Morning journal and courier., 1885-01-08

tul. l accept the Othce as h1gh ana dellcate trust, having in it no place for the play of personal preference. To that ancient and
 honorable tradition which makes all public
 office public trust I give entire adhesion.
 believe in it with earnestness far ex-
 ceeding mere acquiescence. It will be my
 highest effort to administer the duties of
 this trust that all may easily know that no
 failure of mine shall be due to wrong intent;
 but whatever may be my endeavor in this
 regard it will little avail except that all of
 you shall give me that kindly and courteous
 cooperation which has ever marked the con
 duct of the House of Representatives of our
 beloved commonwealth. 1 bespeak such
 kindness and courtesy for myself; know
 that bespeak them not in vain. Gentlemen, we are taking our places in long procession of honorable men which be-
 gan it's march into history with stout hearts but feeble numbers nearly two hundred and fifty years ago. This slowly moving train
 counts in it's ranks substantially every son of
 the ancient colony and of the existing State who has come to special honor, as well as great numbers of men who have been content | to do the duty which fell to them without recognition save their own knowledge of | themselves.
 Dating only from the year when this House had it's permanent home in the upper chamber of unpretentious State House | here in Hartford, three score and i've times l have our predecessors assembled as we have | assembled here to-day, and for the same pur- nose. During these siXty-fve years they l have made five migrations each time to 8 | home of increased pretension, the latest 1 bringing them to this temple grand and fair, | rearing it's golden dome heavenward and sur | mounted by the inspiration in bronze winch | symbolizes the genius of our native State | Would that with this increase in outward | splendor like increase in moral and intel 1 lectual nobility might come to those who | take their places in this long procession III I these later days.
 | Alas! that is not possible. If we can but | wear worthily tho mantle which the fathers | bequeathed to us and pass it unstalned to those who shall come after us, then will our | duty be ftly done.
 | Let us through each day and through each | hour of our 1abors here feel the grave respon- sibility which this sterling lineage Of honesty l and ability entails upon us and let us strive with all our might to so follow in the foot | steps of our elders that the shining line that l comes down to the threshold of 1SSo shaH at 1 least extend unbroken to the threshold ot | 1886.
 My colleagues, if we would do as much as this we must employ not only honest intent | and earnest work, but we must have the in sight to recognize changed conditions and
 the versatility to adapt ourselves thereto The marvellous material prosperity of
 modern times has created mighty forces, of which, perchance, the fathers never dreamed Benefcent for the general veal in the main, these forces, acting on purely
 natural lines, are often selfish and, at times, aggressive toward the rights of the people. One important part of our duty be it to firm iy repel any aggressive and selfish action Of these forces which can be as subtle as they are strong. In daylight and on direct ap- proach they come clad in handsome gulse
 and with not so much as the smell of lndl-
 rectness clinging to their garments; but Tn
 darkness, and ln the unsuspecting hours, they can approach by ways so devious, and with feet so clad in silence, that they are able to pour their ''leprous distilment" in the hearers ear before he is aware of the baleful presence This is not an evil which specially threatens all legislatures. 1t is com
 mon to our times, and is thing against which we are to be on guard. Recognizing the fact that there are proper
 modes of promoting legislation, permit me, in this connection, to express the nope that
 the day is not far distant when no political
 party will suffer those who are prominent in
 its councils to use that prominence in 1m-
 properly promoting legislation Sor private
 gain without instantly and forever destroying
 that prominence. (Applause.}
 Gentlemen, l have the fullest confidence
 that you will prove equal to each occasion as
 it arises that you will remember that prompt
 ness ill bringing this session to close will
 be one thing which will commend its work to
 the people of Connecticut, that mutual cour-
 esy will be the first rule of your daily discus
 si0ns and that the sessions close will find
 this body of comparative strangers welded
 together in bonds of lasting friendship. (Ap- plause)
 Upon the conclusion of his speech Speaker Simonds took the oath of office, and prayer
 was offered by the Rev. MT. Pardington, of Hartford.
 The election for clerk of the House re- suited; James C. Walsh (Dem.), of Danbury,
 65: William Sidney Downs (Rep-), ot Derby, 165. Mr. Downs, thus promoted from assistant clerk last year, took the oath ot office.
 Resolutions raising committees to canvass the vote for governor, State officers, Sena- tors and justices of the peace. Passed and
 transmitted to the Senate. The returns Of | these several votes were laid before the
 House and referred to the committees Messrs. Steele of Newington, Brown of | Waterbury and Mitchell of Norwich were ap- l pointed a committee on rules. | Resolution for committee on contested | elections was passed, and the Speaker ap- | pointed AIessrs. Phelps of Vernon, Platt of Derby, and Mead of Greenwich. l By resolution Austin Brainerd (Rep.), of | Haddam, was elected assistant clerk, and the
 following were also appointed ln the same | way:
 Ghaplain-The Rev. R. D. PardinGton, of
 essengers-Charles W. Pickett, of Wash 1 ington; John L. Wilson, of Suffield; Brigham Payne, of Vernon, and Warrington B. But l ton, of Hampton.
 oorkeepers-David B. Date, of Franklin; | Albert L. Church, of Chaplin; David S..
 Bartram, of Bedding; George R. Waugh, of
 KiIingworth, and Henry NJ. Rossiter, of | Guilfofd.
 MT. Frisbie, of Pennington, and others
 were appointed as the committee to canvass the votes for State officers
 | Resolutions were passed raising the usual | joint select and House special committees.
 Resolutions were passed providing for the
 printing of the journal; dispensing with the daily reading of the same; authorizing the | messengers to get the mail from the post
 office: authorizing the clerk to furnish station cry to the members; adopting the rules of 1 the last House. Concurred with the Senate l in passing the various Senate resolutions | relating to unfinished business, appoint l ment of the Committee (new) on Approprla- | tions, etc.
 Resolution providing that the printing of | the journal and the furnishing of stationery shall be by the lowest responsible bidders l was offered by Mir. Pigott, of New Haven, 1 and was tabled.
 He also moved to reconsider vote direct | ing the clerk to furnish stationery and called attention to the fact that the statutes re- ouired that the comptroller attend to this. Messrs Abbe, of Enfield, and Carter, of | Waterbury, were appointed committee to | notify the Senate that the House was ready 1 for business.
 | A communication was received from the | Governor to the effect that since the last ses- sion the only appointments he had made | were those of Charles McChesney of Norwich, l to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of l Edmund Sheffield, of Lyme, county com | missioner of New London county, and Fred erick E. Hurlburt of Goshen, county com | missioner of Litchfeld county, vice Joseph | E. Calhoun, of Torrington.
 House concurred in passing resolution for | a committee to wait on the eretiringGovernor, and Messrs Gum, of Milford, and Beach, of
 Bristol, were appointed on the part of the l House.
 1 The following communication was received l from Governor Waller, read and sent to the | Senate:
 | To the General Assembly:
 In response to the request of your committee l.
 cial matters which deem it necessary or proper to call your attention, desire; in retiring from
 office to express through you to the officers with whom have been associated in the administration | of the executive affairs of the State, my acknoW-
 egnents of theIr official aid and courtesy, and to | the people of the commonwealth, whose represer tatves you are like acknowledgements of their con- tinued consideration and support