Morning journal and courier., 1881-02-09
At fhe State Capitol.

The sHTachfnery or LegisIatfon i'm Active
 Motion-Earnest Work by the Commit
 tees-Large Attendance of Members of
 the Third FIouse-The Lobbies Crowded
 -The Oyster Question Once More.
 HARTFORD, Feb. 8, 1881.
 Especial Correspondence of JOURNAL AND CouR1ER.G
 There was not large attendance of legis- lators to-day at the opening of the Senate and House, which took place at 12:30 D. m. The noon trains, however, brought a large number of members of the third house. from all sections of the State, rand the num- Der of 'taxes'' that they had to grind was simply fearful. The lobby was packed with earnest and in some cases excited men, who were discussing the various projects before particular interest. If legislator ventured from the ''sacred precincts'' of the chamber he was quickly .'buttonholed, {" and if he es- capped without losing some of the buttons from his coat was considered fortunate. So matters proceeded until the hour of adjourn ment e D. m. ), and as the honorable gentle men of the Senate and House emerged from their respective chambers, they were besieged e,a masse by the members of the 'third -AAS>-A bers. however, were not to be deprived of their dinners, and rushing for the coat rooms they donned their coats and quickly disappeared down the granite stairways and out into clearer and purer air, only to go through similar experience on the morrow. In the afternoon many of the committees were in session. and their respective rooms were crowded by interested parties desiring to be heard on this or that measure. The committee having the largest audience was that on Interpretations. The matter before them was bill giving power to raise the height of a dam across the Connecticut river at Enfield, so as to increase the water power in that locality. To this proposition those who live at points on the river above this dam and owning mill sites thereon object. In fact, the objectors in many cases come from Springfield, Mass, and Holyoke, Mass, which is nineteen miles distant from the dam in question. From the latter city appeared representatives of the Holyoke Water Power company. Before the Railroad committee appeared Hon. William H. Barnum in the interest of the Connecti- cut Western railroad, who desired change in the law regarding the sale of bonds of this road, which, he said. would relieve the stock holders of some of their burdens. The Con- mittee on Fisheries again were listening to the everlasting oyster question and the pro- posed law to prohibit steam dredging on nat ural oyster grounds within the waters of this State. From present appearances, this matter will occupy the attention of the committee nearly the entire week, there being large number of interested parties who desire to be heard. MT. Connors, secretary of the Municipal Gas Light company, was heard to-day in regard to the petition of his com pany for new charter to lay gas mains in New Haven. He asked that the hearing be postponed until the latter part of February. The committee informed him that they would fix upon future day and notify him at what time they would hear the petition.
 Following is a summary of the business transacted.