The sun., 1870-07-18
THE CoNNECrICUr IkGISLArURE
4 Rotten Borough system NOT Fduancd in
Eugland-Who Elect nitrd states Sena-
tors-A Change Impcrutivcly Demanded.

Correspondence OF The sun.
NEW HAVEN. July Is, Connecticut is not
larger surcrGcAlly, than ofthe counties in the
Western States. II is hcnmed in between New
York, Massachusetts, and Long Island Sound, with
territory 30 limited that there Is hardly spot in
it where the wi iste of the locomotive is not TO be
heard; and yet this little commonwealth has two
capitals each with shabby old State house, shah
billy furnished narrow and ineonvenient Offices and
halls of Legislation, with aspect mean and re-
pulsive as the poorest country school house. The
lower branch ofthe legislature consists OF two hun
dred ond thirty odd members, two nom every town
organized before tie year 1860, and one apiece from
all the new towns. This system, not particularly
Objectionable seventy years ago, EXCEPT the
Of numbers, has become just and vicious In pro-
ces, Of une. II is especially uneunI and unioir,
lesldes providing an Asscmbly Tlicu oush large
ana uuwie.dy, To illustrate its inequality 1t is ony
necessary to cite two cases. New Haven, with
POPULATION OF about sixty thousand. ana casting nine
or ten thousand votes, has two representative,
while lit'lc hamlet called Union, containing few
hundred inhabitants is entitled TO the same number.
Bridgeport, whch has about thirty thousand ne )ple.
having been erected into - town since ls00. las hut
a single member; while Durham, with less than
twelve hundred rcO pie IL entitled to two. Aud yet,
this rrcpos'erous method that cannot be defended
in 1ny way, is maintained obstlnaloly by the small
towns, hocausc ~ gives them numerical superiority
in he legislature They resist, successfully too,
every effort to order a convention for rcw con@ti
tuition, or the reason that representation based
on populaton-the only republican mode-would
their present members. This l. than The rot
ten borough system OF England IL must be aban-
doned soon for very shame, II nothing else
The citizens in the rural districts compete
estly for the advantage of going TO the Legislature
hali their lives depended upon IT, The per diem Is
but two dollars; and yet the object Of the nspirant
is pecuDary only They ride ffee over tue railroads,
bring luncheon in their pockets, and return home
AZ night 10 slcep In this wav thriving business Is
| done and they are so pleased with the thing that
they prolong the session week alter week solelf 10
make money They come together only four days
meeting
Fri iay and they remain in session frequently not
more than an hour or two. II Is now erht weeks
since the session commenced and out of fortyoig ght
| working days the members have not been together
| more tnan fifteen or egnteen full days But lhi9 is
trivial matter, hardly worth considering, for the
cost of an entire session Is a mere bagatelle.
Some three or four weeks since there was lively
contest between Hartford and New Haven, growing
out OF q movement OF the former city to cut the
comb of New Haven as semi-capi'al Of the state.
A resolution amending the constitution so as to
make Hartford the capital passed the Legislature
last year. This resolution came up for considera-
ton short time since. and there was sham debate
upon 1t, the most interesting sneaker being Mr.
| Hammersly OF Hartford. II received moJority
| vote, but twn.irls were required 10 pass i, So
| lhe question is adjourned 10 future day. IEe ab'
ur iitY Of two capitals Is obvious to everybody but
| Hartford and New Haven strangely eAaggcraie
| the .oca advantages conferred b. session Of the
| legislature and the state is likely 10 bc saddod
| with The expense Of two sets ol state onces for
There is a handsome sprinkllng Of talent in
| both houses, the Democrats having the hest de-
| baters, while the Republicans are numerically tue
| stTo ngcst. There are few lmpraclcable Demo-
| Gratis IN the Assembly who have not Yet learned that
| slavery Is abolished, and are constantly lghirg the
| Fifteenth Amendment with great vigor. But they
| accomplish mott ing, the sensible OF tine party,
| under the lead OF GOV. English, being determined
| tha. extreme course shall be adopted. nder an
| equitable system or representation we democrats
would nave decided majority in the Legislature, ~
| they have among the people.
| One Of the uoisiest moabers OF the Assembly Is
| Gen. Pratt, m .Simsbury, better known rs the
| " Great American Traveller" lie is feeble, gar
| ruous old man, who commenced life in the latter
part Of the last century without brains and has been
| failing II ever since. He speaks ON every question
before the lousc, and can talk more and say less
| than any other member OF tie body lie would havo
been s,nt to asylum for imbccilea. In any other
| community than tlis land ot wooden nutmegs. Here
he is not Chly tolerated but several country me m
| bers, whose views are rather cit mscrlbed, are
| always ready 10 pond 20 his platitudes.