The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-01-23
GRADE CROSSING BILL.
THE STATE SENATE BECoNsIDERS
 ITS ACTION.

The Bill is Passed-Only Four Votes
 Against it--A Big Day in the Legislature
 Vigorous Speeches-LiveIy Times at the
 Capitol-Adjourned Until To-day.
 Special to the JoURNNL AND CoU7IERl
 Hartford, Jan. 22-This has been big day in the legislature, as was ex- pected. While new business was being considered in the house, Representative Judson arose and spoke in favor of re- questng the senate to return to the house for purpose of amending, the grade crossing bill, which was passed ferred to the committee on railroads by the house. He read his speech for, he said, he wished that his remarks might not be misunderstood.
 The burden of his speech was that the inherent right, the constitutional right of all citizens, the right of peti- tion ought to be respected by the house.
 Twenty thousand people ask that the Traction company of Bridgeport be permitted to run it's tracks across the steam road tracks. Mr Judson favor ed the grade crossing bill as a general principle, but he thought the desires of Bridgeport should be respected. He closed by scoring the Bridgeport news papers for making attacks upon those fo, 1an nd ca those papers had gone so far as to att tack the judiciary
 MT. Marsh of Bridgeport also spoke in favor of reconsidering the bill.
 MT. Elmer of Middletown, who intro duced the bill last week, then made long speech against a reconsideration He said
 T am glad to know that Bridgeport is a good place to live in and we want to keep it soN We do not want to make slaughter house of it. We do not want to make Bridgeport the dread of the traveling public, the fear of those who go to and from the great city of New York. That grade cross ing ought not to be established and it is our business to prevent it. We are here to represent the people of the state, not amy private corporation. We have decided this matter once and we decided it right. Let us protect the lives of the people of this state. That is our highest duty"
 MT. Middleton of Enfield was in favor of hearing the petition from Bridgeport.
 MT. Gum of Milford made char acteristically vigorous and witty speech, in the course of which he urged the house to have the courage of it's con- victions and stand by the action it had already taken.
 MT. Newton of New Haven said he desired to give the Bridgeport people a chance to be heard, and should there fore vote in favor of the Judson resolu- tion. In New Haven he had been obliged to walk across a railroad when he used one of the electric roads, and found it to be a disagreeable ex- perience He could easily understand why Bridgeport people were willing to l take the risk of riding across the tracks l rather than to walk. MT Elmer at this point asked the 1 speaker to rule regarding the right of l the house to consider the Judson reso- 1ution, the bill in question being still l pending in the senate. Speaker Fes- 1 senden quoted rule 37 under which the | refusal to entertain the resolution | would have been proper, but said that | as no objection had been made to con- sideration of the resolution when it was introduced, he should rule that it could | be considered.
 After considerable further debate the | resolution was voted down by a big | majority, and the house refused to re- quest the senate to return the bill. During the interesting debate the floor of the house and the galleries was packed with spectators.
 MT. Marsh of Bridgeport then intro duced a bill providing that all grade in Bridgeport be eliminated and that the governor appoint com mission to assess benefits and damages. Referred to railroad committee.
 IN THE SENATE.
 The senate also held an interesting session. As it was known that the grade crossing bill would come up for the chamber was crowd ed as it seldom has been and the galler les were also filled with spectators. All were eager for the fray and many sena- tors were primed with speeches.
 It will be remembered that last We'd nesday, immediately after the grade crossing bill was passed in the house, It was transmitted to the senate, and that body voted to refer to the commit lee on railroads. It was known that an attempt would be made to call up the bill this afternoon and pass it, But the Dill did not come up immediately as many had thought would be the case, put petitions from all over the state, signed by hundreds of people favoring ,he immediate passage of the bill pre- venting the laying of any more grade { crossings by electric roads, were consid- red These petitions included one from { Morris, Ingersoll and liar 'ison, President Dwight and 1858 oth ( ITS of New Haven, petition from 476 ,itizens of Stamford, petition of 118 cit I zens of Stonington, petition from 225 i ,itizens of New London, petition from i 40 citizens of Winsted, two petitions rom 543 citizens of Hartford, petition I rom 355 citizens of Middletown, from t 62 citizens of Willimantic, 159 citizens if Waterbury, and all in favor of the ia 4a ma Gea oa If thn hill