JOURNAL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Cnmimmtalilj of Passatutto. 1875. PRINTED ISY ORDER OF THE HOUSE. BOSTON: WEIGHT & POTTER, STATE PRINTERS, 79 MILK STREET (CORNER OF FEDERAL). JOURNAL. The ninety-sixth General Court of the Commonwealth Preliminary of Massachusetts convened at the State House in Boston, 01saniz'ltK,n- on the first Wednesday in January, being the sixth day thereof, in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and seventy-five, and of the independence of the United States of America the ninety-ninth. And the members- elect of the House of Representatives having assembled in the Representatives' chamber, were called to order at 11 o'clock, A. M., by Mr. Thomas F. Plunkett, of Pitts- field, the senior member present. By request of the presiding officer, prayer was offered by the Rev. F. G. Morris, of Watertown, a member of the House. On motion of Mr. Blunt of Haverhill,— Ordered, That a committee of five bo appointed, to inform the Secretary of the Commonwealth that the House has been called to order. Messrs. Blunt, Blaney of Peabody, Currier of New- buryport, Winn of Burlington, and Bowker of Boston, were appointed the committee. Thereupon, the Secretary transmitted to the House a list of all the persons returned as representatives, with the original certificates of their election, which had been returned to his office, there being a vacancy in the Fifth Franklin District. On motion of Mr. Perkins of Boston,— Ordered, That a committee of six be appointed, to collect the certificates of election held by the members- elect, and ascertain whether a quorum of the House is present. Messrs. Perkins of Boston, Hawlies of Lynn, Bos- worth of Taunton, Bowman of Somerville, Osgood of Salem, and Cushing of Cambridge, were appointed the committee. Subsequently, Mr. Perkins of the committee reported that a quorum was present. Organization. On motion of Mr. Codman of Boston,— Ordered, That a committee be appointed to wait upon His Honor, the Lieutenant-Governor, and inform him that a quorum of the House is assembled, and that the mem- bers are ready to be qualified. Messrs. Codman, Noble of "VVestfield, Fairbanks of Natick, Carleton of Haverhill, Rice of "Worcester, and Pierce of Milton, were appointed. Mr. Codman, of the committee, afterwards reported that they had waited upon the Lieutenant-Governor, and that he would forthwith attend upon the House. Oaths adminis- Soon afterwards, His Honor the Lieutenant-Governor, tered. with the Council and the Secretary of the Commonwealth came in, and the oaths and affirmations required by the Constitution and the laws were administered by His Honor to the members present, and subscribed by them; after which the Lieutenant-Governor, the Council and the Sec- retary withdrew. On motion of Mr. Ilale of Boston,— speaker elected. Ordered, That a committee of six be appointed, to receive, sort and count the votes for Speaker. Messrs. Hale, Boynton of Westborough, Cummings of Somerville, Williams of Brookline, Knapp of Lowell, and Estabrook of Worcester, were appointed. Mr. Hale, from the committee, afterwards reported as follows :— Whole number of votes, .... 230 Necessary for a choice, . .116 John E. Sanford of Taunton,.... 161 Thomas F. Plunkett of Pittsfield, ... 69 And Mr. Sanford having been elected, declaration was made accordingly, and the Speaker was conducted to the chair by a committee consisting of Messrs. Baker of Beverly and Seaver of Boston. On motion of Mr. Tyler of Lowell,— Clerk elected. Ordered, That a committee of six be appointed, to receive, sort and count the votes for Clerk. Messrs. Tyler, Fitz Gerald of Boston, Hall of Dracut, White of Williamstown, Hey wood of Concord, and Athy of Worcester, were appointed. Mr. Tyler, from the committee, afterwards reported as follows : Whole number of votes, . 231 Necessary for a choice, . 116 George A. Harden of Lowell, 162 E. H. Luther, of Worcester, . 68 William S. Eobinsoii of Maiden, 1 And Mr. Marden, having been elected, was conducted to the Council chamber by a committee cousisting of Mr. Codman of Boston. And having been qualified by tak- ing the oaths required, report was made accordingly to the House, and the Clerk entered upon the discharge of his duties. A message was received from the Senate, announcing senate organ- that that branch had been organized by the election oflzcd' George 1!. Loring, of the Second Essex District, as Pres- ident, and Stephen N. Gifford, of Duxbury, as Clerk. On motion of Mr. Knox of Lawrence,— Ordered, That a committee of five be appointed to Senate notified, inform the Senate that the House has been organized by the election of a Speaker and Clerk. Messrs. Knox, Pope of Boston, Newhall of Lynn, Lewis of Fairhaven, and Johnson of Nahant, were appointed. Mr. Knox, of the committee, afterwards