Morning journal and courier., 1891-01-07
LEGISLATIVE cAUcUsEs.

LEGISLATIVE CAUCUsEs.
 Exciting Times as Hartford Last
 Night-The Leaislators Out in Big
 Force at the Party Gatherings-
 Paige for Speaker-The Other Nom-
 inations-The Program for To-day
 Talk About the Situation.
 By Associated Press.l
 HARTFORD, Jan. 6.-The general assem- ply meets at 10 o'clock tomorrow. Under the constitution majority of the popular vote is necessary to the election of gover- nor and other state officers and failing that, the choice falls upon the general as- sembly. This year the senate has ten democratic majority and the house sixteen republican majority. The official canvass of the returns at the secretary of states office show a majority of twenty-six for L. B. Morris of New Haven, democratic can didate for governor. The election was the first for state officers under the new secret ballot law, and in the count through the state several hundred prohibition votes were rejected by moderators for having on them the word ''for'' before the office named, while several thousand such were counted. Other votes of each party were rejected for various-eauses. The republi- cans insist that the matter should be in- auired into and errors, if found, be cor rected Democrats claim that there is no ground back of the returns, and the ses- sion will open with the prospect of dead lock between the two houses-the senate declaring Morris elected and the house re- fusing to declare him, insisting on an in- | vestigation to be followed by the declara- | ton that no election was effected, in which case the republicans would elect their can l didate. In case the two houses continue
 to stand apart the present officers, all re- publicans, hold over. The republicans say that they are acting according to the constitution in insisting on settling the governorship contest before anything else, and in following that policy they keep from minor state offices various democrats whose apparent majorities were much larger than that of Morris, but the republicans put the responsibility for that upon the demo- crats.
 The situation is liable to assume differ ent phases at any time, but this is the pres ent condition. Neither party professes any inclination to recede, and while democrats threaten to embarrass the reelection of MT. Platt to the United States senate, the re- publicans express every confidence that such efforts cannot succeed.
 DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN CAUCUsEs. The general republican and democratic caucuses were held this evening. At the democratic caucus Albert H. Walker, a former republican, was nominated for speaker of the house. Hobart L. Hotch- kiss of New Haven and P. J. Markley of ! New Britain were presented as candidates. 1 The first ballot gave 50 for Walker, AT for Hotchkiss, 3 for Markley and 3 for John P. Healey. On the second ballot Walker had GA and Hotchkiss 43, and MT. Walker was declared nominated He accepted in | a speech in which he construed the nom ! ination as giving the leadership of the l house. The caucus adopted 8 resolution declaring against any compromise on the governorship, and insisting on the seating ! of Luzon B. Morris. Isaac Wolfe of New Haven was nominated for clerk, James Fitzgerald of Rockville for assistant clerk, l and James w. Kelley of Milford, William F. Elnas of Derby Robert Hanson of Staf- ford and T. F. McCarty of Windsor Locks | for messengers. The nominations fo1 l doorkeepers were H. M. Sherwood o1 Westport, Edward M. Higgins of Meriden, H. B. Wallace of Darien, William H. Craw. ford of Stratford, Horace Harvey of Chap PAIGE FOR SPEAKER.
 The republican caucus unanimously and l by exclamation nominated Allen w. Paige for speaker. He was nominated by Stiles Judson, jr. of Stratford, and the nomina tion was seconded by Dwight w. Futile | sr oEN a,l r A Porter of Promfret and Hartford. The l former clerk and Assistant Clerk Samuel A ! Eddy of Canaan and Andrew F. Gates o1 ! Lebanon were re-nominated by acclama ! tion. Doorkeepers and messengers were ! nominated by committee selected at tho ! county caucuses as follows: Messengers l A. c. Bigelow, of New Fairfield, Joh1 M. Foote, jr. of West Hartford, James w Moody of Seymour, Frank R. Jackson o1
 Woodstock. Doorkeepers-Carlos H Chapman of West Brook, Samuel N Hyde of Franklin, Albert L. Bissell of Hebron
 and Wallace F. Hayes of Bethlem. Gal lery doorkeepers-Daniel L. Talcott o. l Glastonbury, and William H. Ransom O | New Haven Rev. J. E. Holmes of Hart
 ford was nominated for chaplain.
 The Doings Last Night Detailed.
 HARTFORD, Jan. G., 1s91.-[Special]- ]-Al
 day senators and representatives-elect
 have been arriving in this city, and no
 for many years has our general assembl,
 been made up of better looking class O
 men. The democrats made their head
 quarters during the day at the Ally,
 house, while the United States hotel provet
 the stronghold for the republicans. At
 o'clock this afternoon the democratic sen
 ators held a preliminary caucus at tn
 capitol and decided to stick toget he
 during the coming contest for the office o
 governor, but in what manner they vii
 contest they would not say, and it i
 doubtful if they know themselves exaetl
 what course they will pursue in the mat
 ter.
 At o'clock the republican represents
 tives-elect held their preliminary caucu
 behind closed doors and what course o
 action they decided on could not
 private, but that they will pull together
 certain and tomorrow they must show il | some manner their mode of proceedur
 when the general assembly convenes. Tn ! secretary of state will call the senate t ! order and Speaker Perry of the last hous l of representatives will oficiate for tha
 body. Then will come the election c
 speaker and clerks and the minor office
 will be filled. This will be followed b
 the appointment of committee on car
 vass of votes, consisting of one senator an
 eight representatives. The senate
 elected on this committee will withou
 doubt be democrat and of the represer
 tatives five will be republicans and thre
 democrats. Before this committee woul
 naturally come the facts of tn
 canvass which on their face giv Judge Morris majority an
 here will probably come the hitch The democrats will probably refuse to i1 vestigate the smallness of the majority an irregularities, if any, and then their onl course will be to retire, or make minorit l report declaring Judge Morris elected. | conference committee may then be al | pointed, after which the republicans wi try to get this committee to open the ba lot boxes and thus go back of the ofici
 returns. The republicans may also e1
 deavor to get the supreme court to decii
 as to the legality or illegality Of the ''fo1 :, prohibition votes, which the democra hold as void because of the word "Fo1 l | being printed on them. To all of u t propositions it is said the democrats wi object. In this case the joint conventie : will take a recess and wait for the actie 2 of the courts in the matter. If le 1-I