Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-02-13
From the State House.
The Peoples Club asain-Othcr Matters
in the House and senate-The RaIlrOad
hill.
Rosrox. Feb. u. 1872

| hours before they started on again The pend
ing amendment of Mr.. Kmball of Boston, that
none of the property of the club shall be ex-
empted from taxation. Mr. Potter of Worees.
ter spoke against the amendment with such
force, that Mr.. Thompson of Gloucester saw fit
to make one of his funniest speeches against the
proposition. Mr.lTbompson dealt largely with
scriptural and pious phrase, and thereby precipi-
tated lay sermon, as Mr.. Towne called it,
from Mr.. Newell Of Boston, who exhorted the
house in true camp meeting style in favor
| of exempting property from taxation for pur-
poses like those of the Peoples club. Mr..
Faxon, of Quincy, replied on the other side, and
then Mr.. Towne, of Fitchburg, gave very clear
| and convincing statement of the reasons which
had induced the committee to report the bill in
its present form. Mr.. Hammond, of Cambridge,
thought that one reason why the property of the
club should not be exempted from taxation
was that it might be used for improper pur-
| poses some time or other-that the rooms might
be filled up with billiard tables, and so forth.
| Mr.. Kimball, of Boston, thinking that his
amendment was likely TO fail, came to its re-
lief, arguing that it was their duty to stop
special legislation iii favor of societies of all
kinds, at once, and then it would
be easy to make a general law. He
| thought that it was not proper to keep
| on granting one favor after another and put off
the question of general law. Mr. Ely, of New
ton, then came up with his hat and coat on his
arm, and moved to lay on the table, until the
general corporation law could be considered,
and the bill went back to the table again.
The house committee on mercantile affairs
this afternoon reported a bill to change the
name of the Parks and Wade carpet company
of Palmer, to the Parks carpet company
Bills were. introduced to empower the city
| of Salem to lay au additional water main,
| from which the towns of Peabody and
Dunvers may be supplied with water
for fire purposes, and to appropriate the "dog
fund" for the support of public libraries and
schools. Among the orders passed. the MAORI
ty OF which related to changes in the general
statutes, was one concerning the appointment
of trial justices, to try inmates of the states
almshouses, and another looking TO the re-enact-
ment of the law granting state aid TO disabled
soldiers and sailors and their families. The
matters not new were disposed of quite rapidly,
the bills relating to the Vermont and Massachu-
sets railroad company and the National iusur-
ance company being passed to a third reading
Mr.. Cogswell Of Yarmouth, again attempted to
prevent the passage of the latter bill, but the
reasons for it, presented by Mr. Barnard, were
| followed up by clear and vigorous speech
| by Mr. Kimb1ll, and the chairman of the
| Judiciary committee was almost alone
| in his opposition when the vote was taken. The
| bills to abolish the state almshouses at Bridge
water and Monson, and to authorize the city of
| Worcester TO fund its floating debt were passed
| to be engrossed, the former being amended so
| that the state pays the expenses of the removal
| of paupers from the various towns to which they
| belong 10 Tewksbury The bill to incorporate
the city of Fitchburg was passed to be engrossed
| and was then reconsidered and laid on the table,
because Mr.. Loring of Fitchburg said it needed
some amendment. The railroad bi Is still on
the table, waiting for the printers to send in
| their copies for the use of the members. | sup
pose the house will stick TO its strongly express
ed purpose to pass the bill in its original shape,
and the immediate appointment of a committee
| OF conference will, therefore be necessary. |
| hear that there is a good deal of excitement in
the bill, and one SENATOR at least, who voted for
the Wakefield amendment, has heard from his
constituents in a way that will deter him from
voting for it again. Therefore, there is still
| ground for hope that the bill will be passed in
proper shape.
Those Unsuitable petitioners, the people of Fall
River, sent in additional petitions to-day in both
branches for their proposed railroad connection
with Mansfield, the new bridge across the
Taunton river, &c. The senate committee on
parishes and religious societies reported bill 10
allow the society for the relief of widows and
orphans of deceased clcrgymen of the Protest.
ant Episcopal church to hold property to the |
amount of fifty thousand dollars. Mr.. Potter of
Arlington introduced bill to allow that town
10 lay out a cemetery. Mr. johnson of South
Boston offered an order, which was adopted,
that the committee on printing consider some
plan for the public printing after the expiration
of the present contract. The contract expires
the present year, and although the
work has been done very satisfac-
torily by the Messrs. Wright & Potter,
they have made good thing of it, and it is a
question in the mind OF some persons whether
the state could not save money by having its
printing done under some other system. Four
of the bills in the senate orders were advanced
one stage, and the other Two, which refer to the
matter of military escorts and the annual cleo
ton sermon, were postponed, and, after ses-
sion Of twenty minutes, the senate adjourned.
THE GREAT Snow SToRNs IN TUE Wren