HOUSE.....No. 215.

[Reported in the Senate by the Committee on Mercantile Affairs and Insurance.]

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

In the Year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty-Eight.

RESOLVE

Relating to the Flats in the Harbor of Boston.

Resolved, That the governor is hereby authorized, with the advice and consent of the council, to appoint three or more suitable persons as commissioners, to consider, and report to the next legislature, what are the rights and the duties of the Commonwealth in relation to the flats in the harbor of Boston; also, to consider whether the public good requires that any portion of said flats should be filled, and to what extent, and whether the maritime interests do now, or probably may hereafter, require the excavation of any part of them to enlarge the harbor accommodations; and if it shall be deemed expedient to fill any of said flats, then to report the outlines of a plan for that purpose, and the terms upon which such filling up should be authorized.

Passed to be engrossed.

Sent down for concurrence.

SENATE, May 4, 1848.

CHAS. CALHOUN, Clerk.

HOUSE....No. 216.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, March 9, 1848.

Ordered, That the Committee on Railways and Canals inquire whether any legislation is necessary respecting the Boston Depot of the Boston and Maine Railroad, or the Bridge of said Company across Charles River, in order to secure the rights of the public.

Sent up for concurrence.

CHAS. W. STOREY, Clerk.

SENATE, March 10, 1848.

Concurred.

CHAS. CALHOUN, Clerk.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

IN SENATE, March 10, 1848.

The Joint Standing Committee on Railways and Canals, to whom was referred the Order to inquire whether any legislation is necessary respecting the Boston Depot of the Boston and Maine Railroad, or the Bridge of said Company across Charles River, in order to secure the rights of the public,—report, that the said Committee be discharged from considering the same, and that it be referred to a Joint Special Committee.

For the Committee,

A. D. FOSTER.

IN SENATE, March 13, 1848.

Accepted: and Messrs. PERKINS and JAMES are appointed said Committee, on the part of this Board.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Special Joint Committee, to whom was referred the order of the house, of the ninth of March last, to inquire whether any legislation is necessary respecting the Boston depot of the Boston and Maine Railroad, or the bridge of said company across Charles River, in order to secure the rights of the public, have attended to that duty, and

REPORT:

That said company were authorized, by their charter, granted March 16, 1844, to construct a bridge across Charles River, under the direction of commissioners, to be appointed by the governor and council. Mr. James F. Baldwin, engineer, having been appointed commissioner for that purpose, May 10, 1844, said bridge was constructed, under his direction, in the following summer, twenty-six feet in width, on piers eighteen feet apart, each composed of six piles with one or two spur shores, according to the depth of water, with a draw thirty feet wide, in the channel of Charles River, and another twentyseven feet wide, in the channel of Miller's River. Said bridge was constructed according to a model exhibited by said company to the commissioner, and approved by him.

October 14, 1844, the engineer of said company called on the commissioner, to be advised about making the Boston end of their bridge as wide as Warren Bridge; and the commissioner told him, if there were no restrictions in their charter, he thought they might build as wide as that, if they needed it.