Connecticut western news., 1895-05-02
THE HARTFORD BRIDGE.
Preparations for the Biggest Battle {
 the General Assembly.

What disposition will be made of the | three reports from the Committee on | the Hartford bridge bill Is one of the | foremost questions before the. General Assembly.
 The importance of this legislation is very uch emphasized these days at | the Capitol, for gathered under the | gilded dome, as they say, are many | persons deeply interested in this sub- iect, and there is great deal of bug zing going on.
 The report of the majority of the Committee, Senator Warner. and Messrs Cowell. Greene, Roraback and Bowen, repeating the law of 1893 that put the bridge on the State. and put ting the bridge back on to the towns of Hartford and East Hartford, will appeal with a great deal of force to nearly every member of the General Assembly who resides beyond the confines of the two towns named.
 The general argument Is made in ia. vor of the adoption of the majority re- port that the towns which are immedi- ately benefited by the bridge should pay for the new structure and should thereafter support it. This kind of req soning is looked upon as appealing with peculiar emphasis to nearly every towns representative in the State except Hart ford and East Hartford's delegation Tn the Legislature.
 The Senate the Battle Ground.
 From a reliable source comes the statement that the gentlemen who would like to see the majority report knocked into smithereens, have made kha.r .3c 4hak tha oh nf the General Assembly is more than like ly to adopt the majority report of the Judiciary Committee, and that the hopes of these same gentlemen are centered on the Senate.
 Four of the strongest men in the House will be found in the front ranks fighting for the adoption of the majority report. These four are Cowell, Rora- back, Greene and Bowen. They are very able legislators and command a wide influence in that body. Judge Cowell was until a few days ago the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, filling the vacancy caused by the retire ment of Judge Elmer. Judge Rora- back is 8 ssgacious legislator, speaker of earnestness and has become thorough ly aroused to the importance of prevent ing legislation that means the saddling upon the State of all bridges, if the present law concerning the Hartford bridge remains undisturbed on the statute books of Connecticut. Gardiner Greene. Jr.. who led the House during the deadlock assembly, Is one of the scholarly Representatives and will be heard on this question in an argument that will be ss exhaustive as the impor- tance of the subject demands. Judge Bowen will prove valuable aid to the other determined men who have endor- sed the majority report, and in his de- liberate and thoughtful style of argu- ment, will help to pile up the reasons why the State should be relieved from this burden and why 1t should go upon Hartford and East Hartford.
 These are the men who will lead in this fight for the majority report and back of them will be scores of Repre- sentatives who can never become recon ciled to the idea or tbe principle that the citizens outside of the immediate ighborhood of Hartford should be called upon to pay for bridge that is used by Hartford and East Hartford al- most exclusively.
 In the Senate the majority report will have for defender the leader of the upper House, Senator Warner In the halls of legislation 1t has been frequent ly remarked since this session began that the legislator who started in to de- feat Senator Warner was undertaking a contract the proportions of which he had failed to thoroughly comprehend He has no equal in the Senate as de- batter, no match as a lawyer and no one who can use the English language with more force, direction and condolences It will be battle we'll worth watch ing, and there is no doubt the people of | the State will have their eyes centered on the struggle, particularly when it starts in the Senate, where the first round will take place.
 | Ugly Rumors Circulated. Already some ugly rumors have been put into circulation at the Capitol con- cerning what is called questionable in- fuences that are alleged to be at work to defeat the report of the majority. There IS no question about the intense interest of number of distinguished lawyers in this piece of Legislation, and their aggressiveness has already become a subject of gossip in the building. It is well known that big contract, one of $35O, 900 hinges on the action ot::the General Assembly. This contract Is with the Berlin Bridge Company, and was the subject of an exhaustive inquiry bv the members of the Judiciary Com mittee. The majority report calls upon this company to prove the validity of the contract into which it entered with the State.
 When the reports on this matter were submitted and it was seen that the ma- jority of the Committee had recommend ed the repeal of the '93 law and also made certain recommendations concern ing the contract, there was dismay among the lawyers who had appeared for the Bridge Commissioners and the Berlin Bridge Company, as well as among the lawyers who appeared for some of the towns that figure in this legislation. All these legal gentlemen are now in favor of smashing the major ity report, and they will conduct pow erful campaign in that direction, Of course what they would like to accom- plish would be the overthrow of the five members of the Judiciary Committee. But they recognize they have an enor- nous task before them.
 There are some people around the Capitol who during all this gigantic con- test, will not fail to call attention to the history of the legislation of '93, that placed this bridge and this big contract upon the State of Connecticut. They will not overlook the fact that attached to that legislation was scandal that annoyed the citizens of Connecticut, when it became known that $35, ,0O0 had been taxed up to the five bridge towns as bill for the legal services in procur- ing the '93 legislation.
 Gov. Bulkeley to the Front.
 Gov. Bulkeley IS one of the leaders