Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-17


 Too Much Talk in the Lower Branch
 Farther Investigation of ConsoIidat-
 ed Railroad Figures-Presfdent Wat
 rous Before the Committed
 HARTFORD, March 16, 1882.
 Special correspondence of the JOURNAL AND Coun1ER
 Both branches of the General Assembly
 met promptly at 10 o'clock this morning.
 The session of the Senate was a short one,
 owing in great measure to the long debates
 ill the House on bills that came up for action
 and the consequent delay of getting the bills
 on the calendar of the Senate As will be
 seen by the summary the town of Orange
 succeeded in getting an appropriation for ex-
 penses incurred in the Jennie Cramer inves-
 tigation, although they do not receive so
 large an amount as they asked for.
 As usual on afternoons the center of at
 traction to-day was before the Railroad con-
 mittee. The room was crowded by interest ed listeners, members of the General Assem- ply and others.
 Onthe commencement of the hearing Mir. Goodwin, who is the king pin" 1n the com 1 plaint against the Consolidated railroad, was | busy making up corrected balance sheet | Gas he understood it) on the blackboard
 While he was thus engaged the testimony pro 1 ceeded
 | The first witness called was Rowland Swift | president of the American National bank o1 1 Hartford, who testified that he could not und ! erstand the reports of the New York and New Haven railroad as made to the railroad com ! missioners He saw discrepancies that he could not reconcile.
 James Bolter, of the First National bank, Hartford, thought the report of the Consoli- dated road was made to conceal facts rather than exhibit them. Judging from the bal l ance sheet he would say there was a loss ot $500, ,OO0.
 Mir. Goodwin then proceeded to again ex- plain his theory by mass of figures on the blackboard, which he called balance sheet According to Mir. Goodwin's figures, there was difference of $349, ,615. .54 between the report of the road to the stockholders and the report to the railroad commissioners. When MT. Goodwin concluded MT. Case informed the committee that he rested his case. President Watrous, addressing the com mittee, said: We have sat here as interest ed spectators. We had supposed, under the resolution, that 1t was your investigation and not Mir. Goodwin's If you desire to hear
 anything from in regard to any particular
 point, are prepared to answer any ques
 tions or make any explanations. The con-
 mittee decided that as they had been called
 upon to investigate the returns of any or all
 of the railroads of the State, and to find whether any roads were in the habit of SUD-
 pressing items of earnings, that it was prop CT to proceed with the hearing. Railroad Commissioner Woodruff then ad- dressed the committee. He said that while the commissioners were included in the reso- lution, yet it had been learned that the only railroad that it was intended to investigate was the New York and New Haven railroad. MT. Woodruff read letter referring to dis crepancies that had been called to his atteu- tion by Mir. Owen and MT. Sill of the House. He called President Watrous' attention to 1t, and had received letter from that gentleman explaining tho discrepancy between the re- port to the stockholders and that to the railroad commissioners, which he read, and which he said was entirely satisfactory so far as the item of $300,O00 was concerned. Commissioner Bacon explained that he went to New York and with the aid of the auditor of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad went over the books and returns, and the corrections were made as suggested by the commissioners. Mr. Watrous said he had not been prepared to look upon his company as sulprits in this examination. There had been one man who for years had assailed the management. Be- fore he became president he had supposed that the people of Connecticut were satisfied with it's management. He had seen no reason to change his mind. He had supposed that this investigation would be conducted in the committees own way. We did not dream that it was necessary for us to employ coun- sel and we have not done so. I do not think that we should stand here as prosecuted par ties We shall be willing, however, if you
 insist upon it, to show you that our books are honest and, as I believe, strictly correct
 It does not seem fair to me that we should, after being examined by you, be subjected to useless cross examination by this asthmatical demagogue of figures and problems Good win.)
 After further discussion it was decided that Mir. Watrous might be heard. Mir. Watrous was then sworn and proceeded to make a statement to the committee. He said he believed that the books of the company had been kept honestly and fairly. At the close of the fiscal year 1881 the company found they had hand about $5O0,OOO The question came up what shall be done with this money. Some of the directors thought l it should go to the stockholders. but this I opposed, and it was finally determined to ex pend it on bridges, principally on the Shore Line railroad. He then explained where ! this $500, ,000 had been expended, the same ! as was explained in the Parallel railroad \ hearing. An opponent of the road, after the hearing was concluded said that MT. Watrous had made in his opinion clear and honest statement of the matter. Mir. Wat rous' testimony was not concluded and will be continued tomorrow afternson at 2 o'clock
 Following is @ summary of the business transacted in the Senate and House to-day. Senate.
 The Senate convened at 10 o'clock. Lieu tenant Governor Bulkeley in the chair. Prayer was offered by Chaplain Sage. The bill providing that courts shall not tax ! more than one set of costs, where that two l or more can be joined, came frGsn the House indorsed indefinitely postponed. The Senate adhered to its former action in passing the bill.
 The Committee on Agriculture reported favorably on bills to protect orchards from tresspass and concerning animals on highways.
 Senator Alsop offered bill forbidding pounds and other similar contrivances for the taking of fish at the mouth of the Con necticut river. Senator Alsop explained that pounds had already been placed in position in the channei or the river OeIoW tne onore Line railroad bridge at Saybrook. At that point the river is so narrow that if the pounds are allowed to remain scarcely any
 shad will ascend the river this season. Senator Spencer favored the admission of
 the bill
 Under a suspension of tho rules the bill was admitted and referred to the Committee
 on Fisheries.
 Business on the calendar was disposed of as follows:
 Bill amending act relating to taxation of corporations, verbally amended by Commit tee on Engrossed Bills; passed.
 Bill providing that courts of probate may revoke any decision which may have been
 procured by fraud or imposition.
 Senator Bradstreet stated that the bill as
 drawn was not exactly proper, as it conferred
 more pawer upon Probate courts than upon
 the Superior court and moved its indefinite