Morning journal and courier., 1883-05-02
aOurusl arl0 GOurisr.
Wednesday, May 2, 1883.
The General Assembly.

The General Assembly.
 Looking for a Close Of the Session, the
 Longest in the History of the State-The
 Attaches of the LegisInture-The House
 Slow in Disposfng of Business
 Hartford, May l.
 Special Correspondence of the JOURNAL COURIER. Everybody is hoping the General Assembly is on the last week of it's session, although the House today has not been very encouraging for an adjournment on Thursday or even Friday. The Senate is only waiting for the House to give them some work to do and the honored Senators cannot be held responsible for the longest session in the history of the State. In the prospective closing hours of
 the session it will not be considered out of place to notice some of the attaches. Among these are the messengers and doorkeepers of both houses, the messengers of the court rooms and the clerk of committees. All have
 served the State faithfully and well and are certainly entitled to more than the meagre compensation they receive. MT. Bill, the compiler of the legislative statistics, has done | his duty faithfully and fully sustains the rep | utation of William Goodwin, his late faithful ! predecessor. There are several bills to be
 acted upon yet that certainly deserve the criticism of both houses before they become | laws and the same should be carefully con sidered before sending them to the Governor for his signature.
 | Following is summary of the business | transacted in the Senate and House to-day. The Senate
 ! aJ at o'clock by Lieutenant Governor Sumner. Prayer was offered by Chaplain Parker. Mr. Colt was appointed on the conference | committee on disagreeing vote on tue bill \ giving New London power to construct a highway over the flats of Shaw's Cove
 House resolution requiring the railroad commissioners to obtain information con- corning grade crossings to make examina- N tions the present year of all railroads cross | ing highways at grade and report the number ! of such crossings where it is necessary for
 travellers on the highway to approach | the railroad within less than 100 feat in order to see whether or not there may be a I train approaching at a distance of one-quar | ter of mile from the crossing. The House Y passed the bill, but MT. Colt objected to it as | new business and it was indefinitely post \ poned.
 MT. De Forest was appointed on the con- ference committee on the bill increasing the salary of the clerk of the City court of Bridge | port to $75O. The House passed and the Senate rejected it.
 | By MT. Coit-Bill giving the New Britain | water commissioners additional power to take \ land necessary for constructing aqueducts ' and reservoirs within the towns of Berlin and | New Britain. The Senator explained that the \ city of New Britain found itself with lower ! supply of water than at any time since water ' WAS introduced, and the commissioners ask for this additional power in order to reach scattered parties in different parts of the \ State owning lands the commissioners desire \ to own. The bill was received as new busi-
 ness and sent to the Committee on Cities and Boroughs.
 MT. Colt called from the table the bill re- ducing the State tax on railroads from per cent. to : of per cent. MT. Baker said he did not desire to add anything to what he \ said the other day, but he thought that the \ reduction could be consistently made Messrs Gunn Cooke, DeForest, Spencer and Gilbert opposed the reduction. The railroads have | great privileges, and, like all other property, \ should pay proper tax. Messrs Colt and Yale thought the tax could be justly reduced \ at this time. They were over-taxed and were \ now paying the same tax as in war times. | Other corporations have received the benefit of 8 reduction below one per cent, and it ' was only fair that the railroads should have 8 like reduction. The vote was ordered taken \ by yeas and nays and resulted as follows: II AOn6"A4Ooo4o Yale, Colt, Barnes, Sturtevant, Baker, Bar ' rows Boss, Richardson and King-12. Nays-Messrs. Hills, Clark, Gum, Plum
 kett. Scofeld, DeForest, Northrop, Cooke, ' Spencer, Alsop, Gilbert, Dennis-12. The vote being tie the chair voted in the negative and declared the bill rejected. MT. Scofield called up the bill repeating the
 law giving State attorneys the closing plea in { criminal trials, opposed the change, and the bill was rejected.
 The resolution granting compensation to George Keller for his claim for services as
 architect and superintendent of the new buildings at Mlddletown was called from the S table and rejected by 8 vote of II to 8. On motion of Nr. Yale the resolution changing the name of the State Reform school to the Connecticut Industrial School
 for Boys was continued to the next legisla- ture and ordered printed with the laws. MT. Colt called from the table House bill 76, relating to the assessment of damages by jury, unfavorably reported from the judi ciary. MT. DeForest spoke in it's favor. A bill, said the Senator that provides that either party to civil action, after a default or a demurrer overruled, may, on motion made withint en days, have the damages assessed by jury, was manifestly far and should pass.
 MT. Scofield opposed it's passage He thought it safe to leave the matter in the hands of the judges, and on motion the bill was rejected.
 Mir. King called from the table the resolu- ton sppropriating $5, 900 to the Storrs Agri. cultural school, and it passed.
 < On unfavorable reports from committees House bill 25, providing reward for convic- ton of horse thief. Substitute for House bill 264, relating to the terms of town clerks and registrars of births, deaths and mar riages. House joint resolution 215, for pur- ch rse of Mantle bridge by towns of East Lyme and Waterford, were rejected.
 At 2:45 the Senate adjourned to to morrow at 10:30 a. m.