Now, gentlemen, it is important also to compare the wealth of the city of Boston with some of the States. I have been unable to get the statistics of all of the States; but I have here, copied from the Cincinnati Post, a comparison of the value of six of the Southern States with six of the Western States, in 1860 and 1870:—

From these figures, it appears that the city of Boston has more than five-sevenths as much capital as the entire State of Illinois, with its 55,000 square miles of territory; it has fivesixths as much capital as the entire State of Indiana, with its 33,000 square miles of territory; it has more capital than Georgia, Louisiana, and North Carolina combined; it has more capital than Tennessee and Mississippi combined.

These are some of the statistics, gentlemen, showing the position of Boston, and the position which Boston occupies in comparison with other portions of the country. I think you will be satisfied, by this time, that she is not quite bankrupt, and not in a condition to be thrown into insolvency by making the ferries to East Boston free.

There is more difficulty in getting the true statistics from other cities than in Boston, from the fact that the same system does not prevail in other cities that prevails here, and many of them are not willing to show their hand.

Now, I have to say, in the first place, that notwithstanding Boston pays less tax, in proportion to her capital, than any other first-class city in the country, she realizes more from her taxation in the conveniences, comforts and luxuries of life than any other city. Her streets are in a better condition, and more cleanly; her sewers are underground, instead of being upon the surface, as in Philadelphia, Baltimore and other cities, and she is free from the stench that accompanies surface sewerage; her schools are in better condition, as she spends more money for her school-houses than any other city in the country. Why, gentlemen, within the last five years, she has built a new grammar school in almost every Ward of the city. In addition to the primary schools she has built, she has built at least six grammar schools, each one of which has cost from $100,000 to $147,000. Now, there is not a college building in the country that can compare with the Shurtleff, the Rice, the Sherman, or any one of half a dozen school-houses I could name in the city of Boston; and while Harvard is rejoicing in the fact that she is to have a Matthews Hall and a Weld Hall, at an expense of $60,000 each, and considers them great acquisitions, she has not a single dormitory there that begins to compare with any one of the modern grammar school-houses of the city of Boston.

We have just dedicated a Normal school which has cost $259,000, as much ahead of any college building in the country as this city hall is ahead of the old one which formerly occupied this site. Where will you find such a fire department as we have, in connection with the fire-alarm telegraph system, which the city of Boston was the first to introduce? What other city affords a free public library of 175,000 volumes for the use of its inhabitants? And all these things, gentlemen, are

obtained at this moderate taxation to which I have referred, $15.30 on $1,000, and that is an exceptionally high tax, and to be reduced this year.

But it is said that this system of taxation has driven from your borders many honorable gentlemen, and that you have lost a great deal of taxable property by reason of their being driven from the city. That some individuals may have gone from the city for the purpose of avoiding the just taxation which would be levied upon their property, cannot, I suppose, be denied.

In any large community such as this, numbering 250,000 souls, it would be strange indeed if you did not find some men who were inclined to shirk their just responsibilities; but there has been no such general exodus as has been alleged. I deny it, most explicitly. I deny it from an examination of the Assessor's books, which show the facts in regard to this matter, and we will have some of them here, before we close this examination, to testify to the point. There are individual instances, no doubt, as I have said, of men going out of the city to avoid their taxes; but the great majority of the wealthy men of Boston are willing to pay their just taxes for the purpose of meeting the necessary expenditures and carrying forward the great public improvements to which I have alluded. They pay their taxes cheerfully, and that man who shirks his rightful share of the public burdens is not regarded with favor in the city of Boston.

Such men may thank my brother Train for instructing them how they can, by going to New York, Newport or Nahant, avoid the greater part or the whole of their taxation, because they belong to a class of men, very few in number, I am happy to believe, who would thank anybody for giving them advice if it costs them nothing. As long as they do not have to give any retainer for it, they will be very glad of the information. But that is not a characteristic of the great body of the wealthy men of Boston; and therefore, I repeat, the statement is not

true that there has been any considerable exodus from the city

on that account.

Now, gentlemen, having shown that the city is not in danger of becoming bankrupt, or of being oppressed with an unendurable weight of taxation by making these ferries free, I propose next to show that the city contemplated making them free when the ferries were purchased, and that now, in making them free, it is only carrying out its original purpose.

Now, gentlemen, in 1869, very early in the season, the matter of purchasing the East Boston ferries was agitated; and as early as January, I had the honor of presenting a petition from the National Wharf & Warehouse Company, the Boston & Albany Railroad Co., and fifty-two mercantile houses and merchants of Boston, that the city would purchase the property of the East Boston Ferry Co. That petition was referred, and subsequently, on the 28th of January, an order came down from the other branch for the appointment of a special committee to consider and report upon the expediency of purchasing the property and franchise of the East Boston Ferry Co. That committee was joined, and after considering the matter for some time, they made a partial report to the Council, and then, on the 10th of June, an order was adopted requesting the Committee on the East Boston Ferries to ascertain and report on what terms the East Boston Ferry Company would dispose of their franchise. Then, on the 15th of July, another order was adopted, instructing them to report on "the terms upon which the East Boston Ferry Company will dispose of their property, and also an esti mate of the true valuation of said franchise and property, and whether it is expedient for the city of Boston to purchase the same." That committee reported on the 27th of September, and on the 7th of October an order was passed authorizing them to negotiate, with full powers, for the purchase of the franchise and property at $275,000. Subsequently, an order was reported which passed one reading, and was laid over one week for con

#

sideration. On the 14th of October it came up for action; but before proceeding to that, I wish to call your attention to the majority and minority reports of the committee. The counsel for the remonstrants here read the report of the majority of the committee; he did not read the report of minority. I propose to call your attention to one passage merely, in each of those reports.

Mr. PUTNAM. A minority of one, wasn't it?

Mr. KEITH. Yes, sir, a minority of one.

The majority say:

" Believing that the time has arrived when the best interests, not only of East Boston, but of the whole city, would be greatly promoted by having the ferry owned by the city, and operated by commissioners chosen by the City Council, the committee would recommend its purchase, in the manner authorized in the act of incorporation, as quoted at the beginning of this report.

"In regard to the management of the ferry after it comes into the possession of the city, it would be premature to do anything more at this time than to state, that the citizens of East Boston have not, as yet, asked for free communication with the city proper."

This was signed by seven out of eight of the committee. There was a minority of one, who made a minority report, from which I read this extract:

"It may properly be assumed, in view of the present condition of the question, that the real motive for urging that the city should take possession of the ferry is to establish free transportation. Undoubtedly that would be the result in a very short time; and the city would be burdened with an annual tax of $150,000 or $200,000 to cover the current expenses of maintaining the ferry, and pay the interest on the ferry scrip."

The proposition, therefore, for the purchase of these ferries was acted upon in view of the fact that very shortly an application would be made to run these ferries free. Now, notwith