Evening journal., 1899-01-02
THE FRsT oF ms kINn-

-@-~ @Ae@A "a AA1 MINI
Tomorrow the General Assembly
will convene al Dover, and this even
ing politicians. little and big. will
gather at the State Capitol to assist the
legislators in the work Of organizing
the houses.
Il Will be the iirst session held under
the terms OF the new Constitution
The membership has been materially
augmented, that Of the Senate being
increased from 9 to II, and that Of the
House from 21 to 35. New Castle
county has been accorded additional
representation and stands In a better
position to defend her interests against
any encroachmengs by Kent and Sus-
sex. Representation is by senatorial
and representative districts instead Of
by counties, There has been radical
curtailment and explicit definition Of
the powers Of legislation. The limita-
ton Of the length OF the session haa
been nxed at sixty days, where for
mer1y there WIS no limit and the mem
bers often remained at their desks be-
tween four and five months. There
viii be no private corporation meas
ures, no divorce billie, no ditch and
road bills. All the small avenues Of
legislation which brought with them
go much worriment and discredit are
closed, and only the broad avenues re-
main open. The members VIII find life
at Dover better worth the living under
these new conditions.
It viii be an important session .
several respects. A United states scn-
ator is to be elected to succeed Hon
George Gray, whose term has nearly
expired. The indications are that there
viii be lively factional fight between
the Regular Republicans and theUnion
Republicans over the bone OF conten-
ton which spiit the party four years
ago. They may succeed in harmonic
ing their differences, but there are ac-
tive and well-informed men Of the
party who doubt their ability to do so.
There are various matters Of legdsla-
tion which were not passed upon by
the last General Assembly az IT'S ad-
journed session, which must be die
posed OF within the next two months.
Possibly the most important. and the
one over which there will be the great
est contention and bitterness is the
General Corporation act.
An excellent feature Of the work OF
the session will be that the legisla-
tion viii come from districts, the rep
resentation OF which is clearly defined
in both the Senate and the House.
Members, who know that they win be
held to strict accountability by their
constituents, viii be more prone to
vote in accordance with the popular
viii of the districts which they repre-
sent than they would have done under
the old conditions when they had an
entire county from which to draw sup
port.
The fact that the Senate is Demo-
cratic and that the House is Republi-
can. gives assurance that no harmful
political legislation win be enacted.
DIT. Hiram r. Burton is contesting the
right Of Franklin c. Maul to a seat in
the Senate as the representative from
the Fifth senatorial dietrct OF Sussex
county, but the Democrats will organ
ice the Senate by means OF the three
Aolding-over members and the clerk
and MT. Maull, who holds the certih-
cate Of election, will be sworn IN. Afte7
that has been done, Dr Burton might
just as well abandon his contest, tor n
viii prove unavaikng. In fact we arr
Of the opinion that certain Republican
members Of the Senate are not particu
larly anxious to have DR.. Burton
member OF that body, anyway
a large majority OF tho members o
both houses are intelligent and right
thinking men. and no doubt they will
show by their actions that they ar,
in Dover in the public and not in thu
private interest We wish them
pleasant session and one which vii
be profitable to the people Of the state
Lieutenant Clarke Churchman was
brave young Delawarcan who lest hi