New-York tribune., 1873-06-28
CONNECTICUT POLITICS.

WORK OF THE PRESENT LEGlSLATUkE'
An IMPORTANT REFORM ESTABLISHED Bf AN i-N'N''
ADJoURNMENT-FAILISG OFF IN The hVnpi
IMPORTANT SUBJECTS CONSIDERED THE NE"
s,rppr,rr COURT JUDGE-GOV. JEWELS DEPART
uRE FOR ST. PETERSBURG.
svRow THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF rHE rRiBuNE'I
HARTFORD, June 26.-The Legislature prom
,od IN adjourn this week. resolution fixing the maj
o,rpment having passed the Senate. lies on the table
Eating action in the House. This Is in itself REFORM
and the Democrats and Liberals may at least claim so
,,oh credit For the past twenty years the sessions
have been gradually engthenng until from having
x or eight weeks session. and adjournment invarA
o,y before the 4th OF july was the custom up 70
about 1858 or O. they have of late grown into the habit
Trotracting their deliberations till dOgdays drive bho
OF The reform is not merely IN the dlreo"on
az economy: It prevents much mischief IN the way
OF useless legislation. the longer and tho o'on'r
5, legislative body is in session, the WORSE " 10 80
iho people for whom 1t is making or men,uns '""
Connecticut has special complaint OF oNer-esis'
20 make. but satisfied that all the neceSs"is O
laton the state has needed has had enacted io o
vast twenty years. might have been done III Ne'y n'
lss than half the time that actually been taken LOT
If, and that the State would have been saVeu huc" VI"
wise and msohievOus legislation hau the soS'io's ~
wear been no more than half as long rms year '"o
majority which is largely Demoerauc IN al oIahun "
,h Government except the Senate, which has one kepup
,, o,o~i,,, got ont with the determination TO dis
tob nness rapidly and make the session short one
Two cood presding ofcers-Spesker WmW Eaton IN the
House and Iieut.-GOv. Sill in the Senate-have heped
very materially the carving out of the proposuon ana
the members generally have responded TO the e1erOns
OF officers. - - - l,,
There has but little business Of special or pr
ate character before this General Assembly and the
consequence has been marked falling of in the lobby
which of late years has grown to alarming proportions
ad astiO al
charters and amendments. and matters of kindred
character which have been continued from year TO
year and been vigorously fought before the begn
AZURE. have largely contributed TO the growth oi
lobby business. There long fight renewed year
after year over petition of the Shore Line Railroad
Company bridge at the mouth OF the Conneoucut
RIVER II was opposed OF course by Hartford ana the
towns m the river as VOL by Norwich, which was
similarly situated relative TO possible attempt 10
bridge tho Thames at NewLOndOn, ana the state wac
divided between shore town and uprlyer interestSpe
tween land and transportation There was ahotner
fight Of about the proportions and between sne
same interests bridge for the Air Line ROAD at n
6l.toyp New.Hovep wanted both these bridges Hart
ford oppo,ed both and fought them tooth and nan Win
the town treasury and all the appliances IL couId
bring to bear Those two bridge fights nursed loDoy
that grew each year, and gradually spread over all 'he
state tn toward the last OF it members OF Congress-
ttc Committees and all the local politicians were In II
out Of the dirty work Of the session to keep them IN
., the res. of the YEAR New-Haven gained that fight
and the Connecticut is now bridgod At MiduleIo"h anu
sS,ybrook Hartford equal victory. however TINS
session on the capital question Beside these bridge con
tests there was yearly application toT charer lor
,,ar4llel road from NeW-Hayen to New-1Ork' Whlon
nursed a lobby on the part of the applicants ana an
other ON the part OF the NeW-York road The passage
ot general railroad law put end TO that linen There
have been year numerous petitions lot charters ior
trust companies savings banks, insurance companies
manufacturing corporations and out of all TINS business
= lobby somewhat sereOtyped in appearance ana ohar
cer bad grown up and twisted itself INTO iegsaol 80
a. ,mo,t 90 seem a necessity II for the most part
cheap bad lot Of very poor politicians who manipu ated
eaucuses and packed conventions. and occasionally
bought Senator representative. pretty vigorous
arfare has made upon them for the past two or
ree years which has had the effect 20 thin them out.
here has not been small lobby around the Con
.ccticut Legislature for years as at present.
QUESTIONS BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE.
After the settlement OF the capital question by the
ote sending TO the people the proposed Amendment TO
che Constitution making Hartford the sole capital the
question interest has been that or Consttu-
fional Convention. The subject has been somewhat
atated for several years past but the movement only
took definite form last Spring. when Constitutional
Reform Association was organized IN Bridgeport. The
object Of the Association is to the passage OF an
act calling q Constitutional Convention. Leading men
of both parties signed the petition and seemed identified
with the movement but since has been discovered
by some Of candidates for the United States Senator
shp TO be filled year. that any change in the rep
rcsentaon VIII be likely the State into the
hands Of the Democrats and Liberals there has been
notable revising Of views. Senator Buckingham, who
sgned the call first withdrew his name upon further
consideration without giving his reasons. Gov. Hawley
signed the call, but his newspaper, The Oouran has
within few weeks pronounced decidedly against the
DOlitiCiaDs,
that the state has outgrown the Constitution and that
the present instrument really needs revision. aght
Xng shy Of the whole matter.
One OF the local issues that entered into the last state
election was the usury question. The last General
Assembly repealed the old usury law and left
60 be treated like any other marketable commodity that
would find its own market and its rate The hnan-
cal situation here and elsewhere has been such as to
prevent the law from having fair trial Under the
uew condition OF the savings banks have put up
er rates mortgages and used their power like very
s5Ocks, that there previous to the last election
General outcry from poor borrowers all over the state
Dst those corporations that had pinchod Them and IN
fgyor OF reGnsctment Of the old usury law. The con-
h that after long hearing and full discussion,
the committee on that subject reported the elt law
substantially for reenacment, except that the legal
rate established at instead of six per cene and
III bill has passed both branches
There has been considerable complaint Of late years
regarding the neompetency and general untness OF
men appointed under the caucus system as Railroad
COMMISSIONER The Office has been made a reward for
partisan service, and although no very bad men have
been selected general rule the gentlemen appointed
on board have been entirely unfamiliar with the
duties such position. An attempt last year TO take
the appointment out Of the hands Of the Legislature and
give II 20 the Governor with the power Of confirmation
in the Senate was defeated. This year. understand,
the Committee is prepared 10 report similar bill. with
good prospect Of its passage There is stronger hope
of ia success this year from the fact that change In