The New York herald., 1879-03-08
THE CONNECTICUT LEGISLATURE.
sEyoRMArroN IN COURT PRAcrIcE---PAssAGE OF
STRINGENT TRAMP LAw-THE CAPITOL
DOME IN DANGER.

REFORMATION IN COURT PRAcrIcE-PAssAGE OF
STRINGENT TRAMP LAw-THE CAPITOL
DOME IN DANGER.
HARTFORD. Conn.,, March 7. 1879.
This weeks session of the Connecticut General As
sembly ermnating this afternoon witnessed action
on several important measures. One Of these was .
bill to reform civil procedure in the State courts and
sweeping away at one blow all the legal fctions.
shams and absurdties which have been perpetuated
aimee the days when the English practice prevailed
The new code provides that everything shall be in
such simple form that 1t may be compre-
hended by laymen, and. in effect. prevents
the throwing of out Of court on mere
technicalites. Declarations are limited to the
barest statements of the facts In actions at law
and in equity may Joined. and there are numerous
other provisions doing away with the complexities
which have long hampered the practice of law and
hindered the speedy trial Of causes. The new
code was reported by commission Of five law
yers of this State appointed last year by Governor
Hubbard. and including that eminent Connecticut
3urist, ex-Chief Justice Origen s. Seymour The
Joint standing Committee the Judiciary made an
almost unanimous report upon the bill drafted by
the commissioners, and 1t was passed in the House
yesterday by l6S yeas to 35 nays. 1t will probably
pass the Senate.
Another good thing was done to-day in the passage
the House or tramp law WHICH lS well ceculbteu
to relieve Connecticut from the scourge of
trampers. All the adjoining States have stringent
laws, and the result has been that the Nutmeg
State has been popular resort for the fraternity.
the law in force being worse than useless. This
merely provided that tramps might be required to
work in return for their food and lodging, and in
case OF refusal could be arrested and Imprisoned.
In effect the law imperative for house
holders generally had no work for tramps and pre-
ferred not to have them around their premises The
new bill IL in the nature OF bugbear to keep tramps
Of the State altogether is provided that every
i'm
living on aims, shall be regarded as tramp and be
sent to the State Prison years. that entering
private premises the Carrying Of dangerous weapons
malicious injury to property, &c shall be onences
punishable by more severe penalties. even to hve
years IMPRISONMENT. Sherifs and other officers
shall receive $5 for each arrest and conviction and
towns may appoint special atad oice1s to 20 hunt @
dietary Committee in preference to one re-es-
tabshing the whipping post as penalty for tramps
came forward with the usual specious pleas about
the unfortunate laboring man." the "honest
poor" and other cries of similar char
the enactment in this State of a tramp
law that WAS worth picayune The country del
s Sed IN Se Of
an amendment calculated to emasculate the
bill was promptly, voted down. The opposi.
from the city members, but the members from the
rural districts were in no humor to join them for
the cities have out the tramps with stone yards
and wood yards and other devices, and flooded them
upon the country districts.
CAPITOL DOME
Legislative committee is engaged in an investiga-
tion the alleged insecurity of the piers supporting
the Capitol tower. and will attempt to FIX the
sponsibity therefor Several meetings have been held
and bitter fght is manifest between the contractor.
Mr.. J. g. PATTERSON, and the State House Com
mission. Both deny responsibility in the matter
aud show disposition to shift 1t upon the deceased
superintendent. Mr.. Brown, who came to this work
soon after closing his connection with the work upon
the Capitol at Washington. PATTERSON asserts that
the stones Of the piers were laid too close jonted
by Browns orders and that he had no appeal. while
the commission deny this and assert that in any
event. IL PATTERSON knew the piers would be unsafe
for the great weight going above them, he should
have SO represented to the commission Browns
head The milk in the cocoanut is that Bat
terson has o disputed claim for $15O.O00.
and II the committee fixes upon him the RESPONSE
bility for the bad work in the piers his chances of
recovering anything are endangered. An exanna-
tion OF the piers shows large cavities between the
stones they not being dressed to plane surfaces top
and bottom, and these spaces being filed in
with type metal to make 0 solid mass.