The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-06-15


 Disposed of Yesterday-The New In-
 corporation Law Con
 grossionaI Redistricting Hill Re
 jected by House and seMatc-There
 Must Now Be Congressmnn-at-
 Large.
 The business of the present session of the general assembly, all but few minor matters, was finished late yester-
 day afternoon and both the Senate and
 the House adjourned until next Mon
 day at 12:30, when the two branches will come in for final adjournment.
 The bill reported by the committee on
 congressional and senatorial districts
 providing for a redistricting of the
 State into five, congressional districts, was taken up for consideration yester- day in the House, and was rejected there, and later in the Senate, so that now under the federal law Connecticut must have one congressman-at- -at-large.
 MT. Pearne of Middletown, chairman of the committee, said the report was not the unanimous report of the com mittee. The present apportionment Of
 territory was made sixty years ago. In 1S40 the population was 309,000 and a fraction. The Fourth district was the largest The First and Third had each approximately population of 72,000. In the changes of population great Inequality has grown up. It seemed to the committee that some sort of &C., tion was required under the law enact ed by congress. Tn relation to territo- rial lines, MT. Pearne said that county lines did not amount to anything. Af- ter considering the matter the commit tee drew the lines where they are drawn in the bill. It is proposed to make Hartford county the First dis trict. Its population is 195,400. MT. Pearne described the districts as outlin- ed in the bill, and which has been al- ready published. Between the largest and smallest district the difference in population Is about 45,000. There did not seem to be great amount of in- terest shown in the matter at the hear ings.
 Mr. Reed of Stafford offered an amendment striking out all after the enacting clause. the effect of which would be to leave the districts as they are.
 Speaker Light questioned the pro- priety Of the amendment. The federal law called for a redistricting of the State, and not for a congressman-a t. large. He did not care to make rul- ing on the matter. MT. Pearne said if it seemed desirable to leave the dis tricts as they are the course to pursue was to defeat the bill and then you can elect a congressman at-large. MT. Reed withdrew his amendment and of fered another amendment to add Tol- land county to Hartford.
 MT Reed hoped the bill would be de- feated and allow a representatives at large to be elected But in case the House wishes to pass the bill he offer ed his amendment. The relations be- tween Holland and Hartford are close. t'We in Holland belong to Hartford; our business is there, our thoughts center in Hartford, and we do not want to be set off to New London and Windham. Holland ought to be kept with Hartford county There ought to be a congress- man-at-large elected. Holland county has not had a representative on the committee. Furthermore, Holland coun- ty has been deprived of hearing. Tol- land county has not been fairly treated. ]
 MT. King of Windham said the com mittee was absolutely fair in giving hearings One of the rights which a State has is to determine how its con- gressmen shall be elected. The legis- lature has a right to provide for con- gressman-a t-large.
 Finally, after considera ble debate the bill was rejected by vote of 122 to 70.
 The bill was transmitted to the Sen ate.
 Senator Landon, chairman of the committee, said that few persons ap- peared at the hearings. The congress- men were notified to appear, but none came Seven of the nine members of the committee decided in favor of five districts as the best thing for the State. He knew of no State so small as Con necticut that had a congressman at large, and the committee was especial ly impressed with the Inequality of the | 310,000 in one and only 129,000 l in another. The committee believed | that congressman -at-large, represent l Ing no district, would be in trouble with | his colleagues and lack influence at | Washington, and this the committee | had in mind in favoring five congress- men, each with a district averaging | lS1, 900 population. It is claimed that l the State may lose a congressman In | the next apportionment, but we should | go on as though we expected to have | five. There is no gerrymander in the bill reported by the committed; all | ,onceda it's fairness. Senator Landon further urged that the plan of five con- gressmen is by all means the best.
 Senator Kenealy of Stamford thought that the five district plan would be the pest.
 Senator Thompson of Ellington op- and claimed that congressman-at arge would be valuable man.
 On g viva voce vote the Senate agreed with the House in rejecting the bill, af- ,er having had it under considera tion )nly ten minutes.
 MT. Pearne offered the following to the corporation law, passed Thursday: "The certificate re- Iuired by section of the corporation ,ct in 1901 shall contain, in addition to he requirements of said section the (a) The amount of it's caDi- al stock, the amount thereof paid for I, oocI o,,1 tbo r1ni6 for, in l