6
The Green Bag
den’s greatest services while Governor was to rout the Tweed ring in New York
City.17 Massachusetts faced problems not un like those in other sections, and Mr. Bishop's connection with the State Senate
becomes
of
interest,
because
through his influence measures were enacted important to the welfare of the Commonwealth, and because his career led to the memorable gubernatorial cam paign of 1882, in which national as well as local issues prominently appear.
For instance, during his first year as
lature of that year having passed upon
the question of advisability, and having deliberately decided to make an excep tion to an established rule, the question could not properly be revived by a.
succeeding legislature."
The bill to
amend was later disposed of on a point of order,n and the Society still holds property under its Charter of 1857 up to the amount of $350,000 exempt from
taxation.
While a member of the Senate, he served upon several important com
mittees.
The chairmanship of the Re
senator, a bill was introduced to amend
trenchment Committee, which he held,
the charter of the Evangelical Baptist
was aptly described by an associate as the “most important and disagreeable position in the state government." Dur ing the campaign of 1878 the Democrats
Benevolent and Missionary Society, a
corporation which always has owned Tremont Temple in Boston, and having been favorably reported by the proper committee, the bill came up for a third reading." Contrary to the settled rule of Massachusetts the charter gave to the
Society the right to invest funds up to $350,000 and derive an income there
from free from taxation.
The bill to
amend this provision in the charter seemed likely to pass. In a dissenting speech he discussed the question and compared it with the decision in the
brought forward the charge that mis management and gross extravagance in the administration of state affairs ex isted, and although beaten at the polls
their statements were doubtless well founded. Governor Talbot consequently in his inaugural address recommended radical changes which the Legislature at once undertook to carry out, and to this
end selected the joint special committee
Dartmouth College case," and urged that
above referred to. “Bills were drawn by or under the thoughtful and able
it was there held that the legislature ought not to alter a charter already
guidance or direction of the chairman in such a way that very few of them failed
granted, if contrary to the wishes of the
to pass through both branches without
corporation, except where both of two conditions exist, namely, where the legis
amendment or modification. The work done that winter by the chairman of the
lature has the legal right as in the
Retrenchment Committee will be remem
present instance, though not in the Dart mouth College case, and where the cor
bered by every member of that com mittee as most careful and arduous."22
poration has failed in the performance
By the Committee's work the Common
of its part of the contract or the legis lature has in some way a moral duty to perform; adding that however unwise might seem the grant of 1857, the legis
wealth was enabled to save annually many hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"From 1869 to 1872 Tammany leaders filched from the cit about $100,000,000. ‘3 Senate ournal, March 7, 1878. 10 4 Wheaten 518.
’0 Compare a recent decision in which the court
upheld the right of this Society to hold groperty to this amount. Evangelical Baptist. eta. acuty v. City of Boston. 204 Mass. 28. "Senate Journal, 1878. 178. "Boston HemkLJuly, 1882, letter of T. C. Bates. one of the Committee.
