Morning journal and courier., 1890-05-07
A mAsrRRLx ARcUmENr

w0&neEs kkOVhks 1AOkChAIBb anu ! Others Follow.
 The most able, rnasterly and comprehsn- ve argument made by the anti-consolida- onists was that of Postmaster N. D. Sperry efore the committee of the court of common ounoil at last nights hearing. IL was ono Mir. Sperry's meet admirable efforts in | affairs and was listened to with l lose attention by every person in the hall. | The address will be found in full below. Following Nr. Spsrry came Attorney lanes P. Pigott,. who thought the common ouncil's committee had no right to hold hearings upon the question, as this issue was lot before the people when the members of he committee were elected. He thought hat one part of the government could not ,old an investigation upon tue validity of an ,ther. He thought the city government ought ,ot to hold an investigation upon the right of the town to exist. He read from the city auditor's reports for the last seven years, showing expenditures of four and half mil lions and receipts of but little over four mil. lions. Here, said he, we find city running in debt, and you want to force the outlying districts into the city. The re, csipts of the city court clerk also show bad and do not detail expendi- lures as they should. The reports of the clty governments of New London and Hartford show circumstances as unen- viable.' If the town and city governments were consolidated the government ought to be conducted by the same system as the town is now-by selectmen and town agent He next considered the present system of a mayor and, as he termed it, irresponsible commissioners. He was in favor of consoli. dation if the people were unanimously in fa- vor'of it.
 0. E. Woodward of the Annex spoke against the measure. He did not see how tho city could tax one man at one rate and another man at another. He thought there was no advantage to be gained and decid- ed disadvantage might result to the outlying districts.
 Attorney s. Harrison Wagner thought If the committee would look at the matter in it's true light 1t could not make report in favor of consolidation. The only way to con. citizenship, not partisanship, and to do this there must be general revolution in the town and city governments throughout the state. If there is any city in Gods world that is poorly governed it is New Haven. There is not business enterprise under the light of the heavens that is run like the city government of New Haven has been. If you are going to abolish anything, abolish the city government and give us the town. A mayor cannot have good or bad adminis- tration. He has no more power than cat in & garrett. All he can do Is to sit and smoke cigars and draw his salary. I would put all things in the hands of the selsctmen. The bill for consolidation drawn up last year was clearly unconstitutional as to it's method of taxation.
 Hobart L. HotehkiHs summed up the argu- ments for the i-consolidationists and ans wered the chief arguments of the favorers of consolidation. In speaking of the system of estimate and appropriation, be said estimates were always made in the town agents report for the following year. Fol every dollar spent by the town there Is Q specific appropriation made by the town meeting.
 Town Agent Reynolds submitted several documents for the perusal of the committee
 The friends of consolidation make theil reply next Tuesday night.
 MIR. spERRY's ADDRESS.
 Gentlemen of the Committee of the Com mon Council
 In some respects your position as com mittee is very peculiar one when viewed Il the light of events.
 Ia days gone by, those of our citi zsns who asked for a city charter to goverl the central portion of the town, in orde | that they might beautify and adorn that DOT | tiop, that they might erect oil lamps, creat night watch, lay sidewalks, etc., applied t the town for permission or approval to forr such government within certain limits, an
 promised that such Improvements were
 be made without taxation to those living ou
 side of the said city limits. The tow | granted these requests, provided that thos
 who wished such a charter, or city govern | ment, should bear the burdens of the can
 so far as taxation was concerned. Now a
 this ia changed. Instead of applying to tf | town for permission to bring the who
 farming territory under a city governmsl
 you are requested to act ns committee fro
 the common council to hear testimony an
 report to the body which appointed you, an
 they by a vote decide whether or not in the
 judgment they shall apply to tine legislatul | for an act to force the town into the cit,
 Is this rights Ought you not to get the COT
 sent of the town before you act in this ma
 ter, or attempt to lay taxes upon peop | without their consentl Are you to force
 Voyernment upon the independent towns
 this state without their sanctionl This
 the principle involved in this questio Why, tho prodigal in the parable only ask,
 for his portion of his fathers inheritanc but some of our fellow citizens ask for u
 whole. Yes, the children of the town a
 now asking the old folks why they shou
 not surrender all their rights as parents
 the children. The demand Is not for pc
 tion, but for the whole. Ia this respect yt
 outdo the prodigsl and put him to blus
 Now the old people object to this kind
 treatment from the children they have nu
 tured and cared for from their youth mp, al
 they do not propose to give up all their ps
 rimopy, or parental authority, simply b cause their ungrateful and undutiful ch dren demand 1t. Now this Is about the P sition in which the city stands to the town | this matter of consolidation. My friends, 1t right to force a government upon the pc | | pie not of their own choosings
 don't say that there Is no bill for const ] idation, that there can be no bill drawn consolidation, that I would not favor. | don't say that-there could be. It was I 2 good or i'll fortune to appear before the ool ' mittee of the general assembly a few yei
 ago to discuss this question. I opposed . matter then; must oppose 1t now, until
 know what the bill in form Is; therefore
 must proceed to discuss tho matter in SC
 eral rather than specific way; and 1t W
 be from a general standpoint that shall 8 ! preparation that have made. In my jud
 ment, gentlemen of the committee,
 ought to let that which is we'll enough aloI
 That Is 6 settled principle, that when W
 enough exists, let well enough alone. NJ
 let mo ask, if you please, what are the grt } evils which exist to-day that are to be rem
 diedi If there are evils-if there are any
 be remedied-I don't hear many of the grt | taxpayers and the great business men of | town and city of New Haven complain.
 know that there are those who have tak
 hold of tkis matter of city corsolidatit
 taken hold of 1t earnestly, taken hold of
 honestly as believe. Take my friend, Dt
 con White, believe he Is an honest mi
 (but my faith in his honesty was shaken af 2 reading his report on town investigation d' 1. ing the last year.) believe he means to o right, however, and perhaps he may : | right, but two hundred and fifty years of ( perience doesn't prove that there is any gr t crying evil in this city or town to be reu s died. If there is haven't heard of it.
 know there may be inequalities, and unt
 what form of government are there not il }, qualitiesi Man himself is not equal to otl l, men In all respects, except before the ls
 Some are endowed with greater faoilit
 than others; some are endowed with 8 gen
 to do certain things which other men ca
 do; some are great mechanics; some
 | great inventors. As 1t is with man, 80 Is . with civil governments; probably none
 them are perfect. But repeat again, wh
 Is tho crying evil to be remediedi I h.
 failed to And 1t. I don't claim that tn
 are not inequalities, and in some cases
 justice may be done, but 1t is so everywh
 in everything, in all forms of governmen
 injustice at times as we'll as justice. IT
 l again. gentlemen, are we not as peo