Litchfield enquirer., 1876-05-25
The Amendments.

the douse, laSC week, were mere matters of form. One authorizes certain changes made necessary by the passage of last years amendment establishing fall elec- tions and winter sessions of legislature; another erases the word "white" from our State Constitution to bring it into line with recent amendments of the national consti l tuition.
 The amendment which enlarges the number of Senators, and redistricts the State, is a weak measure of reform in re- presentation which is worth very little. The effort to make popular branch" of body of thirty five legislators. leaving Town House of 246 members to be elected on the most absurd system of misrepre- sentation known in America, is not states manship.
 The amendments which passed the House, last week, extending the terms of city and probate judges two years and of common pleas and district judges to four years, are of real value. Short judiciary terms are nuisance in any case, and the term for. which even justices of the peace are chosen was long since extended to two years.
 Another amendment which passed the House is one providing that small town ships hereafter incorporated shall not have separate representation, but shall remain mere voting districts of the parent con- munity. If there is any principle at the bottom of our present system of repre- sentation it is that the town, not popula- tion, forms the basis of representation. This amendment violates what little there is of that principle, and makes the present arrangement still more anomalous and ln- defensible.
 The Hon. John Cotton Smith. of Shar- on, is appointed chairman of the Woman Suffrage Committee on the part of the House. He is kno0 to favor the meas ure and is so far Progressive. He took occasion, last week, however, to renew an old attack of his on the State Board of Education which looks little Bourbon ish. Our present school system is by no means what it should be. but the times, we imagine, were still worse.
 Mir. Harrison, of GuiIford, offered curious bill in the House, Wednesday, re- quiring selectmen to print all the tickets to be used at electors meetings at town expense. If candidates do nothing worse than pay for the tickets on which their names appear, the race of Barnums will soon become extinct without the enact ment of any such law as the one Mr. Harrison proposes.
 We notice that constitutional amend ment has been introduced abolishing the reading qualification required of electors. That is healthy looking provision but amounts to little practically.
 The State Bar Association met at Hart ford, last week and admitted nine new members. The committee reported against any change Ill the mode of procedure in court. The employment of court stenog- raphers was formed The following off, cers were chosen for the ensuing year:
 President, Orlgen s. Seymour, Litch field; Vice-Presidents, R. D. Hubbard. Hartford, Cha.les R. Ingersoll, New Ha- ven; Treasurer, William Hamersley; Sec retary, John R. Buck; Executive Commit tee,, John T. Wait, Norwich; John s. Beach, New Haven; Roger Averill, Dan- bury; H. c. Robinson, Hartford; and Will liam T. Elmer, Middletown.
 ScR1BNER's contains: Old Land marks in Philadelphia Gllustrated): Truant Madge; Beds, Tables, Stools and Candlesticks Gllus.) Philip Nolan's Friends (continu- ed, by Edward Everett Hale; Renuncia- tion: Gabriel Couroy (continued), by Bret Harte; ''Silence is Golden;" Pilgrims and Puritans; Two Poems of Collins; Song of the GIoaming; How America was Named (illus. ); Union College Gllus.); Courage; Some Experiments in Co-Operation. II; The Love of Hundred Years; Three Friends; Charlotte Cushman; My Nastur- tiums; Editorial Articles.
 Scribner & Co.,, New York, $4. year. See Enquirer Clubbing Rates.
 St. NICHOLAS contains: Frontis. piece 1.-The Maid of Domremy;'' The Lit tie Maid of Domremy; The Cat and the Countess (continued), with B iIlustra- tions; Talks with Girls; Seven Miles up in the Air; "It Never Rains but it Pours;" The Pepper Owl; A Frog and His Neigh bors Gllus.); The Old Saw Mill; Wise Mrs. Swallow; The Boy Emigrants (continued), with fo IT illustrations; Willie's Wonder full Flight; The Author of "The Boy Emi- grants," with portrait. Poetry, Short Arti- cles, Illustrations, &c.
 Scribner X Go. s, year. See Enquir- Clubbing Rates.
 The Winsted News refers as follows to the vacancy on the Superior court bench:
 We have heard of several names, and among the number that would do credit to the position are Hon. Elisha Johnson of Hartford; Hon. Gideon Hollister of Bridgeport; and Judge Hovey of Norwich. ElGQ0F OI bu0S0 HI tL0 pOSIGlOQ with credit to themselves and the state; from present appearances Johnson would appear to be ahead of all others mention ed.
 The following Litchield county exhib- itors 6gnre In the official catalogue of the Centennial exhibition;
 FolcottviUe. Union Manufacturing company, black doeskins; Union Hard ware company, skates, ~ood turning, dog collars, etc.; P. J. Seymour, machines for spinning articles of hollow ware from sheet metal: Turner & Seymour company, brass and iron upholstery goods, etc.
 Northfetd. = Peck Brothers, bone dust; Northfeld Knife company, pocket cutlery. | MiscettGaeous.-Seth Thomas Clock company, Thomaston, clocks; Eagle Lock company, Terryville, trunk and cabinet
 locks;