The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-03-14
COUNCILMEN DID NOT ACT
ON INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING
 CHARTER AMENDMENTS.

Aldermen, However, Passed Directions for Corporation Counsel Concerning all the City Bills Before the Legislature
 -CounciImen Hall and Walsh Defend
 the Mayor-Dr. Baldwin Suspects "
 "Deal."
 The aldermen and councilmen met last
 night and it was expected that both
 boards would take action instr1ctlng the
 corporation counsel as to advocat ting or
 opposing before the legislative commit
 tee on cities and boroughs the bills for
 amendments of the New Haven charter
 now before that committee for hearings.
 The aldermen did take the expected ac-
 ton, but instead of the matters acted
 upon being at once transmitted to the
 councilmen, in order that they might
 take action, the batch of amendments
 were held in the aldermen's chamber un-
 til all were passed upon. The council
 men took a recess at 10:30 to await the
 transmission of the amendments acted
 upon by the aldermen. Some of the councilmen went home during the recess and as a result when the board was
 called to order again there was no quorum and it was decided to hold an adjourned meeting tomorrow night. As a result no instruction was passed by
 the councilmen concernig several mat ters which are to come before the com- mittee on cities and boroughs at Hart ford for hearing to-day.
 1 One of the first matters to be taken up by the aldermen was the bill drawn by Attorney w. s. Pardee for the divi- sion of New Haven into fifteen towns, the object of the bill being to secure fairer representation in the legislature than the city now has.
 | Alderman Root spoke against the bill and said that it didn't go to the root of ' the matter. He did not want to go on record as opposing anything that would give New Haven fair representation, but said that this bill provided for New Ha- ven. but not for the country towns. He said further: 'If my friends are hon. est on the other side, and I presume l tiiCy dlS, tllty VIII HUI lllllih IL WlSt lO instruct the corporation counsel to ad- vocate that bill when they know it will be defeated Then if you are honest about fair representation why not give the support of this body for the bill of the gentlemen from Bethel which pro- vides for fair representation all over the state. There is an excellent opportunity this year of getting through fair bill like that"
 Alderman Cooley said: Tt is quite evil dent that something should be done to give New Haven, a city of this size, fair representation. I don't know why it should be political matter. It is fair bill for both parties. A few years ago Ansonia was set off as a separate town from Derby so as to give a fair representation. It is quite evident that we ought to do something to get fair representation l don't know what the bill of the gentleman from Bethel Is. If we introduce a bill to cut down the rep resentation of the country towns we might as well stop and do nothing. This New Haven bill don't touch those towns and the bill seems to me fair one. It don't give New Haven what she ought to have, but 1t does something. The committee was unanimously in favor of it and whether it passes or not think the aldermen should favor 1t to show that New Haven desires a fair repre- sentation."
 Alderman Root in reply said: 'I am quite certain that the bill I refer to as coming from Bethel was not opposed but I am also sure that this New Ha- ven bill will be opposed. It seems to me that it is an illogical bill. It says that the Third ward with 5000 inhabi- tants shall have the same representa- ton as the Fourteenth and Fifteenth wards, each with only 300 or 400 popu- lation."
 Alderman Hogan said: q concur in the views expressed by the chairman of the committee on legislation (Mr. | Cooley). I heartily approve of any measure, no matter whether I believe it | will become law or not, hesitate not | to stamp my approval on any measure | to get fairer representation in the leg islature than we now have. I don't | think there is any one, regardless of | politics, who will not say that New | Haven should have fairer represen- | tation, and any bill with that object in ' view should be approved of by the | beard of aldermen
 Alderman Dewell-''I concur with the views of the gentlemen from the First | and Seventh wards. The only way we can get fair representation in the leg islature is to increase the representa- ton from the cities. The aldermen tried to do away with the board of council men and the councilmen tried to do away with the board of aldermen. The same thing exists in Hartford"
 On vote being taken the report of the committee was accepted.
 Another important matter that came up was in regard to the term of office of the superintendent of schools. Sec tion 110 of the charter covers this mat ter and reads as follows: "The super of schools, if he has not held the office before, shall be appointed for one year, and if continued in office thereafter may be appointed for one, and if continued in office thereafter may be appointed for term of five years, and his salary shall not be re- duced before the expiration of said term of five years"
 Alderman Dewell offered a motion that this section shall be amended by n tha word 'tyNp'' ;pe+oo5