Morning journal and courier., 1886-02-19
THE LAST OF CONSOLIDATION.

Special to the JOURNAL AND COURIER
 There was much sympathy expresseo tor Attorney White this afternoon, in that ne had been deserted by the friends of conson- dation, none of whom have put in an ap- pearance at the Capitol for the past. three days to give him encouragement and support in the unequal contest in which he was en- gagged with the opponents of consolidation. The latter came up to day in force with their three attorneys, and feeling confident that they would give the proposed scheme it's death blow and bury it so deep that there would be no resurrection at least for many years to come.
 At 1:2O D. m Attorney White boldly came to the front and commenced his argument by l referring to the steps that had been taken leading up to the present movement, and quoted Ex-Mayors Lewis and Robertson in favor of abolishing the dual system of government. He said that every time that an attempt had been made to carry out the plan of consolidation they had been met with the objections that the time had not yet | arrived for such change. While petitions had been heretofore made to the legis- | lature, there had never been a full hear ! ing until this year. MT. White then referred to former plan of co nsolidation in detail and said if there were plans in that scheme that were preferable to the present one the petitioners had no objection to their adoption In fact, they were req dy to meet l the opposition to the present bill on any plan ! looking to the consol idation of the town and city governments. This was what they were after and what they would get; if not this year, at some other time, as a large majority of the citizens of New Haven were in favor l of one government. The petitioners had | done their best to prepare bill that would meet all objections, and if they had erred ! they were ready to have errors pointed out | and to correct them. He said there not | 8 town i'll the country where form of city l government had been ad opted that had ever l gone back to a town government.
 Referring to the New Haven toTn govern I ment, MT. White said the town had been run ! ming into debt for number of years; and | although by vote of the last town meeting | a certain portion of the taxes would be set 1 aside for reducing the public debt, yet there was no assurance that the debt would not be ! increased as much as it was decreased. He thought that the change proposed would ! make saving of some $40, ,O00 to the tax payers, although he was aware that others would differ with him in this regard. In ! closing he said he and the class he represent ed were trying to bring about a change that ! would not benefit any special class, but would benefit rich and poor alike.
 l W. K. Townsend in his opening remarks ] said that in bshalf of the people of the l Annex and the town of New Haven he was | here to protest against this unwarranted scheme of the Taxpayers association to bring | the people of the outlying districts into the | city to help them pay their taxes. He pro tested against this breach of good faith
 the part of anyone who told the people of | the Annex that if they would come
 into the town they should not be | compelled to come into the city. He said I that similar scheme introduced two years ! ago was killed in the Committee on Cities
 and Bor0ughs and many features of that bill
 were preferable to the present one. Under
 the presert bill all the protection the inhab l tants of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth
 wards woud get would b that they would
 have two Aldermen and three Councilnen
 and they wo,ld be powerless in the represen-
 tative bodiesof the city. MT. Townsend then analysed the different sections of the
 bill to show tat the residents of the outly
 ing wards wold have no show whatever.
 He claimed this would be true in the Board
 of Assessors and board of Relief as well, the l members of bothboards being appointed by the Mayor. There would be no 1 remedy and no appel that would be of any l avail, as both boards would be the creatures
 of the Mayor. MT. townsend then referred | to the formation of own governments and
 the necessity of their sNistence as such, and | in passing read from the report of the Tax
 payers association to Slow that they com
 mended the administratin of affairs by the
 New Haven town government. He read
 from the message of Governor Waller to
 show that while the consultation of town
 and city governments might be desirable, . yet this should never be fored upon the peo-
 pie most directly interested.
 The bill, he said wiped out
 the natural boundary lines between
 the city and the town, which
 were we'll defined by n,ture in part by the two rivers that divided the sections.
 It seemed to the speaker that was an out , rage to say that there was no agreement be-
 tween the city and the Annex when they came into the town. The natter was thoroughly understood and the boundaries l between the city and town establised st the
 same time were considered binding upon
 both parties. I ask you to look at 6e char 5 ter of the city of New Haven and sta how strict the laws which forbid Aoafires, cutting down trees, &c., which are .ntirely
 unsuited to the outlying districts that 1t is 1 r-1.nsed to bring into the city.
 , Ill closl"e MT. Townsend said these gentle men who came hora were somethino Ike l Dives, who in Hades called. upon J,azs11s fo,
 q drop of water to cool his pa.obed to,,,,ne
 but Lazarus replied that there w,s a oraoi
 gulf between them that he could not sToss
 So we say to these gentlemen that there 1s . l great gulf between us and we cannot for tn
 river that divides us come over to you as yo
 so much desire.
 Hobart L. Hotchkiss made the next argu
 ment for the remopstrants. He said afte many years this question had been tried O , it own merits. The town of New Haven c ] US OIHceTS n66ueu no u6IonueTS, dS they Qa not been attacked. MT. Hotchkiss then rea
 abstracts showing the basis on which tow governments were formed and the jealous with which they had been guarded throug
 all the years of their existence. MT. Hotel 1 kiss then enlightened the committee on tn
 geographical formation of Westville and tn
 objections there were to bring it under tn \ form of city government, He said whe
 Nc" t11 zen spread out toward Westville an then they might want change in their foorrfz
 ot go, ~nment, and if they did, they woul
 come here ana ask for it. MT. Hotchkis then paid his respects to the Tax payers association and qroted from repor 7 of their meeting that $260 was paid to
 man to canvass for newmembers of the as
 soc1ation. He then re:erred to a previous
 bill presented by the sssociation and said at
 that time they endeaored to show that the | people of Westville wanted tn come into the
 city when the contrary u-as the truth. He
 said when the mater came up this year and
 it was brought betorA the Common Council,
 they very promptly tabled the whole matter
 and washed thek Hands from having any
 thing to do with it. He said that the news
 papers had previously had editorial after
 editorial in favor of consolidation, yet after
 the first heanng they with one exception
 game out Il1.. n opposition to this bill;
 from the COURIER to show the change of 1 sentimenti in regard to the proposed scheme
 Continuing, he said that every dollar paid to
 laborers for work on the roads in Westyille
 and ths Annex for the pleasure drivers Of New Haven had gone back into the pockets i of the landlords and merchants of the city: l yet they talk to us about the amount paid
 out on the roads for the benefit of the outly- ] ing districts. Referring to towu meeting ! on the Green, at which, as was testified by MT. Dewell, $500, GOO of the city's money was voted away to the Air Line railroad, he said l That very town meeting was engineered by l the distinguished legal gentleman of the Tax payers associan, Simeon E. Baldwin, and yet l he comes up here and talks to you about a reduction and saving in taxes.
 In closing MT. Hotchkiss referred in pleasing manner to the interest ''Jerry" At water had taken in consolidation and gave him the credit of being the only o2e who had stood by MT. White in his unequal fight, although it took him good while to make up his mind which side he would take in the contest.
 Judge Deming made the closing argument for the remonstrants. He said in opening that he would have been willing to have left the question with the committee after the first davis haarino Ha tbo