Morning journal and courier., 1886-02-18
gew 9arem @ailg gMurning gunrnal and Gpmrier.
THE GRNERA AL ASSEMBLY,,

A Large Attendance in the Lobby
| Business Booming Along Finely
Final Hearing Consultations
Arguments to be Made To-day
| The West Haven Horse Railroad
Withdraws.
| HARTFORD, Feb. II, 1886.
Special to the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
The Capitol to-day has been busy place
Not only have both branches of the General
Assembly been actively at work, but there
has been an unusually large number of per-
sons in the lobby who seemed to be busy in
that they were actively engaged in button
holing members, with view, no doubt, to
advancing some pet scheme of their own or
some friend. 1t was really the first day that
the third house" has seemed to be in actual
working order, although to-day there did not
seem to be any prominent leader. There
were large number of New Ravens citizens
here also, but they were mostly here in oppo-
sition to consolidation. Ex-Sen-
ator Plunkett was here again to-
day in the interest of old sol
diers. He appeared before the Military
committee this afternoon to advocate the
bill providing for the addition of three vet
eran soldiers to the soldiers hospital board.
The ex-senator made strong argument in
support of the bill. Edward Mccarthy and
others, of New Haven, were before the Tenn
perance committee in opposition to the bill
prohibiting screens in saloons and other bills
affecting liquor dealers.
The final hearing on the New Haven consol-
idation BILL except the arguments which are
to be made tomorrow, was had before the
Committee on Cities and Boroughs this after
noon.
J. B. Sargent was first called by the re-
spondents and testified in substance as fol-
lows: I would not be in favor of bringing
the outlying districts of the town into the
city without their consent. doubt whether
the city would be benefited by the proposed
consolidation. So far as the management
of the town affairs is concerned, l
saw no serious evils when I was connected
with the Board of Selectmen. I think an
arrangement might be made whereby those
employed on the roads by the town might
be employed on the streets of the city, but
the Board of Public Works have always OBJ
jected to this. The reason they object is
that the employment of poor laborers with
good laborers would demoralize the latter
and not nearly the amount of work would
be secured that there is now.
To Mr.. White Mr. Sargent said he thought
perhaps it was poor policy to pay more for
labor than it Was really worth, as it tended
to increase the number of such persons seek
ing employment, but on the same principle
he would reduce the number of Office holders
so as to make less applicants.
At this point Mr.. Townsend presented
several remonstrancss signed by prominent
citizens of the city of New Haven, the An
mex and Westville, many of them being the
largest taxpayers. He said it had been their
intention to bring large number of these
persons to testify before the committee, but
as it had been decided to close the hearing
to morrow they would only put on what wit
nesses were present to-day.
Captain Charles Fl. Townsend was next
called and explained to the committee, from
large maps prepared for the purpose, the
boundary lines both before and after the an
nexation of portion of the town of East
Haven He also explained how the annexa-
ton of portion of East Haven came about,
and said it was the understanding that the
annexed district should be brought into the
city, but that they should remain under
town government.
Coils Grannis, of the Annex was called
He said that six years ago when they talked
of making Tomlinson's bridge free they were
opposed by Corporation Counsel Stoddard.
Mr.. Stoddard said at the time if they woul
consent to be annexed to the town the city
and town would make Tomlinson bridge a
free bridge, and this was agreed to, but the
goods have never been delivered. 1t was IN
derstood then that we should not be taken
into the city, but only annexed to the
town. This was what Mr.. Stoddard told me
at the time.
In reply to Chairman Tatem, Mr.. Gran
Mss said that there not one in the Fiji
teenth ward that would have signed the
petition for annexation to the town had they
ever supposed that this project of consolida-
ton would have ever been proposed
Alderman Charles E. Graves was called and
said the failure to give instructions to the
corporation counsel in regard to the propos-
ed bill was due to the feeling III the Board of
Aldermen that the scheme had come before
them too late. While in a general way he
favored consolidation he did not think this
the time to press it. He thought it
should not be reached by violent methods.
Henry G. Rowe said he lived in the bor-
ough of East Haven and he thought it was
wrong that this question of consolidation
should be brought up every year when not a
resident of the borough desired such
change.
William Woodward, an Annex milkman,
strenuously opposed consolidation ON the
ground that neither he nor anybody else
wanted it.
Alfred Hughes of the Fifteenth ward was
called and confirmed the testimony of the
witnesses who preceded him. He was de-
cidedly opposed to consolidation in any shape
or form.
L. w. Beecher, of Westville, was called.
He said that the citizens of Westville were
unanimously opposed to consolidation.
William S Beecher, of the Board of Sc
lectmen and resident of Westville, was
called and gave facts and figures regarding
the cost of keeping the roads of Westville in
repair.
Professor Brewer said in regard to the
Beaver ponds being in bad condition as ties
tilted to by Mr.. Beecher, that the work of
remedying the trouble really belonged to the
town and city and not to the Board of Health.
The professor said it made but little
difference with the taxpayers whether
work was done by the city OF town, as the
money came from the same source in either
case. He thought one government woul
simplify matters, but it was a question
whether the expense would be any less under
one government rather than two. The pro
fessor stated that the Board of Health had
received notice that, should cholera break
out, no cholera patients could be received at
the town pest house, as he was informed by
the health officer.
Mr. Beecher said he had never heard of
any such action by the Board of Selectmen.
Major Fl. Fl. Strong, warden of the Dor
ough of East Haven, was called and confirm
ed the statements Of others in regard to the
sentiment of the people in his section regard
ing annexation, which, he said, was decided
ly in opposition to the scheme.
The petition of the New Haven & West
Haven horse railroad company for petition
to lay double tracks in the streets of your
city was Withdrawn to-day, the petitioners
feeling that the conditions required by the
city were too exacting. A prominent New
Haven gentleman said here to-day that it
seemed very mysterious to him that when
ever the horse railroads desired to make any
improvements that would be of general ben
eft to the community, that they
must be hampered by the
city authorities in such a
way that they could not carry out their plans.
And, he added, I have no interest whatever,
except as citizen, in any of these compa
MES.
Tomorrow the Judiciary committee will
give hearing on the trial justice" bill,
when it is expected that number of New
1ipb ho in