Morning journal and courier., 1892-02-12
THE sTATE sRNATE.

'rolonged Discussion of Seymeur's Convention BiIl-It is Finally Sub- mitted to a Committee-Adjourn in the Evening to May 2.
 HARTFORD, Feb. 11.-[Special]-The enate assembled at 10:30 this morning, pursuant to adjournment late yesterday Afternoon. Owing to the storm there were ,nly fifteen members present. It was nearly o'clock before the dis l ,ussion of Senator Seymour's proposed act | for constitutional convention was begun.
 Senator Pierce (dem.) was the first to speak upon the measure. He showed that forty eight new towns have been created out of the original ones, adding fifty-two to the number of representatives. Derby, for instance, had two representatives; now the same territory has been so cut up that the area formerly covered by the town has to-day four representatives. Another H. lustration used was the case of Farming ton, which formerly had two representa- lives, whereas now the same territory has been so sliced as to be entitled under the constitution to eleven, while Hartford has but two representatives in the house.
 Senator Pierce alluded to the town of Union, which, while having g population of 431 men, women and children, has as large a representation as any of the great cities of the state. He argued that this was manifestly unfair. He then attacked Senator Clark's statement that school and town meetings are governed by the action of a majority, and that is an ordinary rule in every day matters for such meetings to be so controlled. He instanced . recent town meeting in Hartford attended by only the selectmen and the reporters, and argued that in the case of such Q meeting a single individual could legally call him. self to order and cast ballot. Putting the man into office who receives the fewer votes he characterized as wholly wrong in a republic. It has come, he said, to this that one-third of the people of the state are ruling the two-thirds.
 Senator Pierce then went on to discuss other alleged defects in the constitution. It has been changed from time to time, he said, to meet certain contingencies, and is full of errors. As 8 matter of strict construction the majority require ment amounts to nothing since the amend whereas no elections are now held except | DlCudlhllJs Ah0 DpShh0A 0NAAAssS~ sAA'' | the popular construction placed upon the majority requirement. is such as to ce | ment the majority idea and no cour, would think of dissolvingit.
 Then the senator from the Fourth i'm proved the opportunity to get in dig al the house. The entire deadlock was due he reminded the senate, to the disregard of the constitution shown by the house or
 the opening day of the session. He add
 ed that, if the assembly ever met agair
 with & house which defed the constitu
 tion. state officers might remain in offic'
 for four years, six years, or life time.
 Senator Pierce held that no doubt coult
 exist as to the legality of constitution
 born of & constitutional convention beinl | revised by another convention. His only
 perplexity was as to the advisability of thu
 senate's passing such bill at a time wher it was evident that the house would pay nt
 attention to it. Again; it was the position
 of the senate that no public busines
 should be transacted, pending the electiol
 of state officers: yet it certainly was tn
 duty of the senate to obv!ate future simi lar complications. Is the bill germain t.
 this or does it come under the head o ! tabood business? The senator himself in
 clined to the former belief. Accordingl
 he would urge the passage of Senator Sey
 mour's bill for the relief of the state. Tn l time to administer medicine Is when tn patient is ill.
 In closing, Senator Pierce reminded tn | Senate that the bill does not revise tn
 constitutions it simplp provides for sut
 mitting the question whether conventio should not be held to the people. On motion of Senator Holden (dem.) tn
 governor, lieutenant governor and treas ] urer, resolutions were taken from the tabl ! ;v,& &ha If oohf tho fa vota6 f. adhere to it's former action.
 These are the resolutions which tn
 house refused to accept last Tuesday. No, that the house and senate have voted t
 adhere to their former action, the resolu
 tions are finally disposed of. It is understood that these cases will b
 pressed in court as quickly as possible l Mr. Phelan was expected to file amende
 complaint in his own case to-day.
 A o'clock 8 recess was taken to . | o'clock.
 At 3 o'clock the senate reassembled an . l the discussion of the impending bill WE , continued. Senator Davis (rep.) of the Eighteent , district forcibly expressed his own view | on the proposed measure. He was UT i; alterably opposed to any change wha ever in the constitution, thinking th present instrument amply sufficient for a
 purposes.
 Senator Seymour (dem.) impressed upo . | the senate the act that the bill under sc , ] vissment proposed absolutely nothing b' yond submitting to the electors then selves the decision as to whether ther should or should not be a convention Beyond providing certain machinery i
 case the electors voted afhrmatively, th
 act contained nothing beyond this prope sition.
 Senator Holden (dem.) gaveit as his opir ion that a constitutional convention wa
 sure to come some day.
 Senator Thayer opposed rushing the bi
 through.
 Il After long and protracted discussio l the senate submitted the bill to a specis committee to examine further and repor The committee are Senators Fox, Holde
 and Clark.
 Senator Thayer late in the aftern oon too
 up the bill and reviewed it line by lint This tedious process exhausted the patienc of the members and they decided to subm , the bill to committee.
 The reportof the committee on the doing
 of the county commissioners was resut
 mitted.
 At quarter to 7 o'clock the senate ao journed to May at 12 o'clock noon.