The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-05-22
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
STILL ANOTHER BUSY DAY FOR
 CONEECTICUT,S LEGISLATORS.

STILL ANOIHER BUSY DAH FOI6
 CONNECTICUT'S LEGISLATORS.
 The Specific Appropriations Bill-An Inn
 portant Discussion-BridgepOrt Grade
 Crossing Again-The House Has 8 Lively
 Discussion of the Majority Report on the
 Subject of Constitutional Reform-A Dip
 Into state HistoIy-The Vote on the App
 potntment of Commission to be Taken
 This ForenOon-A Republican Caucus to
 Precede it--The State Reformatory.
 Hartford, May 21.-A hearing on the bill for re-enacting the specific appro- priations act was held before the com mittee on finance this morning. The bill was favored by Colonel Wood of Derby, the author of the measure, and Hon. Lynde Harrison of New Haven. MT. Harrison was a member of the com mission which worked out the original measure and has always regarded the matter as one of great importance, and worked for the best interests of the state during the six years it was in vogue The other members of the commission were Marshal Jewell, Nathaniel Wheel CT, Lafayette K Foster, Henry M. Cleve- land and A. IN. Baldwin. The act was repealed in 1S9S
 MT. Harrison said: "In one depart ment alone, the judicial, I believe, there could be a great saving if this measure was re-enacted. In New Haven county juries are sometimes kept dangling along for six months. Under specific appropriations it is necessary for all the departments to be careful and not overrun the appropriations In the Ju- dicial department thousands and thou sands of dollars can be wasted or saved. The bill provides for an estimation to be made from each department of the probable amount necessary to conduct the same for two years It is not nec- essary that there should be any esti- mate made in the matter of salaries, for that is already fixed; but in the oth- CT matters of appropriations, the appro- prations as at present made, were mere matters of guess work. The true way to do is to make an estimated expen- diture from each of the departments"
 MT. Marsh of the comptroller's office said the expenses in the judicial de- partment had increased from $241,O to $356,0 900 while this law was in force.
 Colonel Wood replied that the amount had been increased more in the years of specific appropriations than before.
 MT. Harrison stated that there had been an increase of only $40,000 during the years of specific appropriations.
 MT. Marsh stated that the increase was largely in the matter of the county courts.
 Harrison--There is where you want to put the knife in.
 The bill was further advocated by Colonel Wood.
 GRADE CROSSINGS MEASURE.
 The board of trade of Bridgeport, hay ing voted last evening to oppose the bill, which, it was supposed, would set tie the question of the dangerous cross ings in, that city, 1t is expected there will be quite a contest over the matter in the senate on Thursday, when it is taken up as the special order. The mem- bers of the legislature are not little surprised that the board of trade has taken this action, as the Bridgeport peo- 1 ole came to practical agreement in the matter at the last meeting of the 1 committee on railroads, and on the | strength of that agreement the com- 1 nittee lost no time in voting favorably | ~ONN on the bill.
 The bill provides for the very thing l for which some of the objectors to the | bill are contending. One of the Bridge | port citizens said to-day that the board | of trade feared under the bill that 1 Bridgeport would have to pay too large l a share of the improvement; but as City Attorney Davenport stated before 1 the railroad committee, if there was any | over the matter of ex- pense, then an appeal could be taken to the superior court
 The board of trade favor the carrying out of the Improvements under the gen eral railroad law If it is put on that basis. the changes will never be made. 1 It was stated before the committee that the measure as reported represent ed the wishes of a majority of the citi- zens of Bridgeport and that it was the1 best measure that could be secured un- der the circumstances. That being the case, the objection put in at this late day is surprising.
 It is the general opinion here that the bill will become a law, as it is consider ed perfectly safe to leave any disputed questions to the superior court to de- eide. As the parties in interest have, after years of discussion, come to a definite agreement in the expenditure of a sum likely to exceed $1,500,000, it is regarded as unwise to put any stum- bling blocks in the way. The improve ments are mutually desired, for they will not only enable the railroad to com- plete it's four-tracking between New York and New Haven and other very important improvements, but will be of the utmost benefit to the city of 
 SENATE.
 Both branches of the general assem- ply came in to-day at 12:30 D. n IT, +ba eapnte if wa c Uoted tn i11sis+ o11 !