MASSACHUSETTS. 



483 



spects, in excellent condition, and the superintendent 

 conscientiously endeavoring, under very trying cir- 

 cumstances, to promote the welfare ol' those under his 

 charge ; and, although the discipline is strict as the 

 Jaw requires, and in some cases unnecessarily severe, 

 we do not consider that it has been, or that it will be, 

 either brutal or cruel. 



A change in the discipline of this institution was 

 contemplated as soon as the new building should be 

 occupied, and we believe the suggestions herein of- 

 fered will render any special legislation unnecessary. 

 We, therefore, report that the accompanying bill 

 ought not to pass. 



Three members of the committee joined in 

 a report in which the discipline of the institu- 

 tion was discussed and condemned, and legisla- 

 tion favored. The Chairman of the Committee 

 on the part of the House made a separate re- 

 port, and submitted two bills, one providing 



for a new Board of Trustees, and the other 

 declaring that corporal punishment should be 

 inflicted only under such rules and by such 

 methods as should be prescribed by the Trus- 

 tees and by direction of the Superintendent, 

 and that in every case a record of the offense 

 and the mode and extent of the punishment 

 should be made and presented to the Trustees. 

 The latter of these was passed. 



The Danvers Hospital investigation related 

 to the expense involved in the construction of 

 that institution. A majority of the committee 

 reported that there had been no "jobbery." 

 but there was evidencce of bad judgment and 

 extravagance. They recommended that the 

 hospital be turned over to a Board of Trustees 

 to have charge of its management, who should 



MATTHEWS HALL (SHOWING ALSO MASSACHUSETTS, HARVARD, AND HOLMS HALLS), CAMBRIDGE. 



also attend to the completion of the building. 

 The minority of the committee justified the 

 action of the commissioners and favored leav- 

 ing the completion of the work in their hands. 

 A bill passed both Houses in accordance with 

 the recommendation of the majority, turning 

 the institution over to the Board of Trustees 

 in its unfinished condition, but it was defeated 

 by a veto of the Governor. A bill, however, 

 became a law, authorizing the appointment of 

 a Board of five Trustees, to take charge of the 

 government of the institution and all work 

 upon it after the completion of existing con- 

 tracts. 



A Commission for revising the Judiciary Sys- 

 tem of the State, appointed by authority of the 

 previous Legislature, made a report suggesting 

 a variety of changes. The only one adopted 

 at this session gave general equity jurisdiction 

 to the Supreme Court. 



Among the important laws enacted during 



the session, was one abolishing the coroner sys- 

 tem, and providing for separate medical exam- 

 inations and legal investigations in cases of 

 death from unknown causes. This provided 

 for medical examiners in each county, with 

 fixed salaries, to make inquiries into the cause 

 of death, and to notify the District Attorney 

 or justice of the local court in case it has re- 

 sulted from violence. The court is then to 

 prosecute the judicial portion of the investiga- 

 tion, and report when, where, and by what 

 means the death was caused. The justice is 

 also required to issue process for arrest of the 

 person cliarged in his report with the commis- 

 sion of violence, if ho is not already in custody. 

 An amendment of the election law was made, 

 requiring that when the right of a person to vote 

 is challenged, his ballot shall be received, with 

 his name and residence signd to it, and also 

 that of the person making the challenge. An 

 act was passed establishing an Advisory Board 



