Litchfield enquirer., 1880-02-05

labor report in favor of continuation of the contract system, and find no abuse in the pres- ent management in that regard.
 MT. Colyer is on hand with his bill for re- duction ofrailroad fares ndfreights. Probably the House is all right but we fear the railroads will prove too strong for MT. Colyer in the Senate.
 The plan of employing pages at salaries of $100 each in place of the Senate and House messengers seems an economical proposition but it reduces the spells of political livictory!
 Dr. Ezra P. Bennett of Danbury, has been nominated by the republican members of the general assembly from Fairfield county, to be trustee of the Connecticut hospital for the insane at Middletown.
 It appears from the report of the Joint Stock Law Commission that only about a third of the corporations organized in the state are now doing business. They also submit cer tain reforms such as their investigation has shown to be necessary.
 . We see little advantage in electing senators by general ticket. The result would often be Senate composed of single party-a una- nimity that would be far from delightful. The principle of minority representation should be applied to senatorial elections. house committee has been appointed to report concerning a site for an insane poor hospital; and the property owned by the re- treat for the insane corporation, located in the southwest part of the town of Hartford, is spoken of by some as available.
 The report of the Fish Commissioners shows that about 437, 900 shad were taken in the Connecticut river, last season, valued at over $60, 900. The number of salmon IS not in creasing, and it seems certain that they are Holyoke Dam.
 We observe that the Finance Committee | have reported resolution appropriatng $3,- 900 for the celebration of the battle of Groton Heights. It does not strike us that such an | expenditure of public money would be appro- | priate. It was an event of some local import. l ance, no doubt, but why should the State pay
 for it's Celebration
 There is a greater proportion of old men in l the house this year than usual. Thirty-two l are over sixty years of age, and eight are over seventy. The oldest man is Samuel s. Tib. | bals of Durham, "A. There are four each 73 years of age, as ollows:-Edwin N. Lewis, Plainville; Martin Cook, Harwinton; William | A. Cromwell, Salisbury Benjaman Platt,
 Thomaston; Daniel H. Birdsey, Middlefeld, and Alexander G. Brink, Stonington, are 72, l and Hiram Jenks, Voluntown,i TO. Frank s. Keeuey, Bolton, is the youngest member, % i; and John G. Crump, New London, next, 23.
 The oldest senator is William Brown, Fifth | district, 75; the youngest, w. H, Hayward,
 Ninth district, 37. --C0urGnt.
 We are by no means certain that the Senate l did wisely in rejecting the bIll which sought
 to change the present law regarding bribery at l elections. As the matter now stands, the | buyer and seller of votes are punished alike
 and neither dare disclose the crime of the
 other. Does not the vote-buyer occupy pre-
 csely the same position in such transaction
 as the man who sells liquor in the rum traffic ?
 the vote-seller, that of the drinkerf If it is
 wise to punish the rumseller, and to leave the
 buyer unpunished, to encourage the latter to l 'tell on" the former, would it not be wiser to 1 prosecute the buyer of votes and to condone
 the crime of the seller, with, view to secure
 the punishment of the more criminal of the l two? s
 We look with little favor on the proposed
 changes in the divorce law. The formal pres,
 ence of the States Attorney would add no
 guaranty against collusion. The judge always
 cross-questions sharply on that point, and the
 attorney could do no more. No one proposes
 to pay him fee large enough to ensure real
 defence in each divorce case. Our idea is
 that mere lapse of time offers very important
 evidence of the necessity of a separation. Let
 the person seeking divorce file notice of his or her petition at least year before any final
 hearing. Let a petitioning wife. however, have complete control of her person and prep. erty during that year, with the right of im-
 mediate application to the court for alimony
 and custody of children pending suit. Such a mode of proceeding would open more chance of reconciliation, and more time for the over. throw of collusive agreements, than any of the propositions we have vet seen. .55 4slir a.s.s