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"His administration has been characterized as one of
'marked ability and discretion.' The year prior to his election, the Mayor
and Aldermen had refused to license the sale of intoxicating liquors. Mayor
Bigelow said that the attempt to suppress the traffic in this way had
utterly failed; and he recommended the re-establishment of the license
system. The Mayor had the support of the grand jury, but when a test case in
regard to licensing came up before the Board of Aldermen, the Mayor had not
a single supporter. In spite of legal licenses, there was said to be 1,500
places where intoxicating liquors were sold, according to City Marshall
Tukey. Mayor Bigelow was opposed to
the erection of a new county jail recommended by his predecessor, and
for which contracts had been made. But the Aldermen decided to proceed with
the work at a reduced expense. The building was completed in 1851 at an
outlay, including the site, of about $450,000.
Mayor Bigelow, like his predecessor
Quincy, realized that the high rate of taxation made necessary by diverse
city projects induced many of the largest owners of personal property to
escape into the country at the annual period of taxation. The evil has grown
since that time in spite of attempts to check it by legislative enactment.
The national census of 1850 gave Boston's
population as 136,881. The rapid growth was due to the opening of
railroad communication with the West and steamship communication with
the East. The valuation of all property within the city amounted to
$180,000,500. The tax levy was $1,237,000, a rate of $6.80 a thousand; and
the funded debt had increased to more than $6,000,000, including the water
loans. Mayor Bigelow complained of the heavy burden the city had to bear,
but the new work developed made it impossible to reduce the outlay.
In the last year of his administration,
Mayor Bigelow was able to state that every section of the city was supplied
with pure water. The entire cost of the water works amounted to
$4,321,000. In the same year. a new almshouse on Deer Island was completed
and the system of telegraphic fire alarms introduced.
One of the events under Mayor Bigelow was
the attempt to break up a meeting in Faneuil Hall, called to receive George
Thompson [abolitionist], then a member of the British parliament, on
his arrival in this country. Another was the refusal of the Board of
Aldermen to allow Faneuil Hall to be used for a reception in honor of Daniel
Webster. The refusal was made on the ground that it might cause a
disturbance and aroused intense indignation. The Common Council tried in
vain to mend matters by inviting Daniel Webster to address his fellow
citizens in Faneuil Hall at another time. The Mayor and Aldermen concurred
later in this invitation. Politically, of course, the whole affair was a
blunder, and all who had opposed Mr. Webster found themselves promptly
relegated to private life.
The crowning event in Mayor Bigelow's
career as head of the municipality was the completion of the
railroad line connecting Boston with Canada and the Great Lakes. It was
celebrated in September, 1851."
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