The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-05
THE POOL LAW AMENDMENT
REPRESENTATIVE NEARY WAS NOT
READY FOR THE HEARING.

Collins Opinion of the Bili-Judiciary
Theft of Electric Hearing on Re-
peal of Town Bounty Act Postponed.
The Judiciary committee of the sem
ate and house gave hearing to the
parties interested in the following bills
yesterday:
An act amending the bounty act
which provides that the towns in the
state shall give aid to the surviving
veterans of the war of the rebellion who
are entitled to bounty under it's provi-
sions.
Town Counsel j. P. Goodhart APP
peared for the selectmen of the town
OF New Haven, as there are several
amendments to the act. Mr.. Goodhart
asked for a postponement of the hear
! ing and the request was granted
The bill introduced in the house by
Representative Barnes Of New Haven
concerning the theft of electricity was
next considered
John w. Allihg asked the commit
tee, in behalf of the electric light in
4 terests of the state, to report faVor-
ably on such an act. Its provisions are
such as now govern the theft of steam
and gas. Mr.. Alling explained that it
was possible to tap the electric light
wires without detection unless investl-
Il cation be made by an expert. In
4 stances had come to the notice of the
8 officials of the companies where seven
or eight horse power had been supplied
surreptitiously. The act provides
penalty of $50 fine for the first offence
and s1OO and Imprisonment for subse-
a quent violations.
Senator Warner announced that the
hill would be considered in executive
session and called up the amendment
of the pool law, offered by Represen-
tative Neary of Naugatuck.
Mr. Neary stated that those in favor
of the bill desired postponement of
three weeks.
Senator Warner said in q jocose
fashion: 'fWhy three weeks, Mr..
Neary? You know we adjourn in
4 four
Judge Rorab back moved that the mat
ter be postponed for one week, which
was voted.
Dr. Smyth, in behalf Of the oppo-
nents of the proposed amendment, said
4 that there were number of gentle
men present who had left their bust
ness in the expectation that the hear
ing would be held, and he suggested
that they be heard. DR.. Smyths propo-
" sition was adopted.
Y Dr. Smyth said: Gentlemen Of the
\ committee, l do not propose, at this
\ time, to discuss the effect Of the pass
age of the bill amending the pool law;
that is patent to every man here. This
K bill is conceived in the vicious princi-
Il Pile of class legislation. Corpor-
ations which we have driven from the
state are asking you to legislate for
them in favor of a bill, the passage
Y of which could not be obtained by any
individual in private life or by any man
n in your profession or mine / know
n that those who favor this amendment
n will tell you that it is of the nature
n of the local option law which gov
erns the sale of liquor in many COM
a munities, but there is an element in
n tain in the local option act. 1t legalizes
acts which are pernicious; it makes
Y lawful what is now a penal crime.
''The local option law governs what in
"A itself is not recognized as crime. Now,
s. gentlemen, am aware that the powers
of the general court of the state of Con-
necticut are great and also that there
have been but few instances where its
Il acts have been set aside by the supreme
~ court True, the court has not spoken
on this subject but we have had init
n nations in several instances of what
its opinion might be. Gentlemen, ii
i'll becomes the general assembly OF
Connecticut to legalize what is being
n declared crime by many of the states
of the union. Powerful as the genera
court of the state may be, the state
Il conscience is still more potent.
H "If the state of Connecticut can give
I $4,000 majority for sound money, it can
\ give a far greater majority for sound
III morals"
Jacob L. Greene, president of the
# Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance
81 company, said: GAS citizen of Hart
II ford I came here to-day to raise my
voice against the passage Of a bill
# which, if enacted, will be the ruin OF
NJ hundreds of young men of my state
h If the law be right it should stand; we
u must be consistent
n M. I. Warner of Naugatuck said that
z he loved young men and that it was in
s their interest that he appeared before
g the committee
Rev. DR.. J. F. Twichell of Hartford
said that four years ago Connecticut
n passed an act which drove the gam
blers from within its borders. "It is
4 row proposed to hamstring it and lei
q in a flood of iniquity. This is poor
world; it might better-it is better than
y it was.
a "Our fathers, our venerated fathers
built churches and colleges from the
& proceeds of lottery; two years ago the
great state of Louisiana, poor and with
glittering bribe dangling over it, re-
81 pealed it's lottery law. The public es-
81 innate of the state of Louisiana has
J increased since that day.
Ia For several years 1 have been a
Is member Of the corporation of Yale uni.
versity and with DR.. Smyth I can tes-
tify to the pernicious effect of pool sell