Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-03-22

DV'GHt 4uhfcu Gl.-lu u6 House covered
tremendous lot OF ground to- day, though
they did nothing OF a very important
nature. Clerk Gum'e journal covered
nearly sixty-seven pages, the longest yet
this season. 1t was completed at 7.3O
o'clock, and was q model of peatness.
Clerk Gum has made one of the beat
persons who has ever occupied his posi-.
lion, and when the session is completed
Will have completed the largest journal
for years, and will have one much
superior In its appearance TO many of its
predet essors. He has been ably assisted
In his work by his reading clerk, George
b. Hynson. Mr.. Hynson is alto an ex
cellent reader, having undergone train
Ing Tor that Q: pecial purpose.
w hen the House opened this mornin z
the Chaplain was not on hand, having
gone to Conference. For the first time
Tor years member filed he bill and he
iilied 1t well. Representative David 9.
CLARK officiated, and 1t can be said OF him
that he delivered an excellent PRAYER In
which he remembered the sick members.
Messrs. Maull, X. A. Davis and BieRs
lie also prayed for divine guidance ior
the members and remembered President
Harrison.
Speaker HofIecker left for conferen &C
this afternoon, Mr.. Downham flliug the
chair. Cilrk Gum VIII ca the house tc
order to morrow and speaker pro TEN
Will have to be elected until Speaker
Hofiecker returns.
The Insurance men made an attack TO-
night upon Senator Richardson's val ued
policy law and 1t cannot be said that they
did great deal of damage. Senator
Richardson felt just as well pleased after
the men had finished talking as before
they oomme need
A meeting was held Ia the parlor this
evening before the members of the Legis-
lature. There were present Captain Wn.
liam B. Kelley, of the American Insur.
ance Company OF Philadelphia; q. E.
Bears, OF New York, representing the
London Assurance Company; Insurance
Commissioner Pratt, Col. William A.
LaMotte and Manioye Hayes, of the
Farmers Mutual Insurance Company
William Denney, Of the Kent Count,
Mutual; George II. Bates and Joseph L.
Carpenter, Jr., OF the New Castle Count,
Mutual, and II. L. Gilpin, Representing
various companies IN over the United
States.
TIE principal speaker of the party wa
Captain Kelley. He discussed the subjec
very thoroughly, and made out q yer,
strong case tor the companies. He sait
that tuch bill as this strikes the poke
OF great many people. The records o
this State for twenty years past show tina
there have ben but six cAses brough
in'o the courts, and none of these in
yolved the value Of property. He be
| lieved that the enforcement OF such q Law
as this would work far N ore injury thar
1t would benefit The valuation at tn,
tlue the policy is made opens up posi-
bility of fraud that not even the insur ancI
companies or anyone else can conceive
II strikes at the r0os of the ind, mutt,
feature of insurance contracts ant
changes the purpose of insurance com
panies. 1t places hazard In the busl
aess that the companies do not contem
plae.
There are frequent depreciations In tn,
value OF property when insurances or,
taken. The Insurance men will be com
PEELED to have the rates to protect them
selves, and the hoDeet insurers will hav
to pay for those who are dishonest, an,
this was unfair 10 The honest ins rer
Insurance companies stand between los
by fire and the owner of the property
lhey do not insui Q the property, but the
owner against loss. Commercial Interest,"
i W n kt NAhtbb itoNF ulOh tut ihbuEhtltt
business of the country. 1t has beer
alleged that this law would prevent tbt
companies taking risks from bad men. II
is Impossible for the companies to know
every per,on they insure.
The companies, should this law pass
would have to employ experts of almost
every class and they would have to be
very careful not 10 over estimate the
value. Mhereyer this law has went into
effect there has been larger rate of per-
centage OF lots. In the state OF Ohio It
has amounted 10 nifty per cent. Nearly
every insurance commissioner In the
States where the law was In effect had in
his annual report 20 the Legislature
recommended its repeal. In New Hamp.
shire, where the law had been In effect
for one year, the companies had with
drawn most OF theig business because
there WIS uot enough Of 1t to pay them TO
do b si4 ess there,
Senator Richardson frequently ques
nIm,ssd Mr.. Kelley aud apparently worried
The olfie.iat.
DR.. Nathan Pratt gaG we're +. L. Gilpin,
hsq
Tne appointment ,or insurance com
missioner was not male to-day but will
be 10. morrow. MAX.