The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1882-02-23

Millions In Flames.
Haverhlll, Massachusetts,, was visited by q
terrific and destructive confagration on the
18th inst, placing the losses on property up in
the millions. The fire originated at midnight
in Endicot q Arnold's sole leather establish
ment, and spread with such fearful rapidity
among the wooden buildings adjoining that
the Fire Department was helpless in
its effort to stay the flames. Assistance
was asked from the surrounding towns Of An
dover, Lowell, Newburyport, Lawrence, and
other places, and engines were at once dis
patched to the scene of confagration, but SO
rapidly did the flames spread that in two and
half hours fully ten acres of the town had been
burned out, embracing the chief business
portions Of the city, all thickly built.
The Smith block, Finney flock, Tilton
block. the Prescott bnilding, Bishop building,
Union block, and Coffin building, on Washing
ton street, and the Pieling building on wingate
street are among the ruins. So brilliant were
the flames that they were visible for distance
of thirty miles, and plainly distinguishable
from Boston. 1t is not known at this writing
whether there has been any loss of life;
but that there has been there is scarcely any
doubt. The area consumed is estimated
at ten acres, and the loss is put at $4,000, 900
and upwards. The population of Haverhill,
as returned in the census of 1880, is 18, 478,
being an increase of 1886 during the ten pre-
ceding years, anda more prosperous little city
perhaps was not to be found in Massachusetts,
Edmund's Anti.PolyEamy BilI.
Senator Edmund's anti-polygamy bill, which
passed the Senate, differs from the Burrows
bill, passed by the House, in that it makes
polygamy a penal offense, dispossesses the
polygamist office-holder and disfranchises the
polygamy voter, while the Burrows bill renders
polygamists ineligible to election to Congress-
The action of the Senate goes beyond that of
the House, whose bill it will probably adopt
when it shall come up for consideration.
The House said men like Cannon,
| of Utah, shall not sit in Congress.
The Senate says then likewise Cannon shal
neither vote nor hold any Federal office. Thel
contest in the Senate, in which Hoar, Ed
munds, and Bayard supported the bill, and Vest,
Morgan and others opposed it, arose over the
disqualification sections. After prescribing pen
alties for polygamy and disqualifying polyga-
mists as jurors when polygamy is the issue to
be tried, the bill provides for amnesty
to those polygamists, and for legitimatiz-
ing their issue. Then, in its seventh section, it
provides that no polygamist, bigamist or any
person cohabiting with more than one woman,
and no woman cchabiting with any of the per-
sons described in any Territory or other place
over which the United States have exclusive
Jurisdiction, shall be entitled to vote at any
election held in any such Territory or other
place, or be eligible for election or appointment
to or be entitled to hold any office or place OF
public trust, honor or emolument in under
or for any said Territory or place or under
the United States. The Eighth Section of the
bill vacstes all the reglsteration of election of.
fees in the Territory of Utah and provides
that their duties shall be performed by com.
mission of five, composed of members of bott
parties appointed by the President, until
Legislative Assembly, to be elected under thei1
directions, shall provide for the election of new
men. These provisions Morgan, Vest and Others
insisted we're unconstitutional, but q majority
of the Senate, which included its ablest lawyers
disagreed with them.