reported that they had attended to that duty. On motion of Mr. Phillips of Salem,— Ordered, That a committee of five be appointed to Governor noti- inform the Governor and Council that the House has been organized by the election of a Speaker and Clerk. Messrs. Phillips, Coveney of Cambridge, Savage of Taunton, Coifin of Winchester, aud Curtis of Marl- borough, were appointed. Mr. Phillips, from the committee, afterwards reported that they had attended to that duty. On motion of Mr. Rust of Boston,— Ordered, That when the House adjourns, it adjourn to Hour of meet- meet to-morrow, at 11 o'clock, A. M., and that that be the ing' hour of meeting until otherwise ordered. On motion of Mr. Pierce of Maiden,— Ordered, That a committee of six be appointed to re- Sergeant-at- ceive, sort and count the votes for Sergeant-at-arms. Messrs. Pierce, Keith of Bridgewater, Ilallett of Chat- ham, Goodspeed of Barnstable, Stebbins of Chelsea, and Phinney of Plymouth, were appointed. Mr. Pierce of Maiden, from the committee, afterwards reported as follows :— Whole number of votes, .... 237 Necessary for a choice, . .119 D. J. Gorman of Boston, .... 63 John Morissey of Plymouth, .... 72 O. F. Mitchell of Bridgewater, ... 102 And there was no choice. On motion of Mr. Noble of Westfield, the House pro- ceeded to another ballot, with the following result:— Whole number of votes, . .231 Necessary for a choice, . .116 D. J. Gorman of Boston, .... 42 John Morissey of Plvmouth, .... 53 O. F. Mitchell of Bridgewater, ... 136 And Mr. Mitchell was declared elected on the part of the House. A message was received from the Senate, announcing that O. F. Mitchell, of Bridgewater, had been elected Sergeant-at-arms on the part of that branch. Mr. Pierce of Maiden was appointed a committee to inform the Senate of the election of O. F. Mitchell as Sergeant-at-arms on the part of the House. On motion of Mr. Connell of Boston,— Chaplain. Ordered, That to-morrow, at half past 11 o'clock, A. M., be assigned for the election of Chaplain. On motion of Mr. Kimball of Boston,— Rules and or- Ordered, That the rules and orders of the last House ders. be adopted for the government of this House until other- wise ordered. Also, that the members of the joint committee on rules and orders, on the part of the House, prepare rules and orders for the government of the House. Papers from the Senate. Ordered, In concurrence, that a committee be ap- pointed, to be joined, to prepare rules and orders for the Oirovernmcu t of the two branches. Messrs. Lime, Verry and Win slow having been ap- pointed by the Senate, Messrs. Kimball of Boston, Phil- lips of Salem, Codman of Boston, Blunt of Haverhill, Rice of Worcester, Pierce of Milton, and Ivnox of Law- rence, were joined on the part of the House. Ordered, In concurrence, that the returns of votes for votes for Gov. Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Secretary of the Com- ernor'etc' monwealth, Treasurer and Receiver-General, Auditor and Attorney-General, be referred to a joint special com- mittee, consisting of Messrs. Harwood, Toland and Fitz of the Senate, and Messrs. Plunkett of Pittsfield, Robin- son of Falmouth, Mitchell of Nantucket, Lewis of Fair- haven, Allen of Walpole, Keith of Greenfield, Gardner of Palmer, James of Williamsburg, and Ellis of Athol, of the House. Ordered, In concurrence, that the returns of votes for votes for coun- Councillors in the several councillor districts of the clllor"' Commonwealth be referred to a joint special committee, consisting of Messrs. Smith, Livingston and Ayers of the Senate, and Messrs. Heywood of Concord, Rogers of Chelsea, Pew of Gloucester, Newhall of Lynn, Russell of Lowell, Wood of Swansea, Keith of Bridgewater, Fisk of Dennis, and Ilillman of Chilmark, of the House. Ordered, In concurrence, that the Clerks of the two Sergeant-at- branches be directed to inform Captain Oreb F. Mitchell °rms' that he has been duly elected Sergeant-at-arms of the General Court for the current political year. Ordered, In concurrence, that a committee be ap- Public worship, pointed, to be joined, to wait upon His Honor, the Lieu- tenant-Governor and Council, and inform them that the two branches are now in readiness to attend public worship. Messrs. White and Stedman having been appointed by the Senate, Messrs. Baker of Beverly, Blaney of Pea- body, Bosworth of Taunton, Stearns of Boston, and Jones of Deerfield, were joined on the part of the House. Afterwards, Mr. Baker, from the committee, reported that they had attended to that duty, and that the Lieuten- ant-Governor had desired the committee to inform the House that he would forthwith join them, in company with the Council, in attendance upon public worship. Adjourned at 2.20, r. m. THURSDAY, January 7, 1875. Met according to adjournment at H o'clock.