He held the office for seven years,
but he was defeated by the coalition of 1850.
Among the leading members of the House in 1844, was Joseph Bell, then
recently from Hanover, N. H. He was named second on the Judiciary
Committee, and to him was committed the conduct of the bill to restore
the judges' salaries. He was a man of massive frame and of great vigor
of body. His voice was loud, but it lacked those elements that come
from cultivation. He had accumulated considerable wealth in the
country and he had come to Boston for ease and comfort in age. His
career was brief as he lived only a few years thereafter.
Of the affirmative measures of the Legislature of 1844 the most
important perhaps was the statute requiring the registration of births,
marriages, and deaths. Previous to that time there was no
authoritative records of births, marriages, or deaths. The books of
town clerks, the records of clergymen, and the entries in family Bibles
were the sources of information. The information was never complete,
and often that obtained was inaccurate. The promoters of the measure
were Dr. Edward Jarvis of Dorchester and Lemuel Shattuck of Concord.
They were both enthusiastic upon the subject and when they had created
in me an interest, they furnished me with books and documents including
reports of the English and French systems.
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