The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-19
TALK IN THE CONVENTION
TWELFTH WEEK OF DFLfBERA-
 TyOy OPENED YESTERDAY.
A District system of kepresen'ntioh Proposed by Mr. Davenport of Fridge port-The Proposed Amendment To Eatend Trial by Jury 10 Hearingsin Damages Discussed at Length.
Damages Disoussed at Length

The twelfth week of the deliberations of the constitutional convention opened at the capitol in Hartford yesterday, and as soon as the session began short ly after F o'clock the delegates enter cd into discussion of parliamentary procedure in reference to the motion Of MT. Maltbie of Granby to adopt by sec tions article III. which included the one-to-a-a town plan of representation, and provision for a senate of sixty members. Finally Mir. Maltlie with drew his motion and question of his right to do so being raised. President Andrews held that under the rule MT. Maltbie had a right to withdraw his motion, and consequently that there was no question before the convention. MT. Fisk of Branford offered the fol- lowing. which was referred to the com mittee of the whole:
 That each town subject to the con- stitution and laws of the state may by a majority vote of it's electors in mat ters pertaining to its own territory eX- ercise equal legislative powers with those vested in and exercised by the general assembly,
 MT. Davenport of Bridgeport offered the following resolution;
 Whereas the system of town repre- sentation operates to defeat the will of the people of the state, as menace to the peace, prosperity and good govern ment of the state, is contrary to the Fourteenth amendment of the constitu- tion of the United States, and provokes and requires investigation by congress.
 Resolved, That for the purpose of choosing members of the legislature the state shall be divided into forty senato- rial and eight assembly districts as nearly equal in population as may be-, and composed of contiguous territory, to be called senatorial and assembly districts. Each senatorial district shall choue one senator and each assembly district shall choose one representative. The census taken under the direction of the congress of the United States in the year 1900 and every ten years thereaf- ter shall he the basis of fixing and ad- iusting the legislative districts; and the legislature shall at it's session in 1903 and at it's first session after each census adjust such districts and reap portion the representation so as to pre- serve them as nearly equal in popula- tion as may be,
 The resolution was tabled. The matter of representation was then dropped temporarily and discus sion of the question of trial by jury on the reeolut ion offered by MT, Waller of New London. which provides for the extension of jury trial to damage cases followed. Messrs. Davenport of Bridge port and Northrop of NewtoWn made extended arguments in favor of the amendment
 Charles Phelps, the delegate from Vernon, attorney general of the state, was among those who opposed the amendment
 MT. Smith of Winchester called att tention to the absence of Mr. Waller, and suggested that 1t would be fair to put over the matter, as he was to make the closing argument. He moved post ponement until Wednesday,.
 This was rejected, and MT. Daven- port of Bridgeport took the floor in favor of the Waller resolution, and ar gued that the present system was un- fair to the plaintiff. He should have the right to have the question of dam ages passed upon by jury, in the same way that jury passes upon the question whether or not the defendant was responsible for the injury. In re- ply to MT Warner, the speaker claimed that there is a difference between cases of this kind and others where the court fixes the damages,
 Mr. Maltbie of Granby moved to sub