Morning journal and courier., 1889-03-08
to law which putpart of the expense on the

to law which putpart of the expense on the State.
 Mr. Chapman of Westbrook thought the railroad would soon turn the town into an engine house, and that the Supreme court
 would sustain them in it. His town had to
 pay 32 per cent. of the expense of abolishing
 recent crossings in his town.
 Just at this point President Charles P.
 Clark arose and called the gentleman's at-
 tention to the fact that the railroad commis.
 sioners' report showed that in this matter
 the entire cost is $35, ,61O, of which the rail
 road pays $32, ,610, and the town of Vest
 brook $3 ,00O, less than per cent.
 Speaker Perry interjected the remark that
 it was we'll known these figures were fur
 nished by the railroad. Attorney Lynde
 Harrison then said that at the trial of this
 matter in the Superior court none of the
 Westbreok witnesses swore that the towns
 expense would reach $4 900.
 Attorney Wells, of Newington, appeared
 in favor of two bills introduced by Senator
 Cleveland, which provided that when new
 highways cross existing railroads, both town
 and railroads pay one-half; and when rail-
 roads cross existing roads the railroads shall pay the entire expense of abolition.
 The chair invited President Clark to speak. The latter gentleman said that after all the bills had been considered and their favorers hed advocated them he should like to be heard on the general principles involved in the matter of abolition of grade crossings. At present he did not care to say anything. Speaker Perry was invited to speak upon the question. He said he had no bill him. self, but as 8 citizen should like to be heard on the principle of the matter. He agreed with President Clark that there were princi- ples involved.
 The hearings will be continued Tuesday. After all the various bills are considered, the committee will draft bill to meet the re- quirements which then seem desirable. "JoE" BARBOUR CRATES. Joseph L. Barbour of this place, the well known orator, addressed the committee at the prohibitory hearing to-day in opposition to the resolution to submit the amendment prohibiting any liquor in the State to the people to vote on. He said the advocates of the measure have urged that this legislature has no right to consider the merits of abso- lute prohibition at all, but it was simply it's duty to send it to the people. MT. Barbour claimed that it was 8 matter of constitu- tional law that these amendments should not be submitted to the people unless the legls- lature first voted to favor it. The bill inter- fered with individual rights, and moderate drinking was not a moral wrong nor phys ical evil. It is not, he claimed, as the Pro- hibitionists aver, that because ten glasses of wine inebriate that one glass commits just one-tenth of the damage that ten does. Be- cause too much food brings on dyspepsia aud too much heat burns should people fast and shiver? Attorney l.. W. Cleveland, of New Haven, opposed him in argument. He said that the double-headed argument of the representatives of the liquor interests that prohibition would not prohibit, but that it would ruin their industries, reminded him of the story of the school teacher who was asked by the examining committee whether the world was round or flat sfSome," she said, "likes it round and some likes it flat. teach it both ways" The fact that the liquor traffic appears here in opposition to the pro- poshd amendment is satisfactory proof that prohibition does prohibit. Governor Lyman U. Humphrey, of Kansas, in his inaugural address in January, 1889, said: ''The growth of public sentiment in support of constitu- tioRal prohibition in Kansas is steady, healthy and unmistakable. In the last csmpain nc political party had the temerity to demand 8 re-submission of the question to the people l in the face of popular verdict, that has been repeated and emphasized every time the political sense has been taken. As an issue ! in Kansas, politics re submission is as dead as slavery"
 Wherever prohibition laws have not been faithfully enforced they have not had a fair trial, and yet even under our old Connecticut prohibitory law, poorly framed and executed as it was, the commitments for crime were far less than during the first year of license. But it is not for this committee or this legislature to pass on the merits of this ques- ton. If you are satisfied that larger per centage of the people of this State wish to have an opportunity to settle this question at the ballot box you should not turn away from their appeal, and it is perfectly safe to \ leave it to their judgment. It is for you to decide whether the proposed amendment is I constitutional as against the constitution of | the United States.
 ! That question was decided by the Supreme | court of the United States in 1887 in favor of similar State constitutional amendment and in 1888 the same high authority held that the question was no longer an open one. BALLOT REFORM.
 The judiciary committee begins to-day its consideration of the various secret ballot measures that have been offered.
 Next week the bill of Judge Henney oi | Hartford, which is favored by the labor com. ! missioner, will be specially considered, when Judge Henney, Hon. c. E. Mitchell, Henry | c. Robinson and Congressman Simonds will ! speak.
 A. H. Walker, the Hartford free trader | the first speaker to-day, said that as both | their platforms the only question was as te | the means adopted. Personally he favored \ the envelope system, with booths, which h. thought would prevent bribery.
 W. Fl. Beedle of Hartford amused every ! body by system which he said was simple He would have voter deposit {
 blue card for the entire Republican ticket, and red card for some other, etc He had device with perforated cards 80 tha | blind man could vote without assistance For instance, a Republican blind would bt given an indicator which would fit into th, punch holes of only Republican card, etc ! MT. O'Neil inquired how blind man would l vote scratched ticket, and this ended MT l Bedlas scheme amidst great amusement.
 Mir. Goodacre of Hartford representing th'
 Federation of Labor, favored the envelop
 I system or any preventing bribery. GranS Master Workman Kehos of New Britain, a I a committee of the Knights of Labor, favored | the Henny bill and made some suggestions a ! to it's amendment in slight details. Nearl. | all the speakers considered the Australian | system impracticable for this State. | Senator Morse had long address in favo of his bill, which he has caused to be print ed in pamphlet form. The hearing will con ! tinue tomorrow.
 SAVED THE COURT.
 | Herbert E. Benton, clerk of the Court O ! Common Pleas, New Haven, was at the capi tol concerning the police pension bill, ant
 by chance happened to drop into the room of the committee on appropriations. He dis | covered that no appropriation had beel | made for this court. Had he not discovered | this omission by chance we could have haC \ no Court of Common Pleas in New HaveI | county for two years.
 TfR COURT RECORD. | Superior Court - Civil Side - Judg' Il