Waterbury Democrat., 1901-01-16
RUSH FOR SEATS
Members of the Legislature
 Picking Out their Desks.
OFFICE OF ENCLOSING CLERK
Created To-Day By the Appointment of Fred A. Scott to the Position
 Senate Had Very Qdiet Session.

of Fred A. Scott to the Position
 Senate Had a Very Qdfet Session
 Representative Woodruff Presented
 Bill For Amendment to Constitution.
 Hartford, Jan 1G-The members of the house spent considerable time this morning in choosing the seats they are to occupy during the session. After the chaplain had invoked prayer in the opening of the days session, Speaker Light announced q change in some of the committees. Representative Wil< liam H. Sage of Old Saybrook being appointed to the committee on en- SroSSed bills ill place of Representa- tive Frank Gorham of Weston. An important bill introduced was that of Representative Woodruff of Orange. It provided for an amendment to the ! constitution ill the matter of represen- taticn in the general assembly, The ! features of the bill are the provisions that all towns having q population of 5000 should be entitled to two repre- SentatlVeS. All towns over 10000 should be entitled to one extra repre- sentative for each 10000 over the first 10000, or for a fraction of more than one-half that. All towns having more than two representatives should be dis vided into districts. In case of any town being entitled to more than two representatives the general assembly should divide the town into districts, allowing one representative to each and such districts must be composed of continuous and compact limits. and population of each should be as near- ly equal q spossible.
 After the allotment of seats the 1 house adjourned until next Tuesday | at 12:3O.
 It was very quiet session in the 1 senate this morning. Al the business | had been introduced, referred to com- | mittees or transmitted to the house 1 for action, shortly after noon. Mr Kenealy for the judiciary committee l and the committee on engrOSsed bills, presented q resolution providing for 1 the creation of fAe new office ot en- crossing clerk, to which office former Clerk Fred A. Scott of the senate was last night elected. Samuel A. Eddy: was reelected clerk of bills by the | joint committee. The measure was 1 passed and referred to the house. l The Meriden Record quotes a busf- | ness man of that city as urging a
 change of the law fixing q penalty fols | intoXication. His idea is that when l tl llau laS no lulluS tO Day HIS hAc udtI
 costs he should not be committed to
 jail but should be allowed to pay by
 installments. Being at liberty he can
 earn wages and the community will be
 saved the. expense. of supporting him l in jail Further than this he would be
 able to provide for his family and
 would escape the disgrace of being
 committed to jail for q minor offense
 against the law.
 We. sincerely hope" says the Con-
 necticut Valley Advertisers, ''that the
 present legislature will increase the
 length of the ballots for town officers
 so that they will be long enough to
 take on all the names required to be
 put on them. Last fall, when there
 was no vote for town clerk, we were
 just able to squeeze the names on.
 Next fall, when all the officers will be
 voted for, we expect to hang the overs
 flow on the margin, or else issue .
 supplement, when we print the tick. l cts"