The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-03-15
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
THE HOUSE VOTED AGAINST THE APPOINTMENT OF SENATOR BREE,

THE HOUSE VOTED AGAINST THE
 APPOINTMENT OF SENATOR BREE,
 Whom the Finance Committee Recom-
 mended for State Auditor -- Democratic
 Caucus Action Supported-Ex-M Mayor
 Webster of New Britain Appointed
 Building and Loan Commissioner
 Renorts from Committees Acted Upon.
 Tn the Senate at Hartford yesterday the committee on cities and boroughs reported favorably on the New Haven police pension bill which provides that policemen may be retired on half pay after having served twenty-five years in the department, and that each po- liceman shall pay per cent. of his wag- es to keep up the pension fund. The bill was tabled for the calendar and printing.
 The report of the finance committee recommending that Senator Bree of New Haven be appointed state auditor caused considerable discussion and was
 
 { The report was received by the Senate "Wednesday and was accepted and the recommendation adopted under suspen- eion of the rules. It was immediately transmitted to the House, where it was tabled on motion of Representative Calkins of East Lyme The democratic members of the general assembly few < weeks ago held caucus to nominate a candidate for state auditor, and Sena- tor Bree, resolution for whose ap- pointment had been passed by the Sen- ate under suspension of the rules the day before the caucus was held, refus- ed to take any part in the caucus, and requested that his name be not pre- scented there. The caucus nominated for the position l.. w. Newberry of South Meriden. Then Senator Bree's resolution, MT. Newberry's resolution and resolutions for the appointment of other candidates were referred to the finance committee.
 On motion of MT. Calkins yesterday the committee report was taken from the table, and Mr. Calkins then moved to amend it by substituting in it the name of MT. Newberry for that of Sen ator Bree.
 MT. Calkins said: Tt is rare that report of a committee of the House is attacked at any time. But the demo- crats of this House nominated Leslie w. Newberry for state auditor. The committee on finance saw fit to turn down this nomination and to nominate MT. Bree I think that the caucus of the. democrats of this House should be upheld. We are all here by the power of the caucus. We came here as demo- crats. We organized our steering com- mittee, was besieged with gentlemen who wanted this position. We chose at | our caucus Leslie w. Newberry and the democrats of this House want this nom- ination MT. Newberry was not my | candidate and did not support him at | the caucus, but my fellow democrats | did choose him and he is now my can- didate. It is for you, republicans, to de- | eide who will be the next democratic | member of the state board of auditors. | Gentlemen, it seems to me to be bad precedent to set to turn down a nomina- ton of a caucus in this House. It has never been done before and let me ask you to consider carefully this matter before you turn it down."
 MT. Tucker of Ansonia, chairman of L the finance committee, protested against the passage of the amendment. He said For the first time in the history of this state caucus has nominated a state auditor. The gentlemen of that caucus must have known that it was not their province, but that of the finance committee to name this auditor. The nominee of the caucus did not re- ceive single vote in the committee"
 Representatives Guilfoile of Water bury and Fahy of Vernon spoke in fa- vor of adopting the committee recom- mendation for Senator Bree. Represen- tative Pearne of Middletown supported JMr. Calkins' contention, and by vote