MASSACHUSETTS AS A PHILANTHROPIC ROBBER. 317 dollars.^ Examination of the "Resolves" since the year 1872 shows that these appropriations of the public money for private benefit may be divided into three important classes. The first great branch of State gratuities consists of gifts in the nature of pensions. The State Legislature has not as yet established by statute any civil pension list; and yet it will probably surprise most citizens to know that there are four kinds of direct real civil pensions now given by the Commonwealth : — First. In 1892 a man who was injured while defending property of the State at the Cooper Street riot, in 1863, succeeded in per- suading the Legislature to grant him an annuity of j^ioo,* which was later increased to $200,^ and upon his decease became an annuity for life to his widow.* Second. In 1887 an annuity of $200 was granted to "the last of the Hassanamisco Indians"; ^ but later apparently other Hassana- misco Indians turned up, for from 1895 to 1898 the State gives annuities of ^250 and $300 to such Indians;^ and since 1890 a regular sum of $150 has been paid to A. B. "in consideration of his care of his late mother and aunt, who were members of the Ponkapog tribe of Indians, and were formerly beneficiaries of the Commonwealth." ^ Third. For a long time annuities have been paid in a number of cases to injured employees of the State, or to the widow and chil- dren of certain employees killed while in the employ of the Com- monwealth, notably to those killed or injured at the Hoosac Tunnel " from an explosion of glycerine which had been carelessly left by employees of the Commonwealth." These have been three, five, and ten year annuities, renewed as they expired in sums varying from one hundred to two hundred dollars per year.^ 1 See table at end. 2 Resolves 1892, ch. 53. (During the remainder of this article where Resolves are cited, merely the year and the chapter will be given. It is to be understood that all such citations refer to Resolves.)
- 1894, ch. 24.
- 1895, ch. 8; 1896, ch. 10.
6 1887, ch. 32. 8 1895, ch. 44 ($200) ; 1896, ch, 28 ($300) ; 1897, ch. 96 ($200 and $250) ; 1898, ch. 11 ($200 and t^'ip). 7 1890, ch 13; 1891, ch. 89; 1893, ch. 17; 1895, ch. 7; 1897, ch. 5; 1898, ch. 10. 8 1882, ch. 39, 40; 1883, ch. 24, 25 ; 1885, ch. 22, 49; 1886, ch. 29; 1887, ch. 3, 11 ; 1888, ch. 10, 21,53; 1889, ch. 39; 1895, ch. s; 1891, ch. 145; 1892, ch. 11, 102; 1893, ch 5, 13 ; 1894, ch. II ; 1896, ch 8 ; 1898, ch. 42. And see instances cited later.
