Morning journal and courier., 1889-04-19

known and respectable citizens of Connecti- cut, acted in good faith and in reliance on advice of experienced counsel in issuing both stock and bonds. We assume that instruct ing us rather than the judiciary to make this inquiry, the assembly wanted us to inyesti- gate and determine the fact rather than the law, and as we are of the opinion that the action ot the company was taken in good faith, and as the company is responsible on all the bonds 1t would not seem to be mater ial to pass on the legal question at present. The company did not ask for any valida- ting act in reference to the issue, claiming that they were entirely legal. Nor has any stockholder or bondholder asked for such a measure. We, therefore, do not think that
 1t is necessary to recommend any bill or reso- lution.
 ANOTHER CLAUSE.
 The report cont aims the following interests ing clause:
 stock and bond issue your commtsse as g arc of
 opinion that 1t would justify such issues and make
 suspended by the general laws of 1878 and 1sss your committee are of opinion that such issues would be unauthorized and illegal"
 MERRMAN's REMARKABLE STORY. Since the report has been submitted and the ban of secrecy removed the strained rela- tions existing in the committee have begun to leak out and statements were made to-day which will cause much interest before the end is reached. As was generally supposed, the committees report has been delayed by the Housatonic members, who wanted to put it of until the Consolidated roads petition was heard. These members, it is said would not agree to anything reasonable and when the final quarrel over the alleged illegal bond issue came the majority saw that there was no use in further delay. The Housatonic lobby, who claim that they have the House by big majority, have consistently claimed that they also had majority of the railroad committee. Among the members they claimed was MT. Merriman. As matter of fact, Mir. Merrlman was one of the strongest opponents of the parallel scheme and drew up report that was thought by the committee to be little too radical in it's opposition to the Housatonic scheme. MT. Merriman asked the representatives of the press to say, to put him right and deny the rumor that he has ever been anything but an out and out opponent of the parallel scheme.
 most remarkable scene occurred last night, according to Mir. Merriman, who says he was taken by one of the Housatonic lob byists and one of the Housatonic members of the committee into committee room and kept there nearly two hours by the pair, who tried to prevent him from signing the ma jority report. When MT. Merriman escaped he was nearly dazed, and was met by Senator Graham, who told him the report was ready for signing. "Im not able to sign it," he gasped:
 "Well read it over then," said Senator Graham. MT. Nerriman replied that he was not able even to read it then. This morning he signed the report.
 Senator Graham states that he did not even see the minority report which was not signed in the committee room.
 WHO IS THE cULPRIrg
 Another peculiar thing occurred this morn- ing after the report had been handed in. Two entire pages of it were mysteriously spirited away from the reporters or clerks desk. Someone undoubtedly stole 1t. For what purpose 1t is not known, but whatever the purpose it was defeated as the newspaper men had secured perfect copies.
 REMARKS OF INTERESTED PARTIES.
 Representatives of the Consolidated road said that the report as might be seen was of course pleasing to them.
 Colonel Stevenson, when asked what he thought of the report, said he thought it was very funny, and-at this point your corre- spondent suggested to the colonel that he was being interviewed. "There's nothing to say that know of" he answered.
 Judge L. M. Hubbard of the counsel for the Housatonic said:
 "The report is plumb against us."
 Hon. N. D. Sperry, the most prominent Housatonic man at the Capitol, said that the bill was the most insidious piece of lepisla. tion of the age, and was full of dangerous disingenuousness.