Morning journal and courier., 1881-02-04
aournaI artS Gautier.
Friday Morning, Feb. 4. 1881.
At the State Capitol.

At the State Capitol.
 Active Work i'm Both Branches of the
 Legfslature-The Oyster Dredging Law
 Again Under COnsiaeratiOn-The Pro-
 posed Amendments to the City Charter
 of New Haven-Other Matters.
 HARTFORD, Feb. 1, 1881.
 Especial Correspondence of JOURNAL AND COURIER ] < Another busy day at the Capitol, and busi- ness in both houses appeared to move along rapidly. The several committees were in session in the afternoon, the principal inter est to New Haven and vicinity seeming to center towards the Committee on Fisheries, where the proposed law relating to steam dredging for shell fish and shells on natural grounds was under consideration. The law passed last year permitted steam dredging anywhere on natural grounds, except between certain points lying between Greenwich and Fairfield. The present law proposes to pro- hibit steam dredging on all natural beds within the waters of this State, and the con- sequence is that the conflicting interests were largely represented Colonel Hoyt, who rep resents the dredging party, made 8 brief statement to the committee, and said that there was decided sentiment among oyster men in favor of the passage of the bil1 in order that these natural grounds which are held by the State may be protected. He pre- sented petition signed by about five hun dred persons in favor of the passage of the bill. It was shown in evidence that five hun dred and eighteen acres of shell fish grounds came under the prohibition act of :, last year, while the number of acres left free to steam dredging was 10, POS. The point intended to be brought out was that capitalists owning steam dredges had an undue advantage over the dealers of small means, who could only employ sailing vessels for dredging. There were parties present from nearly all of the shore towns to testify on one side or the other, and the hearing will not be finished until sometime next week.
 A bomb was thrown into the camp of the New Haven Democracy to-day when Hon. Dwight Futile, of East Haven introduced "A bill for public act amending the charter of the city of New Haven" It provide es that there shall be Boards of Fire, Police and members each, four of which are to be elect ed by the Court of Common Council in joint convention on the first Monday of next April. Two members are to be elected from April 1, 1881, to February l, 1883, and two from the same date to February 1, 1885. They are to be chosen two from the Repub- licans and two from the D emocrats, and the chairman of each Board is to be appointed by the Governor. The bill also provides |Gla oE 41z H. of Aldermen and Councilmen fail to elect in joint convention the me embers of said Boards of Commissioners first to be elected as provided in this act, then and in that case the chairman of each of said Boards of Com missioners shall have all the powers given by the charter and bylaws of said city to per- form all the duties required of the Board of which he is member until said joint con- vention shall elect the other members of said Board and no longer. It also provides that ! all vacancies shall be filled in the same man. ner as elections or appointments were origi- nally made for the unexpired term The | chairman of the Board of Road Commission | CTS is to be the executive officer of l the Board and perform the duties of the Street Inspector, and it gives power | to the Road Commissioners to appoint or l elect not exceeding three inspectors, and such | engineers and inspectors. clerks and such | other persons as they may judge necessary for the full and faithful performance of all l the duties imposed upon said Board; they l point all officers connected with the roads, sewers, bridges and parks of | said city, and to fix the compensation and l term of office of all the officers appointed by | them, provided they shall elect or appoint no person to office for longer term | than four years. The term of office for ! Street Inspector, who shall be in office on | April ?, 1881, and the term of office of all | inspectors appointed by the Road Commis- sioners, who shall be in office April ?, 1881, | shall expire and terminate on that day. The section relating to the police department 1 provides for captain and such number of | patrolmen as said Board shall from time to time determine, who shall serve during good l behavior the commissioners shall have power to make all needful rules and regula- 1 tions, and to alter and amend the same, and | to elect or appoint all members of said force and to remove any member for cause, and to fix the compensation. It also gives power tc 1 the Police Commissioners to divide the force | into three grades, the first grade receiving the highest salary, the second grade to in. ] clude all ordinary policemen not included ir | the first, and the third grade to consist o1 | the supernumerary policemen, and said Board l may promote members of one grade to the next higher for meritorious and faithful services, and may change or remove any policeman from a higher to a lower grade, if they judge such change to be nee
 essary for securing good order and discipline of said force.
 Another section provides that the Board o1 Police Commissioners except for election ot l school officers, shall provide for each voting ol-1, place for holding all elections, and shall, al least ten days before the holding of any sucI election, furnish the Mayor of said city, anc the Selectmen of said town, with list of the polling places so selected, and all elections l except school elections, warned to be held ii 1 said city or town, shall be warned and held al | the places so selected. The chairman of the
 Police Board is also made superintendent ot . the police force after 12:30 p. m., May ? 1881, and is to perform all the duties of Chiet
 of Police Again it is provided that ths
 terms of office of all police officers, ordinary policemen and supernumerary policemen
 shall terminate on May 2, 1881, and the BoarG | shall, on April 4, 1881, proceed to elect ol l appoint such number of persons to be mem
 bers of said police force they may judgt ! necessary, whose term of office shall begi1 l May 2. 1881.
 Under this act the fire department vii | COuS1sG O1 oOOu1IulbSlOueFb,a a On16I En gineer, two assistants, an assistant Fire Mar shal and inspector, and such number of fire
 men and other persons as said board shal judge necessary for the faithful performance l of all the duties imposed upon them. Sait commissioners shall have power to make al l the rules, determine the number of the force elect or appoint all the officers and members | fix their pay, and they shall serve during | good behavior This includes the chief, as sistant engineers and assistant fire marsha and inspector. Makes the chairman of tn,
 Board of Fire Commissioners superin
 tendent of the fire department, giving hin general superintendence of all buildings ant
 property of said department, but the Chic 1 Engineer shall be deemed to be in command l of the officers and firemen when they
 may be called to or present at any fire
 the chairman of the Fire Commissioners the
 Fire Marshal, giving him the care and super
 intendence of the street lamps, with powe