New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-03
BOSTON TOPICS.
STATE AND CITY MATTERS.

| STATE AND CIt1 MAllEhc
INAUGURATION OF THE NEW GOVERNOR WHAT is
| EXPECTED OF HIM-FHE NEW LEGISLATURE
AND IT'S oFFIcERs-soME OF THE HEAVY TAX
PAYERS OF THE nUB-How THE CITY GOVERN
MRNT OF 1879 DISPOSED OF CERTAIN MATTERS
LOSS OF HoUGHIoN, osGooD co. BY TIE
LATE FIRE.
| tFROMAN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSEI
BosToN. Jan. 1.-Our new Governor will probably
| be naugurated on Thursday Of next week, the day
| after the Legislature meets Whatever doubt there
may be the matter grows out of the inability OF
any one to tell just how long the Legislature will
be in getting organized and ready 70 receive the in
coming Executive. Years ago it always took two
or three DAYS to accomplish this preliminary work.
and though the Legislature annually assemblies on
Wednesday, the Inauguration has frequently not
| taken place until the Saturday following.
| Indeed one of our recent Governors was 80
superstitous that he would not begin his
| term on a Friday. and no persuasion on
the part of the legislative committee could induce
him to take the oath of Office that day. Governor
| William b. Washburn was man so little given to
fuss and feathers and so anxious to get at business
as soon possible that he induced the legislators
to do their preliminary work in one day and since
| his time, seven or eight years ago, our solemn
| festivities consequent upon the making OF a new
chief magistrate have generally occurred on Thurs
certain to be one that our people will like AT
once q scholar and man of affairs, be
| has good of the situation at
any given time and O neat way of saying
what lie wishes to say. Mr.. Long has heretofore
shown great tact and discretion in dealing with
men aud public affairs, and the situation here now
is such that he will have abundant opportunity for
the exercise of the largest wisdom. Everybody ex-
| pecs at his hands clean and an honorable dis
charge of the duties to the performance OF which be
| has been called.
The incoming Legislature IS largely made up OK
new men. OF the 30 men in the Senate, only is
were there last year, while out of the 240 members
of the House less thanr70 assisted IN the work of
| last Winter OF course there are a number
| of persons in each branch who. without being
members in 1879, have seen service in previous
| years but considerably more than half the whole
| $50 who are to make laws for us this year
| will now take the oath Of Office for the
first time. The Senate appears to be COM
| posed of gentlemen of fair ability. with not
more than three or four whose reputation can
| have extended beyond our own borders and it will
| probably prove to be an easy-gong and conserva-
tive body. The ablest men Of the year are by all
odds in the House. and that branch is likely TO be
the scene of some brilliant and noteworthy debates,
though one can never be quite how the new
| q
| for the first time into the environment of legis-
lative hall The Senate is toerably sure to choose
| as its presiding officer the Hon Robert B. Bishop
! LAWYER living in Newton but having his office
| i'm this city, who was chairman of the
| famous Retrencbment Committee OF last Winter,
and is without stain reprOach whether as clti-
zen or an official. For the Speabership of rhe House
there are half a dozen candida es and 1t IS as yet
impossible to forecast who viii win the prize. The
clerks and sergeant-a.-arms of last year will be
elected without serious opposition from any quarter
The senior member of the House this year as last
! viii be John 5. Baker, the Butler leader Of the
Greenback forces in the late campaign. Buffers
| Democratic friend and partner. Colonel Jonas H.
French, is one of the reelected Senators; and
Colonel Eben T. Stone. chairman Of the Republican
| State Central Committee, reappears in the House.
One of the fresh subjects OF town talk is the list
of heavy taxpayers published by The Herald a few
DAYS ago. There were not near so many million
mares and halfmiliOnnaires in it as folks felt 1t
should contain. Probably gentlemen OF that class
are not 50 numerous in any city as the puOhc would
| like to believe Then readers perhaps do not
know or fail OF the moment to recall that here cor
poration taxes are paid to tho State, that
bank stock is taxed through the banks. and
that Government bonds wholly exempt.
| Moreover in large number of eases only part of
| mind gentleman of National reputation, who is
| everywhere spoken OF as n resident Of Boston; be
| and bis wife are assessed here for only $4,000.
| but in one of the outlying towns they pay on
1927 900 more. Besides ITS vast possessions In Bos
ton the sears family has real estate valued at three
quarters of million of dollars in Brookllne where
also certain members Of the Lawrence family are
assessed tor over million addition TO their
| three-quarters of q million IN Boston.
This Boston taX-Ist contains only twenty-five
firm rEnrf ny
| city tax on over million of dollars, with seventy
| more who pay on from half million TO million
| The heaviest individual taxpayer Is young Mont
gomery Sears,who returns valuation OF - 0o0,0oO
| The next largest Is Moses Williams, elghly-nlne
years old one day last week, who lists S2OSl, oOo
on which 10 spend his remaining days Inc Two
maiden Wgglesworth sisters pay on valuation Oi
S1,1O0,0OO; Harvey j.. Parker OF the famous
hotel II Schools con ie - 600 80 IT,
he may have out IN Quincy Moses a. DOW VINO
used 10 run The WarTly tdgd-lRe and does yet Tor
auQht | know has laId by the snug sum OF
S725. 600 (; John A. Lowell known in Europe as
well IN America for his connection WIN the
Lowell Institute, pays an individual TAX on
$ji1 600 and jolnt tax with another member Oh
the family on $4,000 mOrej Harvard Coilege
values its Boston property alone at So93,90o; Otls
Norcross an hOnored eXMayor OF the city, fCrmelly
in the crockery trade. pays on $592. 900; lawyer
Sidney BARTLETT whose ght TO be named aS the head
OF our bar few will dispute on $539,3OO mer-
chant George c. Richardson, well enough known TO
business circles III New-York, on $51O.30O lDdi-
| yidually eN-Mayor and eX-COngresslnan Henry IL
Pierce about S4OO,OOO, Wnlch OF course uo's no'
include his estate in the country; Walter Hastings
who died in October and LETT nearly thTee,guddeis
"f n million 10 Harvard returned only $iOl 600 TO
the Boston assessors last Spring: Uriah A. boyden,
The eccentric turbine water-wheel man, who died last
SIMMER and left half million TO be expended by
Professor W. b. Rogers anu associate trustees IN u
scientific investigation of the properties OF
caioricand the phcnOmeDa relating thereto
dgmres in the Boston tax list for only 100000 !;
while the iust-buried Erastus b. Bicelow, of car
pet-loom fame, had property here valued at
S2Sl, O00 besides the great estate out AZ clinton,
The CITY Government of 1879 is diving with as
much grace and propriety as anyone had right 10
axncct n wouId show when the hour of dissolution
| M. dokt ~ Roston decrpa Spn Nl7- 300