The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-04-20
NEW HAYENS DAY AGAIN
THE PROPOSED NEW CHARTER
 FURTHER DISCUSSED


 Fair Haven East Committee Oppose,
 Consolidation-New Haven Streets and
 Wharves-Other Matters.
 Hartford, April 19.-This was New
 Haven day before the committee on
 cities and boroughs. Several measures were considered, but the principal mat.
 ter was in regard to the New Haven
 charter bills, upon which there have
 been five hearings.
 John W. Alllng, representing the legislative commission bill, made a long plea in behalf of the measure, trac- ing it's origin and the benefits he be- lieved it would confer. In closing he said:
 Tn England in 1885 they passed the municipality charter act. England was worse after that than we are now. But the rotten borough government has gone and now the government of cities IS what New Haven was before the common council was added; it is the single system. England got through her troubles and the English cities are models of good government. You may trust the people.
 This country is young and like many other people we care little for the nor row. They say we are the lost tribe of the house of Israel. We worship the golden calf with more devotion than did the Israelites. Our contempt for sound principles is also great. They say on the other side we do not know anything about practical politics We'll am glad we don't. They say we should do business on a practical plan But no government can afford to de- part from sound principles. If the people want to rule they must be al- lowed to do so. They say we are prac- tical men. Give us equal powers in New Haven; that the democrats are bad and should put on swaddling clothes. Now, gentlemen, you cannot afford to do it. This is a government for and by the people. It is not a gov ernment for and by the politicians.
 ''Why shouldn't the general assembly say there should be one uniform system for all the cities of the state-for cities of an equal size I hope this committee will see fit to recommend the appointment of a committee of three or five to investigate municipal gov ernment and submit the same to the next general assembly,
 Among those who spoke on the char ter bills was L. Wheeler Beecher. He spoke of the hearings held previously and desired that now, as then, the out lying districts did not wish to become a part of the city.
 Judge Hotchkiss, representing West vile said they did not want to get mixed up in any such sort of a wrangle as New Haven had been in for twenty two years. When the city could get along with a charter they are all satis- fled with, then Westville is ready to come into the city. The town govern ment after all was the simplest the most just and equitable of any govern nent in existence. Judge Hotchkiss then submitted a, pamphlet with argu- ments relative to the whole matter. For the past five or six general assem- plies the people of the outlying dis tricts had been contending against this that had been attempted to force upon them.
 Judge Hotchkiss then explained about the village of Westville, which he said was as prettily situated as any village In Connecticut. He said Westville was the best lighted and had as good fire protection as any village in the state. l They also had ai board of education. | So it was a chartered village and it | had school better than amy in New | Haven. He continued:
 There is no such undesirable place | 70 live in as the outskirts of a. city. | With consolidation we could simply l elect one alderman. We would very | much prefer that matters remain as hey are. But they have told us that | hey would leave our tax as it is; but | we are met with contention in several matters concerning the proposed char CT. We have said, however, if you will grant the claims we have said, hen we will not oppose consolidation. And yet 1t is so mixed up, we hardly nnow what the charter is. So, on the whole, I believe it would be better to postpone this matter for two years md see if all the parties in Interest cannot agree and come up here with ome mutual charter bill"
 On that portion of the proposed char CT relating to bonding the city for ,avements, ex-Mayor J. B. Sargent poke in opposition, and then filed the remonstrance:
 IR. SARGENT'S REMONSTRANCE.I In the matter of the report of your committee upon the question, of grant lg to the city of New Haven the author ty of issuing bonds, the proceeds of which to be used to pave the streets n said city, the undersigned respect ully represent that the scheme appears IN 0 have the endorsement of the cham CT of commerce of said city, which is 1
 false appearance. The chamber of i { ommeree was sitablished more than a ' entury ago, when the main business of he place was that of exporting the f gricultural and other products of this I ountry and of importing the products s f other countries, mainly those of the Vest Indies Islands. The purposes for which the said t hamber of commerce was established C as to make efforts towards the adop- Y on of rules and laws for the benefit t nd protection of that commerce. It t as no duty nor function to perform relation to municipal government, or has a small minority any right c represent the body upon any munfc- | ,al question. The membership of the t T Q m ha1, Of commerce. cnnsiStc of ,,eor l n