Morning journal and courier., 1880-03-18
LOCAL NEWS.
For other Local News see Second Pae ell
The Legislature.


 Amendment to the Constitution Relat- ing fO the Appointment of Judges The Insurance Tax Reduced-SeverAI AppOintmentsM ts sMade-FemafeS fe Suffrage Other Matters.
 Especial CorresponSence JOURNAL CoURIKR.l
 HARTFORD, March IT, 1880.
 The Senate met to-day at 10 o'clock, Lieu tenant Governor Gallup in the chair. Prayer was offered by Chaplain Ford.
 Senator Brewster returned the bill relating to Litchfeld County courts and had it tabled for amendment.
 Senator Bristol, from the conference com mittee on the bill relating to contagious dis eases of cattle, reported a substitute bill, which was ordered tabled and printed.
 Senator Coe called from the table the res- olution that the Secretary of State print as an appendix of the private laws list of joint stock corporations. He could see no neces- sity for such resolution and moved to re- ject it.
 Senator Buck explained that the Committee on Interpretations had reported bill annui- ling the corporate existence of large num- Der of joint stock companies, (printed else where) and it was thought it would be mai ter of information to the citizens of tho State to print with the private acts list of those companies which had complied with the laws and were doing or supposed to be doing bust ness. The resolution passed.
 Bill that whenever a public highway or street is laid out, extended, strengthened, widened, or discontinued, the Court of Com mon Council in all cities, the warden and bur gesses in boroughs, and the board of select men in towns and parts of towns not within the limits of any city or borough, shall cause to be made written description of each piece or parcel of land taken from or annexed to the lands of adjoining proprietors, and shall cause the same to be recorded in the land rec ords of the town in which the highway or street is situated.
 Senator Lines after explaining the bill, moved to amend by inserting after the words ''records of the town" at the end of the bill, the words Tor city," Adopted and as amended the bill passed.
 At II o'clock Senator Coe called from the table the order of the day for the appoint ment of judges as follows: ''The judges of the Supreme Court of Errors and of the Superior Court shall, upon the nomination of the Governor, be appointed by the Gen. eral Assembly ill such manner as shall by law be prescribed"
 Senator Buck addressed the Senate. He said he presumed it would not be necessary to make any extended remarks on this subject. It is plain to be seen that none of the privi- leRes of the General Assembly to be abridged by this act. But, by this amend ment, it is sought to elevate the judiciary. It is known that the plan has been to nominate judges by caucus, but in such cases mi nority may choose judge, end a vote passed in secret caucus may be entirely different from that given when the yeas and nays are called. It seems to me that while the caucus system may have made many good judges, yet we can we'll afford to depart from that rule. Under this amendment the Governor may select, yet his nomination may be rejected by either one or both houses of the General As sembly. For one I do not feel afraid to trust the Governor with this power, believing as do that he will be careful to select the best men. believe this amendment will tend to make the judiciary more independent. Upon many of these questions, while believe men should act independently, yet I should be gratifed if this amendment should pass unani- mously.
 The yeas and nays were called and resulted as follows:
 Yeas-Senators Buck, Upson, Lines, Colt Blackstone, Tomlinson, Brewster, Hoyt, Lewis, Bullock, Coe, Bristol, Peet, Pagan, Silliman, Patton-16.
 Nays-Senators Smith, Brown, Collins-3.
 Absent-Senators Haywood, Spencer-2.
 The amendment was declared carried.
 Bill that the Representatives of each coun- ty may authorize the County Commissioners of such county to charge for more than one hundred days services in each year whenever in the opinion of the Representatives the in terest of the county will bepromoted thereby.
 Senator Buck thought the proposed law was open to objection. He thought it would bring about great deal of confusion.
 Senator Upson offered an amendment pro viding that County Commissioners should re- ceive $4 per day and 3 cents 8 mile, not ex- ceedng $1 per day, for travel, provided that the Commissioners shall not sit more than 100 days except in the counties of Hartford, New Haven and Fairfield, where the Commissioners shall not receive pay for more than 15O days.
 The amendment was adopted and the bill passed.
 Bill amending chapter 18 of the public acts of 1875 by striking out the third section and substituting section fixing the tax on life insurance companies at three-eighths of one per cent. on the total amount of it's premium notes and on the market value of all it's other assets, deducting, however, the amount of its ascertained and unpaid losses, the market value of it's real estate liable to taxation in this State, the market value of any bonds owned by 1t which have been heretofore is- sued by this State or by any town or city in this State in aid of the construction of any railroad, and which by the laws of this State are exempt from taxation, and if said compa- ny be in part 8 stock company, the stock whereof is by law otherwise liable to taxation, the market value of the assets belonging to it's stock department and said tax so paid shall be in lieu of all other taxes on the assets of said company, except on it's taxable stock and on real estate held by it over and above what may be necessarily used by it in transac- ting it's appropriate business
 Senator Blackstone explained the bill at length. He said the only change was in re- ducing the tax from one half of one per cent. to three-eighths. He was followed by Senator Upson, who opposed the bill against the interests of the industrious farmers mechanics and merchants of the State
 Senator Pagan inquired how much the rev. enue of the State would be reduced by this act, and was informed by Senator Blackstone that it would be about $9O, ,OOO. The bill then passed.
 The bills incorporating the New Britain Steam Heating Company and the Waterbury Steam Heating Company were indefinitely postponed, while that incorporating 8 similar company in Norwich passed.
 Bill providing that the term Intoxicating liquors" in the statutes shalTcover spirituous or malt liquors, wine, porter, beer from hops and malt or barley, or any beer which requires Government revenue stamp.
 Senator Brewster offered an amendment correcting the phraseology of the bill, which was adopted and the bill passed.
 At p. m. the Senate took recess until o'clock.
 Afternoon Session.
 The Senate met at 3 o'clock, Senator Coe in the chair. The first business considered was a resolution incorporating the Woman's Ma tional Hospital. Senator Buck explained that the object of this home was to treat women addicted to the of opium, and it was pro posed to locate it in Fairfield county, perhaps at Wilton. It would be national in it's char acter and would not ask for State aid. The resolution passed.
 Resolution printing 1 1000 copies of report of Prof. w. P. Blake of exhibits at the Paris Exposition. Passed
 Senator Pagan was called to the chair, and the business remaining on the calendar was proceeded with. Among the more important bills passed were the following:
 Resolution appointing John W. Stedman member of the State Board Of Education. Bill providing for fine and imprisonment for placing poison or poisoned food in any public places. Fixing the pay of registrars and boards of relief at not less than $2. 50 per day. Providing that counsel for the State in criminal cases shall have the opening and closing arguments. Giving the judges on the Hayden trial power to tax the pay of counsel