Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-04
IMPORTANT LEGISLATION
Handled By Connecticut Legisla-
 tors This Week.

The Two Years Game Law and the h. determinate Sentence Bill the Most Important-The Itinerant Bill was Killed and Fakirs Can Continue to do Land Office Business-The Con stitutional Amendment Bill Provid- ing for Plurality Elections was Also Reported.
 Hartford, May 1.-The week has been one of the most important thus far of the session. A large number of well known bills went into the legisla-
 tive basket and several important measures were passed Besides that reports came in for the first time on Il number of bills that have been await
 ed with interest since the commence ment of the session. In the house there were two or three days of good
 argument so that taken altogether the week provided some interest for the members.
 Among the important bills passed this week was the two years law,
 which provides that for two years it shall be crime to sell or have for sale any game birds. The bill is intend ed to preserve the game birds of the state and give them q chance to pro- pagate. It received a long debate i'll the house where MT Reed of Stafford
 wanted to have it amended so as to in- clude killing birds with having them for sale. Another bill passed puts state bounty on foxes of S1 skin; and is intended to rid the state of the scourge to farmers and poultry men. The automobile speed limit bill went through after some debate. It was 3 question as to just what speed ought to be set in the cities, and after dis cussion it was decided to place it at twelve miles and for the country if teen miles. This makes the Connecti- cut law in line with the laws of Massa- chusetts and New York.
 Among the bills rejected was the merchants bills taxing hawkers and itinerant merchants so as to place them on the same level with regular mer- chants, the bill extending indetermin- ate sentence to jails, about a dozen bills sent in by the shell fish commis- sioners, and the eight hour labor bill by the senate.
 It was in the committee reports how ever, that the most interesting develop mentS of the week came The judici- ary committee sent in favorably the long expected report on the proposed indeterminate sentence bill, which is as important a measure as will be pass ed at this session. It provides for pa role of prisoners in states prison and their release pending good behavior. It marks an entirely new attitude which this state is to take regarding it's crim- inal classes. The Constitutional amendment committee sent in the two amendments left over from last ses- sion, providing for 8 plurality election of governor and other state officers and for the redistrieting of the senate. Both Of these amendments will produce some discussion in the house but are likely to pass. Other incidents of the week were the spicy debate on Tues day on the Waterbury consolidation matter, in which some bitter things were said, the hold up of the David Callahan matter by MT Stapels of Bridgeport and the deferred debate on the bill amending the present. law so that interstate estates shall go to fa- thers and mothers instead of brothers and sisters. Senator Platt addressed the two houses on Thursday in graceful speech and was given cordi- al welcome.