New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-07
CONNECTICUT LEGISLATION
A snoRr AND SUCCESSFUL SESSION


,vprmtc,N FAvORIrE FOR rREsipENr.
tynos Az oCc ASIoNAL CORRESPONDENT "f fhh f'SoN'I
Nyx.U.vyx AouI 5-The Legislature which
adioprned Yesterday has not made very muoh OF
record and perhaps on that account as well a. oy
reason Of the shortness Of the session may DO fay
counted a success II did not do much of anything
simply because there was not much OF anything
10 do. IL conducted itself deoorously. and having
prudently disposed Of such business as came 10
hand quitely got up aud went away,
Fewer oontroverted questions than usua' oecuP'eu
its attention. and 10 is said that II has ooen an un
usua,ly moor wear for tho lobby The attempt 10
ealyanise the Hartford and Harlem Railroad INTO
life was only feeble effort IL had no money ana
t.v friend, and came 10 uaught. Railroad schemes
in Connecticut have had such i'll luck during tne
past .evsn or eight years that there Is little encour
agemept for new onos They have been prohtabIe
only 10 the lobby The Insurance companies nave
not been "raided" this year nor have
they had need OF any SPECIAL iegslsuoh'
40 the lobby has reaped no proht rom
them The cutting of Of these two sources ana 'ue
dearth Of other private and corporate .scheheS8le
mapdiugl observation-disclosures operated to relieve the
Iegislature IN large degree from outside pressure
and no doubt furnish the secret OF ,he snort SEES
sion. What is known as the Short Haul Oil
has provoked probably more discussion than any
other measure Ii was bill OF the Granger "rder'
providing IN general terms that railroad companies
should charge the cate Of freight per mile on
all distances long OF short. Ii was hhaIiy uele''cu
the day before the adjournment.
ANOTHER AMENDMENT FOR BIENNIAL SESSIONS.
Perhaps the most important act of the Leg1sla"
tune was the approval by two-thirds vote oil res
oiutlon sent down BY a majority vote from the
Legislature last year providing by an amendment
10 the Constitution for biennial instead OF annual
legislative sessions This vote sends the proposed
amendment TO the people for ratihcation at the an
nual election IN tho fall. ilaramendment was
proposed In 1873, approved by majority vote OF
the General Assembly that year. and by a TWO
thirds vote the follong year, and submitted 10 the
people at the fall election in 1879 1t was pretty
thoroughly discussed by the newspapers between
the time of its approval by the Legislature
and submission to the people, aud a considerable
majority of the State papers favored Its adoption,
The Hartford Couraat almost alone opposed it, and
General Hawley, then member of Congress, IN
answer to inquiries wrote letter presenting IN MS
usual forcible and convincing manner the argu-
meuts against il. The result was that the amend
ment was defeated by an overwhelming majority IN
the popular vote. 1t remains to be seen whether
the same fate awaits the present proposed amend
meut 1t is a tie singular that while the LeglS-
ture itself puts such modest estimate upon us
own services as 30 formally vote that it would be an
advantage to the State if II met but once in two
wears the people are Of different mind and insist
ON having a session at least once year. Possibly
they NAV lave changed their minds however. we
shall see in the fall.
GOVERNOR wALLEB'S vETOES AND ADVICE TO THE
LEGISLATURE.
II has been Governor Walters good fortune, be-
ING Democrat, to have Republican Legislature
behind him. which relieved him IN party sense
from all responsibility for legislation, and gave HIM
at the same time free rein for criticism of his oppo-
nents In this regard he does not seem to have
neglected the few opportunities Afforded
him There have been Democratic Governors OF
Connecticut in the same position beiore-Wlth an
opposition majority IN both branches OF the Legs
lature-and as a bare majority is sufficient iii this
State TO override a Veto hey have been practically
rowerless. SO far as legislation was concerned.
Recognizing this fact, they have az rule accepted
the situation with becoming philosophy and never
attempted to iuterpose their Intellectual veto to leg
islatiye proceediugs Governor Waller, beng
statesman Of a somewhat original turn and per-
haps little given TO the sensational wlthal, has
not followed preCedents in tins particular but on
two OF three occasions he has reminded the leglsa-
tive branch that there was also An executive de-
partment and that there resided in 1t sufficient
mower AT least 20 compel the reconsideration of
have been based upon technical defects discovered
IN the Executive Once, and the Legislature, in
stead of making an issue with the Governor
thereon has approved his action and Ieconsidered
its own. The praise belongs to him at least OF
being dlligent in the discharge OF official duty
mindful of his possibility and OF exercising
unusual vigilance and care in the examination OF
bills requiring his approval.
His last two veto messages however, were not so
successful; one was Of a bill appointing commits
sion. consisting of members of the Legislature,
70 examine the system of Probate Courts In the
State. and report thereon TO the next General AS
,embly, and the ground Of the veto was that the
practice in legislative bodies of appointing their
own members to positions of trust and profit was
contrary 20 sound morals. To the intimation that
their action had been OF could be based ON selfish
ormercenary motives the whole Legislature objected,
irrespective of party. In the speeches that were
made the Governors attention was directed to
number of urecedents where members Of the Legs-
lature had been elected to judicial and other posi-
tions and question of the propnety OF such
action had ever been raised There was an evident
IMPRESSION that the Governor was putting
high moral " airs at the expense Of the Legisa-
ture. and the bill was passed over the veto by
q nearly unanimous vote. Unwilling to let the
matter rest there, and anxious, perhaps, to
have the last word. the Governor sent
in another message the day before the adjournment.
In which he informed the Legislature that In
trenty-four States-naming them-the appoint
ment by the Legislature of any member thereof TO
any Office of profit is prohibited by express provi-
sion of their constitutions, and be suggested that
the reasons that led those great States to incorporate
such provision in their organic acts are obvious
and everywhere exist" the Legislature of this
State should take the first step this session toward
the adoption of al amendment to our Constitution
ENGRAVING thereon the principle universally
recognized IN other States of the Union" There is
o faint flavor of Ex-Governor Butler in this sharp