Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-24
9ournal anb Gontier.
Friday Morning. March 24, 1882
The General Assembly.

A ma cndments to the License Law Dis cussed i'm the House--Continuation Of Arguments i'm the Goodwin Investiga- tion of the Consolidated RafIroad- Other Matters of Interest.
 HARTFORD. March 23, 1882. Special correspondence of the JOURNAL COURIER.
 Most of the time in the House to-day was taken up in discussion of the temperance or license law and it's many proposed changes and provisions In nearly every section there were changes in the provisions, each of which created more or less argument, as will be seen by the summary accompanying this letter. Without reaching completion of tho bill the House adjourned and the bill went over until tomorrow. When the bill is fin ally decided upon many of the principal sec- tions will evidently be shorn of their ''great- ness."
 The arguments on Mir. Goodwin's complaint of false returns by the Consolidated railroad were resumed this afternoon in Representa- tives' Hall, after a unanimous decision by the committee this morning that they should be heard there. The lateness of the hour when the House adjourned caused some de- lay in the assembling of the committee, and it was not until 2:3O o'clock that Senator Baker announced that the arguments could proceed.
 Mir. Perry in his opening address briefly reviewed his argument of yesterday, up to the point where he was interrupted by MT, l Cooley. Proceeding he said: Let no one say that this is intended malice toward the I,,I T. 1u,i,, or anybody else. He said this road, the richest in the State was the only one that had any object for concealment of its rev. enue. We claim that the law has been vio- lated in the returns made by this company. The returns of railroads to the commission CTS are of the greatest importance, to say nothing of their statistical value. The stock | holders and the State are entitled to know | where every dollar of the company's earnings | have gone But the great consideration is yet to be considered. A railroad is not strictly a private corporati,n n, it is in one | sense public corporation. It gets it's at tributes of sovereignty from the State, and it's right of eminent domain as we'll If the net earnings of a railroad company are toe large then it means that the people are being l too heavily taxed for fares and freight rates. This company we say has endeavored to conceal from the public it's earnings and for purpose; it was because they, the pub l lie, would interfere through their representa- | tives to have the rates reduced, or that the | stockholders, knowing the large amount being earned, would clamor for larger dividends | Referring to the earnings of the Shore Line railway MT. Perry said that there should no be any such returns as were made This roac virtually owns the Shore Line road, and there should be no separation of accounts between this and the Consolidated road. He saiG there was attempt at concealment in ths earnings of the Shore Line division Whert 8 debt had been charged, the money hat simply been expended in permanent improve ments, and instead of being charged as debt, it should appear in the column of ne earnings In concluding the speaker sait that the public during the past year had beer deceived in fares and freights, which they should not have done, amounting in the aggregate to nearly $65O, ,OOO after paying the stockholders ten per cent. on their invest ment. This should not be permitted by s public corporation. They have laid the basis in the past year for watering their stock l $650, ,OOO, and in the last six years million and half, and this great corporation will soon be asking the Legislature to increase their capital stock. Publicity, said the speaker, is the great remedy for all these evils Give the people the facts, and they will furnish. the remedy. He said that the rich railroad corporation of to-day was the public highwayman, and he thought this highwayman should be put out of the way and return to an honest living He believed that public opinion would set all these mat ters right with it's resistless force.
 1 Vice President Clarke followed Mir. Perry He said it seemed his duty to reply to some charges that had been made by the other side, and he proposed to tell the truth an6 the whole truth. l am no lawyer, said Mir Clarke, but am a man, and I believe yor will give me respectful hearing. I speal without prejudice, for it is only few months that have been connected with the Consoli dated railroad. attended the last stockhold ers' meeting at New Haven, and I though there could be nothing more fair than tha report. The speaker then proceeded to show that there had been nothing wrong in the accounts. l will assert right here, said he that the books of the Consolidated road hay, not been altered or amended in any particu lar, not by one figure, and they stand pre- cisely today as they did on the day when tht l report was made to the Railroad Commission CTS. Mir. Clarke took up the $3OOOO matter and said there was no intention to conceal it but, on the contrary, 1t was put plainly on tht books so that they who run may read There had been no concealment, no fixing up, but all had been open and fair. He saiG that while there was a difference in tht Massachusetts and Connecticut reports, ye it was because the requirements we're differ ent in different States but the grand total of re ceipts and expenses did not vary to the amoun of one cent. MT. Clarke continued, and in a very plain and concise manner showed that there had been no attempt at concealment He answered MT. Perry's conjectures ana plainly showed that his (Perry's) statements could not in any way be borne out by facts or figures. He said the books of the com pany were open to the inspection of the company or any expert. that they chose to se lect to examine them. The Consolidated committee courted such an investigation 1T the firm belief that no fault or error could be found in the accounts. He referred al length to the insinuations of Mir. Perry and said that it was evident that this investiga ton was instituted by parties in the interest of the proposed ''Parallep' road. On con. cluding his address, which was plain and concise, Mir. Clarke was loudly cheered by the large audience present. It was the prevail ing opinion that he had at least two-thirds o1 those present on his side. Tomorrow after noon at 1 o'clock President Watrous will com. mence the concluding argument for the Con- solidated road and will be followed by Mr Case, who will make the concluding argu ment.
 After the concluding argument. Mir. Good win informed the reporters that he knew nothing about the petition of the Paralle road at the time he filed his petition for a1 investigation of the reports of the Consoli dated road, and consequently the intimatio1 of Mir. Clarke that the Parallel road was be hind him OGoodwin1 in this movement wal