New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-10
AT THE STATE CAPITALS
A CONNECTICUT REFORMEP

A CONNECTICUT REFORMER.
GOVERNOR HUBBARD'S MEssAGE-TIME wAsrvn -
LEGISLATORS AT THE CAPITAL AND BY LAwYr,.
AT THE COURTS.
HARTFORD, Conn.,, Jan. 9.-The Leeislab,..
met to-day. c. H. Briscoe. OF Enfield, was es.,..
Speaker of the House. Oliver Hoyt, Of Stamford ~.
chosen president pro TEN. OF the Senate Other Rss
lican caucus nominees also elected.
Governor Hubbard delivered his inaugural addres. "a.
afternoon.
In the Senate, an equality Of votes was declared q,
Senators from the 1st District and the House. undr ~
constitutional provision In the Of tie, elected oA
r. Hills Of Hartford, Republican, In place Of Georse
Sumner, Democrat. to whom the seat had been given
Governor Richard d. Hubbard coufcsses, the close A.
his Message TO the Legislature, that he is ambition, Tia,
the office which he holds shall not be an empty tn.
but shall connect itself with lasting imurov.
ments in the institutions OF the State. Certain !,
Is that In the course OF the document he makes sus,
tons for the reform OF nearly every institution q
the State. His first idea is that the Legislafu,.
wastes too much time. The first half OF eaeA
session, he says, goes for nothing. end the nal
work Of the Legislature crowded into the last tvoo,
three weeks often into the last two three days o,
still worse forced into the last two three hours M
der total suspension of rules at the very time when tbs
rigor OF the rules needed Haste does not rena
waste excuse it, II has been the custom OF thu
Legislature to fix, in advance, positive day Of adjourn
ment and Of the Executive to accommodate himself IA
this custom, by taking action upon all the bills TIM,
thrown upon him before the day fixed public
enacted by the last Assembly providing TIA.
hereafter all resolutions, not engrossed duriny
the session. NAV be signed and approved without eness
ment. and be examined engrossed after adjourn
ment Under this act less than 175 bills OF the iaa
enacted into laws without being engrossd
and without having been examined at all by the En-
crossing Committee. He recommends the repeal Of I'll,
act and the passage of statute providing a tempo
ray ournment late in the session. for not more than
twelve days. as enable the Governor 10 examine
the bills presented TO him the Last three days the
session.
The Governor does not conne his suggestions to TIA
methods OF legislation, but reeommends many changes
administration Of justice scandalOus and that man
can circumnavigate the globe over ana over again In
for few hundred dollars. The judges, he says BE-
tween whom and the bar relations OF comfy should al
ways exist ind ii an ungracOus tsh goad counsel up
their work perhaps they without the power DO
II and 50 causes on the docket come forward and fan
back Tor want oPreparation for private enence and
for the most frivolous The consequence Is that
the business - the courts ags drags and accuInats AID
hall the time OF the judges Is irtteed away aud wasted
He recommends the passage or act requiring ~ Tia.
snail before the close OF each ter or within
three ds thereafter entel IN trial docket Tor The ,a
ceeding term al their then pending causes in;enledts
he tried nj such term. with the privilege OF entering
Thereafter any causes subsequently DTought 90 thatt
Judges at each make from such trial docket such
trial lists for days Will furnish business To the court;
90 that all causes assigned for days be disposed Of
their order and without delay unless continued post
poncd for strict cause shown. or taken out OF the d
docket or daily Lat by agreement and that any cause
taken agree meut be rdnspOsed 20 the foot OF the
general court docket He also recommends the appoint
ment of commission which shall report bill for the
simplilcson all branches OF legal procedure and
points several radical changes which should be made
III the Probate Court.
On the subject of ENLIGHTENMENT by trustees he says:
Under our present law, the agent Of any individual
private corporation or common carrier, guilty OF embet
Element is Liable TO imprisonment IN the state prison t
period of ten years; yet no penalty MISUNDERSTANDING
to SAYS provided for enlightenment OF the estates
minors widows and orphans in the hands OF trustees
Capital aggregated III corporate FORM or III the manage
mont of ITS owners has a marvellous stlnct OF see
fence and has. accordingly eonriyed TO guard iseih
the interests OF the weak aud helpless, rep
resented in private trusts, those for instance
held by guardians aud those created BY
tostators for the support OF children or iOi
religions and charitable uses, the most sacred confidence.
in human affairs aud the exposed. left naked
and Geicnceess The state is. should be- the guardian
fhense,ves these ATE without natural protectors are
farmcd out 10 GducaTy agents, and demand for slod
the Jealous oversight OF the law recommend
the passage OF statute puhsing with exemplary pen
allies acts OF cmhezzel0eut, committed By executors
administrators. guardians, cOnserva0rs, or trustees I'd
der any tesiamentary or express trust Robberesd
lst estates are becoming frequent and far too 10
spectacle. 1t IS time the act were made criminal Sna
the actor infamous.
He recommends that the law defining the rghtsa
married women shall be extended as t. secure to
wife, in the of pretxlstEg marriages, sole and
separate estate in all her property hereinafter acquired
during Overture he makes, also. several recommends
tons concerning storage seryOlrs and dams the Ies
tora,ion Of political rights TO criminals, railroads, the
National Guard. savings banks insurance companies etc
The Message closes with brief reference 10 Nati01a
affairs. Governor Hubbard says: II
For certain reasons Civil service has OF late years.
become SeIadalousy wasteul ana corrupt Tie Efforts
OF the prcS-n Administration ia the direction Of reform
leave Us without hope that, in spite Of all Opposition
civil al niuiSao may, in the end b. purgtd OF snns
OF lts abuses wastes aud ycuaties Honest men OF az
parties ere ready 10 thank any ruler for any gehu
Ice IL this direction. But may II not De o"uplsa
whctrr permanent reform is possible solong - ven
nigh 10 900 Offices are made 10 silt from one sts
thc other with every change OF administrator ana
serve as mere booty for party conquest NAV IL NY
a So be properly and pfOhtaDy reiHdrhed lAti' t&
goy. Iing party needs protection against f'ltfh oaE
thc primaries, tie voters o. n ltfNc
cutif ed 20 the protection agatEsf ike nie
nent Interference IN the elections! \ party Nbch%
ponds the Government Tor life ought TO dr fOfwHl
1t rs. tr-t " all aud above all assure th' word
our public faith and at the same time by wiser pOAen
and cgi-ation relieve ourselves from Waricfu Pupa
expenditure aud ~ necessary punishment, public deN
and ouprcssyc taxation: from unjust revenue oscnAS
up ions crpuling commerce and building up ole nier
est al the expense another; from absurd and iioes
maritime codes. nlliyiug the advantages of cur shl
vailed maritime position between TIE Two priucipas "a,
of the globe IRON class legislation favoriDg tie vhse
aggregation Uf wealth and disturbing is CgmtdDe ~
environments between capital and labor from wisld9
subsidies aud vicious and hUctnaing currency anas1
prosperity vail be assured in full measure.