Litchfield enquirer., 1879-04-03
The Legislature.

The legislature finally adjourned from Fri
 day of last week till January next, in case the
 biennial amendment should be accepted by
 the people in October. Should that amend
 ment be rejected, a new House and eleven Senators will be elected in November Prac-
 tically, however, the legislature of 1879 has
 done it's work. The important measures pass
 ed have been the new procedure act, severe
 tramp law, law subjecting real estate of re-
 ligious and other charitable societies not actu- ally used for their work to taxation, repeating the ten per cent reduction of salaries and res- toring the system of town agents in case of
 votes of ''no license" Two important con- stitutional amendments have been submitted
 to the people: one providing for state elections
 and sessions of legislature only every other year; the other, for restoring the life tenure of
 judgeships Cor till 75 years). The measures re. jected have been, as usual, very numerous; some very good; more, perhaps, very poor.
 It is becoming very noticeable that the Sen- ate is the chief obstacle to new measures. Con- servatism is the grand characteristic of the ''wagon-load of rich men" who, in these days, compose that body. So far has the practice of nominating wealthy candidates been carried, that the Connecticut Senate has become com mittee of capitalists rather than the popular branch of the legislature which it's mode of election might lead one to expect Not only is the capitalists view plainly predominant, there, upon such questions as the state regula- tion of railroad fares and the punishment of tramps, but there is that evident dread of all reform so often characterized as the ''coward- ice of capital" Even 80 innocent and so ex- cellent bill as that extending minority repre- sentation to the election of grand jurors, con- stables and justices, was sternly opposed by a Senate in which there are several men from towns where their political friends are invaria- ply denied representation upon these town boards, while the House. in which town ma jorities alone have representation, was gener- ous enough to insist upon the passage of the bill
 The House has been one of more than usual ability. MT. Robinson has proved ve- ry competent and judicious leader, and he has been ably seconded by such men as Judge Brewster of Danbury, Marcy of Vernon and Treat of Bridgeport. The Democratic side has been judiciously ledby MT. Graves, and the men of both sides have had the sense to ab stain almost entirely from these foolish crilni- nations and recriminations in which the time of Congress is so largely wasted. Judge Cat lin, of Harwinton, has been, this session, what he always is, the bitter enemy of all jobbery, and the out-spoken friend of reform. He and MT. Collyer, of Darien, have managed the cause of the people against certain railroad monopolies with rather more than the usual success. Fessenden, of Stamford, has pursued his usual brilliant but cratic course, coming into special prominence as the advocate of Bell-Punch Temperance. We may properly close our list with the ''end-man" of this, as of one or two previous Houses, P T. Barnum of Bridgeport. It is position he seems to en- joy hugely, and for which he certainly has many natural and acquired qualifications.