Litchfield enquirer., 1865-04-13
THE LEGISLATURES.

We give the list of members elect to the House of Representatives on our first page.- In looking over the list, we observe large pro- portion of new names, at least. of those who have not before attained legislative dignity with in our recollection. Only three of last years Senators are re elected, Messrs. Hodge of this County, Sanford of New Haven, and Atkins of Windham. Not more than twenty-five of the last years members of the House are re- elected, but among the few old Aabitues We DO tce the names of Messrs. Rice of Pennington, Foster of New Haven, Gallup of Ps.n6eld, Catlin, Mygatt and Woodruff of this County, Hammond of Killingly, Munson of Seymour, P. T. Barnum enters upon legislative honors from the town of Fairfield, and there are host of lesser lights who will eat their ,shad with keener relish that they have the right of emblazoning that festive fish on their cards and escutcheons.
 We observe that the contest for the Speaker ship of the lower House has already been com menced in the newspapers. The names of Rice, the Speaker of last year, E. K. Foster of New Haven, David Gallup Of Plain6eld, and Welch of Hartford have been suggested If there were really to be any contest for this honor, We might with propriety add the names of Abijah Catlin and Andrew B. Mygatt from this County. both of whom have had large legislative experience in both Houses. and either of whom would make an excellent Speak er We might also remind the members elect that Litchfeld County has no! been compli- mented with the office for many years, not since Ex-Judge SEYMOUR was Speaker, we believe,in 5l; and this certainly has not been from any lack of good timber We have sent to the cap- tals But We imagine there will be lit:le or no contest over the matter but that the Speaker ship will be unanimously tendered, by the Uni on members, to Hon. J. s. R,ce, who filled the chair last year with great dignity and ability. The main business of the session will, of course, be the adoption of the U s. Constitu. tional Amendment, prohibiting slavery, and the amendment to the State Constitution in favor of equal suffrage. We make no doubt of the passage of the latter, and the final ratification 1 of it by the people, who will not be able to see the fairness or dignity of enlisting negroes in this war, and sending them forth with cheers and huzzahs to fight our battles for us. and then deny them the right to assert their voice in our State and National affairs at the ballot-box. l Another interesting question to arise, is the matter of appointing Supreme Court Judge in place of Judge Dutton This County will probably have a candidate or two, and it will be difficult to overlook the claims of our sec
 tion if the numbers of both Houses from this
 County will unite upon any of the meritorious names that have been spoken of for the office
 Gideon HalI, Esq, of Winsted. was the unan-
 imous choice, last year. of the Litch6eld Co. delegation. Ex-Judge Goodwin of Barkham sed, has friends, who, will this year present hi: name for the honor. Henry s. Sanford, Esq. 3 of New Milford, has lso been frequently men toned in connection with the position, ant
 wnnld mako an excellent Judge. Should an, or all ot these gentIeMen decline the honor, we l think We could mention name from this tewr whose election to the Bench would be an honol
 to the Judiciary of the State; man of the
 finest legal mind, and critical scholarship
 whose merits and worth would adorn in nc
 small degree the high position. We refer te
 George A. Hickox, Esq, of Litohfeld.
 Who our democratic friends will have to pre-
 sent or who will engineer their claims, we are almost at a loss 10 imagine. We presume the 'stil small voice. of Judge Munson of Sey- mour, will be heard on the constitutions" question, and if he desires an assistant in the work of managing the ' convenient minority,
 we might suggest G. NJ. Woodruff, Esq. ol this town, who will undoubtedly do his full share of representing the interests of Connec- ticut 'democracy' The session of the Legis Iature ought to be brief, and we presume it vii be- It seems to us that it will be wise to pro
 pose another amendment to the Constitution by which our State elections could be held ir the fall, and the sessions of the legislature oe cur in the winter. Then the farmiug portion
 of our law makers might be less anxious afte
 their crops" and more inte rested in thei constituencies, and then we should have shorter sessions and more work done