476 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



person known to be a drunkard, to an intoxi- 

 cated person, or to a minor; no disorder, pros- 

 titution, or gambling, shall be permitted on the 

 premises. Licenses are of five classes : To^sell 

 liquor of any kind to be drunk on the premises, 

 the fee for which shall not be less than $100 

 or more-than $1,000 ; to sell malt liquors, cider, 

 and light wines, to be drunk on the premises, 

 fee $50 to $250 ; to sell malt liquors and cider 

 only to be drunk on the premises, fee $50 to 

 $250; to sell liquor of any kind not to be 

 drunk on the premises, fee $50 to $500, but 

 not less than $300 for distillers ; to sell malt 

 liquors, cider, and light wines, not to be drunk 

 on the premises, fee $50 to $150 for venders, 

 and $200 to $400 for brewers. A bond is re- 

 quired in the sum of $1,000, with sufficient 

 sureties for the fulfillment of all the require- 

 ments of the law, and severe penalties are pro- 

 vided for its violation. Persons selling liquor 

 are made liable for damages caused by persons 

 intoxicated by it, and are also subject to penal- 

 ties for selling liquor to any one in the habit 

 of drinking to excess when requested not to do 

 so by the husband, wife, parent, child, guardian, 

 or employer, of such person. Provision is 

 made for the appointment of an inspector and 

 assayer to make analyses and determine the 

 purity of liquors offered for sale. Cities are 

 authorized to delegate the duties of the mayor 

 and aldermen, in the matter of granting licen- 

 ses, to a Board of Commissioners. This act 

 took effect on the 1st of May. 



An act to provide for the management of 

 the Hoosac Tunnel and the Troy & Greenfield 

 Eailroad, and for other purposes, was approved 

 March 30th, and went into immediate effect. 

 This provided for the appointment of a mana- 

 ger on behalf of the Commonwealth to take 

 charge of the Hoosac Tunnel aud the Troy & 

 Greenfield Railroad. He was to have full 

 charge of the property on the expiration of 

 the charter of the corporation previously in 

 charge, July 1st, and make monthly reports ot 

 his doings. All connecting roads were to be 

 allowed to use the tunnel and the Troy & 

 Greenfield Railroad, on the payment of just and 

 reasonable tolls, to be prescribed by the Gov- 

 ernor and Council. The sale of the property 13 

 prohibited in this act. 



Another important act of the session regu- 

 lates and limits municipal indebtedness. This 

 requires cities and towns to assess taxes each 

 year sufficient to cover all appropriations and 

 expenditures, and with certain specified ex- 

 ceptions prohibits them from incurring debt, 

 except in the form of temporary loans in anti- 

 cipation of the taxes of the year and the next 

 year ensuing, made payable therefrom by a 

 vote of the city or town. Debts other than 

 such temporary loans can be incurred only by 

 a two-thirds vote of the legal voters of a town, 

 or of both branches of the city council of a 

 city, and must be paid in ten years, special 

 taxes being levied to provide for such pay- 

 ment; provided that debts incurred for the 



construction of general sewers may be made 

 payable in twenty years, and those for supply- 

 ing pure water in thirty years, with provision 

 for an adequate sinking-fund. 



The powers and duties of the Sinking Fund 

 Commissioners, which must be chosen in such 

 cases, are specifically laid down and the meth- 

 ods prescribed for raising a fund sufficient to 

 liquidate the indebtedness within the required 

 time. No city or town shall hereafter become 

 indebted to an amount exceeding three per 

 cent, on the valuation of its taxable property, 

 and where such indebtedness already exceeds 

 five per cent, on the valuation, a sinking-fund 

 shall be established at once, sufficient for its 

 liquidation in thirty years. The payment of 

 debts at an earlier period than provided for in 

 this act is expressly authorized, and the re- 

 strictions of the act are declared not to exempt 

 any city or town from the payment of any 

 debt contracted for any purpose for which such 

 city or town may lawfully expend money. 



The limit of municipal indebtedness is also 

 made exclusive of debts created for supplying 

 pure water, and subscriptions lawfully made 

 to the capital stock or securities of railroad 

 corporations. Authority is given to the Su- 

 preme Court to compel compliance with the 

 provisions of the act. 



Among the other acts of the session was one 

 providing for the appointment of three agents 

 to make contracts for the improvement, sale, 

 or use of the Commonwealth lands, known as 

 the Flats, in South Boston ; one establishing 

 the city of Pittsfield and providing for its gov- 

 ernment, subject to acceptance by a majority 

 vote of the people of the town within two 

 years ; one authorizing the appointment of 

 three commissioners by the government of the 

 city of Boston, to locate one or more public 

 parks for that city, acquire the lands therefor, 

 and lay out, improve, and regulate the same ; 

 one to reorganize the School Committee of Bos- 

 ton, making it to consist of twenty-four mem- 

 bers elected from the city at large, instead of 

 six from each of the twenty-four wards ; and 

 one making the number of Associate Justices 

 of the Superior Court ten instead of nine. 

 Constitutional amendments were proposed, to 

 be approved by the next Legislature, and then 

 submitted to the people for ratification, which 

 provide that sheriffs, district attorneys, and 

 clerks of courts, shall be appointed by the Gov- 

 ernor, instead of being elected by the people. 



Early in the session Henry L. Dawes was 

 elected to the United States Senate for the full 

 term of six years from the 4th of March, to 

 succeed William B. Washburn, who was elect- 

 ed in 1874 to fill the vacancy caused by the 

 death of Charles Sumner. 



The political campaign of the year was one 

 of uncommon interest. The Republicans had 

 been defeated in 1874 in consequence of the 

 nomination of Mr. Talbot, who was identified 

 with the policy of the prohibition of all sale 

 of intoxicating liquors, and who was nominated 



