Morning journal and courier., 1881-02-18

| ' the CoIor-BlInd and Sten Dree xe Law Work in the Senate and House. T HARTFORD, Feb. IT, 1881. II Especial to the JOURNAL AND CoURIERl There was conspicuous absence of mem
 bers of the ''Third House" to-day. the lob
 bies being comparatively deserted This wal
 no doubt owing to the fact that but few i'm
 portant bills were before the House or Sen
 ate and but few of the committees were 1T
 session. The Fisheries committee furthe,
 heard testimony in opposition to the pro
 posed repeal of the ''steam dredge" law, and dredges of different sizes and shape were
 exhibited to the committee, some of them weighing over one hundred pounds, and 1 their effect on the oyster beds explained. The Committee on Railroads further consid- cred the color-blind law. Col. D. R. Wright managed the case on the part of the peti- tioners who ask for repeal of the law Dr. Carmalt, of New Haven, was again before the committee in opposition to the proposed repeal Hon. William D. Bishop was also present, and assisted Col. Wright in present. ing the case. The Senate took an adjourn ment until Wednesday next, on account of Washingtons birthday falling on Tuesday. | The House will have a brief session to.mor- | row and then adjourn to Wednesday at 12: 30 p. m. Following is summary of the business transacted to-day.
 Senate. 1 The Senate assembled at 1O:35 o'clock, Lieu l tenant Governor Bulkeley in the chair. Prayer was offered by Chaplain Thompson l The following reports of committees were ! received:
 Incorporations-Favo on a resolution amending the charter of Fair Haven Union cemetery.
 upon in concurrence.
 A resolution establishing the holding of the terms of the Supreme Court of Errors in the second judicial district at Norwich on the 1 third Tuesday of April and the third Tuesday of October was passed.
 The following matters on the calendar were disposed of:
 An act was passed providing that no jailer shall be required to receive into his custody any prisoner committed to jail on civil pro- cess, unless the plaintiff shall provide money for the support of the prisoner. resolution amending the charter of the Etna Fire Insurance company of Hartford, so that the company may insure against loss from damage by the clements was passed
 resolution was passed allowing the Der by Gas company to issue bonds to the amount of $25, ,OOO.
 An act was passed limiting the annual ex- penditure for the improvement of East Rock Park, New Haven, to $6, 900.
 An act allowing executors of the estates of deceased and insolvent persons to dispose of liquors belonging to these estates, to the amount of five gallons, without being liable under the license law, was passed.
 A resolution incorporating the West Haven Water company was passed. At 1925 the Senate adjourned until We'd nesday next at 12:3O o'clock.
 House.
 The House was called to order at 1O:3O a. m., Speaker Case in the chair.
 Prayer offered by Chaplain Thompson.
 Roads and Bridges-Mr. Futile, of East Haven, ,chairman-Favorable on bill appor- tioning the expense for repairs and mainte- nance of bridges between towns in propor- tion to the grand list of such towns, tabled for calendar.
 Business from the Senate was disposed of in concurrence
 The petition for incorporating the Cam bridge Guard, of Hartford in the National Guard of the State was rejected.
 Business on the calendar was taken up, and the bill reducing the interest which savings banks shall ask from to per cent, ad versely reported by the Committee on Banks. Mir. Baldwin, of Plymouth, chairman, taken up. Messrs. West, of Hartford, and Northrop, of Middletown, favored the bill, MT. West wanting it considered at some future session Mir. Baldwin thought that every member was as ready now to vote on the bill as he would be at any future time. On vote the bill was rejected.
 Mr. Harrison called up the bill relating to costs of action in tort, reported adversely by the Judiciary committee, and stated that it was the unanimous feeling that the bill should be rejected The bill extends to jus- tices of the peace the right to tax costs in actions for trespass
 MT. Futile, of East Haven, who introduced the bill favored its passage, holding that it was solely for the Encouragement of petty and vexatious suits.
 MT. Harrison held that more injury would be done by the passage of the bill than the good that would be accomplished.
 On vote the bill was rejected.
 The bill authorizing the punishment of wife beaters by fogging on the bare back was reported adversely by the Judiciary commit tee. The bill was introduced by MT. Moore, of Berlin, who advocated it's passage. He thought the bill was good one, and that it's passage would deter wife beaters from indul- ging in barbarous cruelty. Under the pres ent statutes the wife beater could be sent to jail, but his family was punished by this course as much as the man himself, without any reformation on the part of the latter. The punishment should be for the man alone.
 
 in the State prison, and he would simply ex- tend it outside. The law was in the interest of good society and he thought it would be for the public advantage of the State to have it passed.
 Mr. Bryant, of East Hartford, was in fa vor of the bill, as was also Mir. Wadsworth of Pennington. The latter recalled the time when the whipping post was in vogue in Connecticut He remembered once seeing two men whipped in his town for stealing hens. Those men never stole hens again. The effect was valuable.
 MT. Crandall, of Ledyard, was opposed to the bill, for the reason that the man who should be publicly whipped would be 1n- spired with feelings of revenge. MT. Harrl- son showed that the State has severe enough penalty for the crime of wife beat ing. The whipping post is relic of barbar- ism, and it is not worth while to go back to it. On vote the bill was rejected.
 The resolution incorporating the Hartford Indemnity company was called from the ta- ble by Mir Houston. The incorporators, Messrs Marshall Jewell, Francis B. Cooley, J. Watson Beach Henry A. Redfeld and James Bolter. Mr. Houston sad on guar antee that business is intended by the com pany The objects of the company are to in- sure any and all loss arising by reason of want of integrity, honesty or fidelity or on account of the willful and culpable default or wrongful act of any party holding an office of trust either public or private in its nature, or of any officer, agent, servant or employe of any private individual or pub lie or private corporations in this State or elsewhere, and give bonds of indemnity therefor and that the corporation may also make insurance against loss, damage or ha- | bility arising from any unknown or contin- gent event whatever which may be the sub feet of legal insurance, except the perils and risks included within the departments of fire, marine life insurance and steam boiler insurance, and especially against loss by bur glary or theft and against damage to plate glass by breakage The amendment from the Senate requesting at least three directors was adopted.
 MT. Sprague, of Hartford, introduced an amendment restricting the company from in- suring against personal accidents; accepted by MT. Houston. The bill as amended was passed.