Morning journal and courier., 1882-04-21

IOE Lu0 SudEu LOA SnAoAooA and printing.
 Bill regulating the sale of commercial fer tilizers was passed in concurrence with the House.
 At 11:5O the Senate adjourned until Friday at 10 o'clock.
 House.
 The House was called to order at 10 a. m Speaker Hall in the chair. Prayer was of fered by the chaplain, Rev. -Dr. A. J. Sage.
 Business from the Senate was disposed of in concurrence
 The House, on motion of Mr. Robertson, of New Haven, adhered in the passage of the Sergeant Mason resolutions, which had been rejected in the Senate The House rejected Senate amendments to bill relating to ap breaches to railroad depots, covering the Willimantic depot contro versy, and Messrs. Johnson, of Enfield, and Northrop, ot Middletown, were appointed 8 committee ot conference relative to the disagreeing action.
 The resolution appropriating $l, 302 30 in favor of the temperance commissioners was tabled on motion of MT. Robertson. Subse quently called from the table and discussed Mir. Robertson objecting to the passage ot the resolution. It was explained that Mir. Wheeler declined to receive compensation. The sum of $500 was to go to Colonel Tib- betts, and the balance, $1, ,0O0 in round mum bers, to ex- Governor Wayland, who had per form ed most of the labor of the commission Mr. Robertson moved that the resolution be referred to the Committee on Claims. This course was opposed by Mir. Johnson, but ap- proved of by Mir. Northrop. He thought the resolution had come in late in the session and there was no possibility of ascertainine the expense involved. The Claims committee could investigate the claim to-day and report Friday.
 Mr. Cowles, of Pennington, said if there was any objection to paying the claim ii ought to be referred.
 Mr. Mahan, of New London, said the amount to be paid was not exorbitant, and he believed that the State was in honor bound to pay it..
 On vote the reference to the Claims com. mittee was ordered-S8 to 59.
 The following committee reports were made: Railroads-Bill amending the gene ral railroad laws, extending the time for se. curing right of way from one to two years, and in case of litigation authorizing the Railroad Commissioners to extend the time two years additional; authorizing navigable waters to be crossed above any existing bridge, and prohibiting the issuing of bonds in excess of one-half of the amount expended in construction, such amount to be sworn tc py pF6SlUeuG, S0cT0tdfy duA euSluooE O1 tue road and approved by the Railroad Commis sioners; also forbidding any road to sub scribe for stock or hold bonds of proposed new road tabled for calendar; favorable or ordering on file the annual report of the Railroad Commissioners; ordered on the table on motion of Mir. Gillespie of Stam. ford favorable on extending time of New York and New England road to construct its line.
 Finance-Adverse on petition of Ben Moves for reimbursement for $i5O expended by him while Insurance Commissioner, petitioners given leave to withdraw; favorable on reso lution concerning taxes of New York and New England railroad company, defending the payment of certain taxes until after De cember 1st, 1884.
 The bill amending the act for establishing 8 State commission for designating oyster grounds was explained by Mir. Fuller. Sen ate amendments were concurred in and the bill was passed. .~
 The bill authorizing reasonable compensa tion to counsel assigned to defend criminals charged with offenses the punishment oi which, may be capital or imprisonment fol life was taken up out of regular order ano explained by Mir. Johnson and passed.
 MT. Owen, of Manchester, called from the table the report on the Northrop investiga tion, and the accompanying bull abolishin& the office of the secretary of the State board of education. The reading of the report was dispensed with.
 Mr. Robertson, of New Haven said that before the bill is discussed he should ask tC have the word ''defalcation" stricken out ot the report. While he believed the gentleman occupying the office of secretary of the State Board of Education was incompetent and had mismanaged his office, he did not think there had been anything like a defalca ton.
 MT. Owen said that he was willing that any hghter'or non-committal word should be adopted He moved the word 'sdefcit' should be substituted for "defalcation" wherever the latter occurs. Opposed by Mir. Cleve land and MT. Stanton of Stonington, but adopted.
 In commencing his argument Mir. OWer warned the House against accepting the state ments and pleas of lobby force, and news paper comments as against the sworn report of the committee. When he commenced ths investigation he felt that there was something wrong at the head center of the educationa department. It had been found that Mir Holbrook, MT. Northrop's son-in-la law, haG received upwards of 300 volumes, comprising the school library which had been recon mended. He claimed also that his use of the word ''defalcation' in the report was gram matically correct. The propr1ety of the sec retary taking $500 per year for travelling ex penses, when he had not expended that amount, should be left for determination under the statute. The secretary, who has been in office since 1867, must have known the statute and. its application to his case. The expenses were to be paid solely and exclusively while he was in the performance of his duties as of f.fb soif ,ol4 H., the Normal school. He claimed that Mir Northrop had made unauthorized visits te Europe, the Board of Education not having possessed power to send him abroad The record shows this. The board had no right to send Mir. Northrop abroad without orders to do so by the General Assembly, and an appropriation for meeting the expenses.
 MT. Scofeld offered an amendment order. ing the appointment of commission for in. vestigating the affairs of the secretary's office and report to the State Board of Education sary, to the next General Assembly. The resolution appoints Nathaniel Wheeler, ot Bridgeport, and Frederi k J. Kingsbury, o1 Waterbury, commissioners.
 Mr. Cleveland, of Brooklyn, made strong and vigorous defense of Mir. Northrop, and repelled the charge that his visits abroad had been unauthorized. He was himself a mem Der of the board which sent MT. Northror abroad for the first time. He had been 6 supporter of the second visit, and had given 1t his official sanction. Until the appoint ment of the State auditors, Judge Elishs Carpenter had audited every dollar of the secretary's expenses for the public school in stitutes But under the law he had never felt it obligatory to audit travelling expenses. Mir. Cleveland denounced the report of the committee as being lnexcusable and infamous, and said it could never have been made except on passion and prejudice. II was an attack on the fair fame of Connecti cut and her public schools, and he repelled it as an injustice and wrong. He claimed that Connecticut should have chance to disprove the false position which has been alleged against her bya committee of this House He did not approve of all that Sec retary Northrop had done, and he had told him so, but he challenged the charge that he had been dishonest. The charge of defalca- tion against man who had devoted the best of the State was an unbounied cruelty. He hoped the amendment would be adopted.
 Mir. Northrop, of Middletown, sustained the amendment offered by MT. Scofield He held that the success of the public schools of the State belonged largely to the secretary ot the State Board of Education, and it would be an injustice to let the charges made by the
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