Morning journal and courier., 1893-04-20
THE ELECTRIO BILL

Wednesday-Adjou rnment Probable
About the First of June-The state,s
Prison Investigatlon-The Pool Bill
Now a Law-Want Nine Hours u
Days Work-The Senate and House.
HARTFORD, April 10 The electric and
steam railroad men were on hand when the
senate convened to-day to see that the pro-
posed electric road bill did not pass until
1t had been amended as far as was possible
to suit them.
Until midnight Tuesday the members OF
the committee on cities and boroughs were
in consultation with a committee OF rail-
road men and numerous amendments were
presented, some of which the committee
saw fit to consider and others they re-
jected. The railroad men, however, we're
not satisfied with this, as the independent
amendments put in by various senators
during the debate in the senate clearly
showed.
The matter has the order of the day at
II O'Clock, and at that time the senate i'm
medistely took up the bill for discussion.
Hon. Thomas M. Waller was an attentive
listener, and every once in while would
say something to his assistant, Attorney
s. Harrison Wagner, when the latter would
Immediately adjourn to the ante room and
prepare q new amendment.
Senator Pie1ss took the bill and carefully
explained it in detail, after explaining that
they had taken pains in framing the bill to
carefully consider the interests of the pub
lie, the street railroad men and the steam
railroad men, and that the bill should
either pass as it Is or with the ane- dments
the committee proposed to present.
Senator Pierce then presented some
twenty or thirty amendments, as one,
which he explained. Concerning the see.
ton permitting one company to run over
another roads tracks the senator announced
that he would offer an amendment cutting
down the distance to half mile. The
regulation was, beyond that, within the
discretion of the railroad commissioners.
Another amendment permits any num-
Der of plans of layouts to be presented
to local authorities until some one of them
has been approved. Another made clear
that no thoroughfare could be built on un-
til local permission was secured. ''Kine''
was changed to s'material' in describing
poles. Bridges, terminals, curves, turn
outs and switches not exceeding 100 feet in
length, were excepted from the provision
that streets through which railways run
must be at least eight feet wide outside of
the outside rails.
The committee refuse to report an
amendment giving any street railway
power to retain the right to build in streets
two years after the common council Or
ders them to build. The bill now limits
the right of occupancy of any street to two
years from the passage of the act. After
that extension of time must be asked of
the general assembly. The proposed
amendment is opposed by many street rail
ways. The cities really affected are Hart
ford, Meriden and New Haven, where
there are monopolies.
An amendment to the anti-parallel clause
provides that roads chartered previous to
January /, 1898, are expected from the
provisions. There are two such roads.
The paralleling in the same town ia per-
mitted, the clause prohibiting it being
stricken out.
One provides an appeal from the rail-
road commissioners not only to the su-
perior court, but to ajudge or committee.
the court or judge being authorized to
make any order in the premises that they
deem equitable.
Another amendment takes thu railroads
out of the power of any city regulation not
made in accordance with the provisions OF
the Dill, now or hereafter.
Senator Root then presented an amend
ment which provides that no director here
after chosen can live out of the state. Sen.
ato1 Morgan offered one which permits
bonds to be issued on higher valuation
than the cost Of construction. Senator
Holcomb offered one to strike out the an
ti-parallel section and the freight carrying
prohibitions; Senator Fox's decreases the
distance Of running over other roads to
1000 feet; Senator Miners permits issue
of bonds as low as 500 and makes loans
for damages, take precedence of bonded
Indebtedness.
Senator Holcomb said the matter was
important, 1t was pioneer bill. He sug
gested that the amendments be printed and
the matter tabled for some future time.
Senator Pierce agreed to this but thought
the bill should bs considered Friday
Senator Miner suggested Wednesday
next at II O'Clock. The bill was then
made the special order for that day. The
amendments were ordered printed for the
file.
The committee absolutely refuse to sug-
gest any other amendments than those pre-.
sented by Mr.. Pierce, neither will they con.
sent to the bill bsing reoommitted.
It now eeerns probable that the assembly
will reach final adjournment by June 1.
The judiciary committee, which is suppos
ed to have the most business, have cleaned
up al assignments and are now holding
executive sessions, and reporting bills as
fast as possible. The committee on
interpretations also expects to fin
ish inside of two weeks, while the
committee on cities and boroughs have
very little left except the electric road
charters for assignment, and they will be
quickly disposed of as soon as the general
bill is out of the way. The other minor
committees can finish up at short notice,
and an old member of the assembly who
has been there several times says that the
last of next month will bring adjourn
ment.
The state prison committee will hold
another public hearing in the house to-
morrow on the state prison investigation,
when it is Understood the warden will
testify.
Hon. J. D. Plunkett was before the COM
mittee on state prison this afternoon, in
favor of the bill allowing prisoners in
county jails days off of their time for good
conduct, the same as at the prison.
Several manufacturers appeared before
the labor committee to day and objected to
q bill reducing the hours of labor In the
state to niue hours instead of ten, as the
law now Ia.
Representative Gardner Greene of
Norwich was seized with fainting spell
in the lobby to-day and fell to the floor,
severely bruising his head. He was at.
tended by DR.. Jones and sent home.
His absence caused the committee on in.
corporations to continue until week from
Tuesday, the hearing On the resolution in.
cooperating the State Children's Aid so.
| ciety.
Governor Morris before leaving to day
signed the pool bill.
The house appointed David D soule, dem q
| ington. and Joseph K. Judson, rep, OF Thomas
ton commissioners for Litchfeld county. Incl
| debate over the Bill providing for minority repre-
sentation on county boards. Rookie, of New
Britain, named an amendment, providing To-
the election Of commissioner by popular vote
and Ii
vote was rejected, 1o5 to io4 Several repubii
cans voted with the democrats. The bill pro
ding for minority representation was theI
passed. .
The temperance committee reported faverably
the bill Permitting saloons to open one hour at
| ter the closing Of the polls election days, ant
also making ineligible for being granted a ga
allied.
The committee on education reported favora
| having 10000 inhabitants to maintain evening
| schools, and making optional with selectmen, o.
| boards of education, the periods for which sucf
schools shall be conducted. These schools shal
/ be for the benefit of persons fourteen years ant
upwards
| favorable report was made by the judiciar,
committee on the bill limiting to exemption from
factorizing process wages to the amount of moi
seyernor's chief clerk to 81 500 from 81, DO 's
| The bill increasing the number of state ref
| erees having Judicial powers from one to thres