New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-01
TOPICS IN THREE CITIES.
BOSTON,.
BUTLER OUTWTTrED-TAXATIO OF MORT
GAGGED LANDS-RMLROAD CONoOLiDA-
rlON
ny TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE !

| GAGGED LANDS-RAlLROAD CONoOLIDA-
| TlON.
| lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
| BOsTON. March 81. This week has been an ex-
! citing round in the battle between Butler and the
ancient resp,ctability of Massachusetts, and ends
with the Governor sent grass 30 heavily that 1t is
| hard to see how he can come up smiling in good
wind at his side set-to for Billy Sprague's bone
fit in Rhode Island tonight. Tine Governor
led off Monday with the publication of
his correspondence with his rejected nominee for
| Insurance Commissioner. Mr.. Plympt0n begs the
Governor not to embarrass himself further with his
candidacy; Butler vows that he never VIII with
| draw "A man so pure, patient, so precisely tine
savior for the widows and the fatheress whose re-
| lance Is threaten by the general and proverblal
rascaliy in the insurance business that he tPlymp-
| toni alone lat present small reparer of watches
| and jewelry in Worcester, where he made himself
dear to Butler a few years ago by executing the
"burglarIzatonr of the Democratic Convention,
| can ferret out and bring to naught
The loud smile at this powder-boat e1-
plosion had already subsidized before the
| judiciary Committee of the Senate, by
Senator Bruce brought his scathing report on the
Governors veto of the SOmeryille Land aud Wharf
Improvement Company's act ofincorporation. This
report is quite rs extra ordinary IN It's way as the
veto which il covers with rdIcule and can only be
justified on the plea of " answering fool accord
ing his folly" 1t rebukes the Governor for call
Ing the Legislature careless and negligent; exposes
bis bluDders in law. fact and common sense advises
him before citing the Roman emperors and Magma
Charta again to avail himself of the State Library
convenient to his room in the State House
shows that the land which the Governor pretends
he wishes to save for cheap homes will never be
available for such purposes till some corporation
levels the ira cts now unusabe heights to fill up Its
now tide washed flats, and concludes with the de-
| monstration from the history of Massachusetts
cities that land companies, instead of being land
| monopolisrs, have been the great distributors OF
| landed propertv Buffers shallow and vulgar char
| latanry was never more thoroughly or reentlessy
exposed than in this official document, and he has
never suffered more conspicuous dlstllusonlzlng
| and defeat since Big Bethel. To be out-swaggered
and ut-buIlied will be fatal TO him among his sup
porters The answer to the report made in the form
| OF a beatcd minority report laboring heavily
through two columns in law and logic, only deepens
The impression that the Governor is wOrsted and at
bay.
furry has been caused by the aIl-but-unanimous
report OF the Taxation Committee of the Legislature
| in favor of restoring "dOuble taxltlon" OF mort
| gagged property-that is, taxing both mortgageor
aud mortgage for the same property. In spite OF
| the apparently unanimous wish of the community
and the certainly unanimous voice of the press, and
III face of the demonstration from the
brief experience with the new law
that borrowers are gaining reduced rates
of interest this retrogressve action is proposed.
The rapacious instinct bred by their occupation IN
the assessors and the corrupt influence OF the great
body of moncy-lenders who egaded taxation alto
gether under the former law, are charged with
having secured the packing of the committee for
their purpose.
The proposed lease of the Eastern Railroad to the
Boston and Maine Railroad has been ratified by
great maiories of the stock of both corporations,
notwithstanding the strenuous opposition of
minority of the stockholders ably led by
Colonel Jonas II. French. Colonel French
re presents an interest in the New-York and
Ncw-EnglaDd Railroad behind which IS suppo sed
to be the ubiquitous Jay Gould. The New York
and New-Engand has a Pennsylvania Railroad
alliance and its terminus Is but short ferrIage
from the Eastern. a grand through line from Maine
and the British provinces to the great Pennsyl-
yana system is the dream. The Elstern's prop
erie, and mileage are so much more valuable and
impor ant intrinscaly than the Boston and Names,
which has pgospcrcd by snug and even mean
economies, that many well-iniormed railroad men
still believe that the lease project Will eyentuate
in a consolidation that vii recognize the Eastern
to be q G-pcr-cen- paving stock or endless litigation
that viii make it worth nothing
4 new effort on a reduced scheme is to be made to
compete the Longlelow memorial. The proposed
outlay is row get at $j0,0OO-about "A quarter
of the amount originally and half the amount sub
seauently named. The children of the poet have
10 turned III the Land free to the association. The
ST. Botolph Gibbs visitors from the Century Club
Of New.York. did Cambridge yesterday, ard were
entertained at tie Country Club well Us at the
ST. Eotoiph.