Morning journal and courier., 1880-02-21
LOCAL NEWS.
Legislative Notes.

Trying to Repair or Make Better Joint
 stock Laws-Ex-GOvernOrH Hubbard
 BridgepOrt's Little Park-TOwnS and
 FrHdges-A New Way 10 Adjust the
 Expense-ReleaSeA eAsked-Thinks He
 Has Been i'm Jail Long Enough.
 Yesterday was another lively day for com mittee work at Hartford. As the session draws near to close many of the committees are fully occupied and have but little time for recreation.
 The Committee on Interpretations had un- der consideration yesterday the proposed re- vision of the joint stock laws of the State, which many of our wisest men think are bad Iy in need of doctoring. A number of promi- nsnt persons were before the committee and most of them were strongly in favor of the repeal of the present laws The meeting was a pretty interesting one. Ex-Governor Hub bard was one of the principal speakers. He earnestly hoped for the repeal of the present laws He also favored the appointment of corporation commissioner to look after the oint stock companies, and favored his pay ment by a system of fees to be exacted from the companies, so that the officer should not be an expense to the State. The laws had been terribly abused by parties belonging outside of the State, who could not be incor- porated elsewhere, and he thought the evil should be remedied as speedily as possible. H. s. Barbour, one of the commission on the revision of the laws, stated that Governor Andrews had examined into the concerns char tered during the past year, and had found that in 1879 companies had been organized under our laws with capital aggregating AI-s representing SIS, ,399, ,O00 were in the opin- ion of the commission bogus companies, the legitimate corporations representing only $1,9O9, 025 Of these companies 106 were nonresident and about 60 resident. During the month of January, 1880, there had been organized in the State three companies with 8 capital of 100000 900 each, and one each with capital of $5,OOO, GOO and $2, 500, ,000, beside 8 large number with small capitals, and all were organized by non-residents of the State.
 Representative A. Heaton Robertson, of New Haven, and Joseph Sheldon, of New Haven, were before the Judiciary Committee. They spoke in regard to the bills regulating the rate of interest Two bills were under con- sideration-one proposed by each of the gen tIemen heard. MT. Sheldon's bill was copy of the so called s'usury law" which appeared on the Revised Statutes of 1866, and Colonel Robertson's was modification of the bill.
 Bridgeport had little park interest at stake before the Committee on Cities and Boroughs yesterday afternoon. Bridgeport wishes to accept a gift of land for park donated by Judge Beardsley, and named ''Beardsley Park" but it lies outside the city and hence the Legislature has to be asked for power to accept it and assume it's care and control Nobody appeared to oppose it except Colonel Dwight Norris but many spoke in favor of it.
 The country towns are interested over bill providing that towns between which bridge is built shall pay the cost, not equally as now, but pro rAta in proportion to the grand lists of respective towns. A long hearing was in prog ress yesterday before the Committee on Roads and Bridges. Corporation Counsel Stoddard, Adjutant General Harland and representatives from other cities and large towns in the State were heard in opposition to the bill Abijah Catlin, of Harwinton, is supposed to be the father of the bilI
 The State Prison Committee were busy yes- terday hearing petition for release of Charles E. Gilbert of New Britain. This is tha man who says he has been in prison thirteen years for until his fathers death) for murder he never committed. Ex-Governor Hubbard. who was States Attorney at the time of the conviction, said he never thought nor be- ieved that Gilbert killed Caldwell, though he undoubtedly knew much of the case and was a participant in the scheme to rob Caldwell, which scheme resulted in the murder. The petitioner claims that the murder was commit ted by his father and one Charles Parsons, both of whom are now deceased, and says he preferred to suffer rather than subject his father to the death penalty which must follow any confession the petitioner would make. Now that his father is dead he thinks he should be released, and that he has been pun ished enough for crime of which he was not guilty.