Waterbury Democrat., 1901-03-02
4 LEGISLATIVE REVIEW.
Bill to Abolish Death Penalty
 Caused Heated Argument.


 Week Was the Kidnapping Measure
 The Steam Trolley Fight Was h.
 teresting While It Lasted But It
 Promises to Be Warmer Next Time.
 Hartford, March 1.-This week at the capitol has seen the first real prog resS that has been made thus far to- ward getting through with the trench dous amount of new business that has come before the present general as sembly. Action on several bills of i'm portance came this week. notably on the Kidnapping bill. the Sunday base ball bill and the bill aboliSning capital punishment. The first fight in the house came this week in the diSpOsi- ton of the capital punishment bill. IT he committee on judiciary reported unfayOrab bly the measure substituting life imprisonment for hanging in all convictions for murder ill the first degree. and for killing by means of train wreckinG or arson. There was q sharp fight before the committee on the matter. and the committee was divided. MT Hubbard of Litchtield pre- Senting a minority report in favor of the measure. The division immediate ly precipitated the house into a heat ed argument. The supporters of the abolition of the death penalty. how ever, were not organized. and the sup port of the minority report was frag- mentary Mir King for the commit tee closed the argument with q forci- i ble expression of the committees stand | that the law was too sweeping as pro posed. and the house rejected the bill | almost unanimously.
 An important measure that was passed was the bill providing a penal | ty for kidnapping, d law that has long been needed in this state. The origi- nal measure provided for life imprison- ment for the crime hut tho committee | decided on a thiIty-year maximum as l Il substitute and this was passed in | both houses.
 Sunday base ball was also rejected l in the house this week. there being no support of the bill.
 An important step taken by the as sembly this week was the move to shorten the session this year by devot- | ing all Fridays hereafter to exclusive committee hearings. Previous to this I year Friday has been q comparatively | wasted day. bat Senator kenealey' $ idea is that this year the day can be made one of tn" most important ill the | week. Not all the committees will need to use Friday for hearings. but the committees that have the greatest press of business will be able to make good use of the day. It is anticipated that fully three weeks will be clipped of from the session by this measure.
 One of the most Interesting commit tee hearings held this week was that before the judiciary committee on the restoration of the whipping post for | certain offenSes in this state There | were a large number Of prominent pO- lice court judges and lawyers before the committee in favor of the bill and some striking arguments were used. I.Judge Pearne of NiGiletown and Judge Goodwin of Hartford were urgent that the bill should pass, at least so as to include wife beaters', who can be pun ished only. according to both judges, by the lash. -in argument was also made that Connecticut especially needs the law because of it's position be tween Boston and New York. as the state is practically :; highway for crim- inals passing from city to city. Del aware that now has the whipping post. is in the same relative position. There | bill modified to exclude perhaps chil- dren might receive favorable action by the committee.
 Before the railroad committee the first of the long fight that has been expected between the New Haven road and the Connecticut Railway and Lighting company cropped out on We'd neSday, when Attorney Robbins. for the steam road. challenged the trolley | trusts attempt to come under the laws of the state through one of it's pur- chased companies. the Bridgeport trac- tion At Il continued hearing on this question there will probably be some interesting developments. The con- mittee will probably report unfavor- ably on the measure to create a sep arate trolley commission to look after the affairs of the electric roads, as no one appeared for the petition. The bill putting the trollies under the pres ent steam road commission was sup ported generally before the committee and will probably be given favorable consideration.
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