Connecticut river railroad
at grade, to connect with the Massachusetts,
Central or New London and Northern railroad,
and TO unite with either of these roads or the
Holyoke and Westted road. Mr.. Whitney of
Winchendon, from the committee on manutac-
lures, reported bill to secure uniformity of the
taxation of reservoirs, providing that reservoirs
for mill power shall be assessed at a valuation
not exceeding the valuation of the land before
howage.
The bill to authorize the city Of Worcester to
lay out street over the land of the lunatic hos
pital, the resolve in fayori of the town of
Blackstone, the resolutions relating TO the
transfer of the public lands of the
United States to corporations, and the bill to
provide for the leasing and location of railroads
and for the connection of railroads of different
gauges were passed to be eugrossed. The bill
for the preservation of public bridges, and the
| resolutions in reference to opening Indian terri
tory TO settlement were rejected. The general
street railway bill was passed to be engrossed
with an amendment making all existing cor
porations amenabe to its provisions.
The "head money bill, as it is generally
known, or "the bill relating to alien passengers, )"
as it is called in legal terms, was defeated in the
| house this afternoon after debate, which GOV
| cred the general subject of the admission of i'm
| migrants at this port and the question of the
value of the "wise" opinions of the Boston board
of trade. To the surprise of E. II. Derby, the
counsel of the parties interested in getting the
bill adopted, and the entire lobby force, the bill
was rejected, IS 10 90, on yea and nay vote
Mr.. Ely of Newton made an adroit and telling
speech against the measure, the effect of which
Messrs. Cogswel, Quincy and others tried in
vain to break. Unless reconsideration is car
ried tomorrow, which may be attempted, the
movement to tax the commonwealth TO the
amount of $4,000 for the benefit of the Cunard
| steamship company, is again a failure Per-
| haps the British secretary of the Boston board
| of trade may meet with better luck IN the legis-
lature of 1873. Boston, of course, voted sody
for the bill, so did Fitchburg Worcester went
unanimously against it.
Another important matter, the bill to author
ize the city of Springfield to subscribe II per
cent of its valuation TO the Atho and Enfield
railroad, was postponed until tomorrow. This
bill is opposed by the Springfield city officials,
who, in the name of that city, are demonstrating
strongly against it, as the people of that city do
not feel like having such large liberty of railroad
appropriations.
The committees reporting to the house turned
out host of matters to-day, which will 20 to
|
the important bills brought in were an act au-
tborizing railroad companies to hold merchan-
die as a lien upon freight charges; an act au-
thorizing the Nashua, Acton and Boston rail-
road TO make connection with the Fitchburg
railroad in Concord, independent Of the Lowell
and Framingham road; an act prohibiting the
employment Of minors under the age OF eighteen
years, more than ten hours day in factories !:
an act Tor the prevention of FIRE in cities and
to"ns' providing for the inspection of materials.
&C. an act TO limit the term of service of iurors
in Suffolk county to thirty DAYS. an act pro.
hioiting members of city governments or Off.
GERS appointed by them from having any inter.
est in city contracts and an act providing for
the appointment of harbor master M FaIl
River, besides several other bills Of local i'm.
portance only. The petitioners for the annexa.
ton of Brighton to Boston are referred to tbe
next general court.
The lively interest taken 10 the Hoosac tun.
mel Of late by certain parties and the projected
consolidation line between Troy and Boston Is
worthy Of note. Every one agrees that the com
monwealth, having spent several millions of the
peoples money in completing the tunnel
should not lose Its control over this Hoosac
gateway BY this enterprise, when finished, The
STATE viii open the way 10 a reduction in the
gosl Of transportation between Massachusetts
quo the west, which will all tend TO our general
prosperity as state The people should see to