The Portland daily press., 1883-07-21
MASSACHUSETTS.
The Tewkspury Reports.

Boston, July 2o.-The Tewksbury reports
were submitted to the Legislature al 245 to.
day. All the Republicans signed the majority
report aud all the Democrats the minority.
The majority report reviews at great length
the evidence given before the investigating
committee, and concludes substantially as fol-
lows:
We pronounce the main charges OF His Ex-
cellency the Governor groundless and cruel
The question of infant mortality was an old
one well settled, as every body knew. The de-
livery of dead bodies under the law was under
the control of the trustees and superintendent,
aud auy irregularity should have been reme-
died by them without publicity if proof there
Of had been furnished, and the people who ee
proud OF this commonw ealth would have been
saved from the shame and humiliation so reck-
lessy and needessly brought upon them.
Surely the truth should have been ascertained
before making such awful charges. Our order
was to investigate the other institutions, but
We have heard no cause of complaint and had
no time TO devote to them. We made an ordi-
uary tour OF inspection and found them in
good condition. We commend TO the Legisla-
ture aud to the people all our public and char
table institutions still worthy OF this an
cent commonwealth, although III the language
Of one OF His Excellency's distinguished pre-
decessors They are constantly requiring
changes to meet the recurring exigencies and
demands OF progressive philanthropy"
Your committee desire TO place upon record
tn6lf StrOug ulsdppGODaLlOu OF some Things SAID
and done by the Governor during the course of
this hearing. We pass by the insults to the
COMMITTEES and their chairman who presided
at this hearing by invitation of the regular
chairman with the consent of the committee;
also, the reference in the clearing out of this
State House by his veteran comrades and con-
slider graver things His excellency
announced the first evening of the
hearing that he had not come into
the case with backing brush, but IN contra
vention OF this assertion the committee quotes
all the indelicacies which he has given utter
snce to during the investigation and say in
retrospection, ''Your committee blushed for
the commonwealth and turned away in
amazement But worse than these was his
(the G0vernor'e) portentous reference to the
French revelation. Can 1t be possible that the
people of this commonwealth are slumbering
npon such a volcano as burst upon the people
OF France in 1879 whose are to be kiudled be-
cause four reckless medical students have
caused to be tanned for their own purposes
few pieces of human skin. Is this the whole
his excellency means when he says we must
see that the wheel does not go round once
again? We have examined the 5000 pages of
testimony in this case with solicitude to be
just, just to the managers OF the almshouse,
just to his excellency who made the charges
and conducted the prosecution, and above all
just TO the commonwealth whose servants we
are.
(Signed) ONsLow GILMORE.
IN EDWARD L. BoRING,
On part Of the Senate.
GEO. Il. LEONARD,
ROGER WALCoTT.
~ GEO d. CHAMBERLAIN,
WILLIAM CHESTER,
LYMAN X. PUTNEy,
On part of House.
The report of the minority claims that by
the technical rules of law adopted by the COM
mittee in the investigation, much important
testimony was excluded, but the evidence sub
mitted leads tlAm to believe three OF the trus-
tee-Nourse, Elliott and Spaulding--have been
unfaithful to their trust; that the retention of
Marsh in his Place all these years has been
simply crime, for which these trustees are
mainly responsible. They are also OF
| the opinion that the State Board of
| Health, Lunaoy and Charity cannot
| evade responsibility in the matter
| 1t has been proven that inmates we're mall
| treated and the institution in all respects
| grossly mismanaged, and the report details
| under appropriate heads the testimony relative
| TO mismaDagement OF the institution. The
system OF bookkeeping in vogue Ia strongly
| condemned as inadequate, unbusiness-like and
calculated to conceal fraud and peculations
The testimony is cumulative to an overwhelm-
| ing degree, that infants, foundlings and those
born OF patients and inmates, were purposely
| poisoned and wilfully neglected to starve 70
death, and the death rate OF infants is OF tsell
| conclusion of the blacklist guilt. Those in
| charge OF rhis department of the almshoust
are cuipsble In the highest degree and indct
| able Tor iniauticide The report is signed by
| Messrs. Mellen of Worcester, Murphy of Bos
ton, Fuller of Springfield, and Risteep of Bos
ton.