Waterbury Democrat., 1903-02-14
A VEEk IN TIE LEGISLATURE
Real Work of the Session to
 Begin Next Tuesday.

Important Committeee Hearings Next
 Week = Constitution Amendment
 Hearing on Tuesday Establish
 ing "Old Home eeks'' Was Passed a
 Few Days Ago.
 Hartford. Feb 14.-,Iuesday next Ihe Connecticut general assembly Deglhs the real Work of the session or l5oo, with the first full week of committee hearings held this year. All of the committees will hold sessions next week, and the biennial thrush of inter ested citizens from all over the state To discuss the proposed new laws Will then commence. As usual, the less lm- portant measures will-be taken up nrst by the committees, though there are enough of all kinds of bills to Keep them busy for several months to come.
 The committee hearings this week which will attract the greatest puDHc attention will be those of the house committee on constitutional amend ments, MT Scoville of Salisbury, chair man The sentiment of that commit tee, to which has been confided the inn portant question as to whether this legislature is to present revised rep resentation amendment, seems to De, from conversation with it's members, decidedly in favor of some action by the present general assembly. The committee is exactly divided between the cities and small towns, Hartford New Haven, Waterbury and Bridge port each having one representative, as Salisbury, Ridgefeld Ashford aud Middlefield Mr Scoville. in speaking of the outlook this week, said that his committee desired to give the citizens of the state the utmost liberty in ex- pressing their views on the matter of reform in the representation in the house, and also wished to bring some system irSe the hearings. He an ] nounced therefore, on wednesday, thai l the committee hearings next week l would be called by counties, though l visitors from any section would gladly be heard. Hartford will appear Tues day afternoon, New Haven county 1 Wednesday and New London county l Thursday Other counties would bt called at later hearings
 1 This past week reports came in rap l idly from the committees for so early ! i'll the session. The committee on ap l preparations carried through the house their unfavorable report on increasing the pay of the constitutional convention l delegates to $500, though there was l, long debate on the question. One o
 the events of the week was the con
 currence by the house in the senate 1 reference of the bill repeating the gen ral railroad laws to the Judiciary com
 nittee. The house had referred tn, l bill to the railroad committee, and a l it is by far the most important singI,
 general railroad measure to be acted l upon by this assembly, it's referenc, l was matter of intense interest to tn,
 members of both houses The bill, i
 passed. will repeal the railroad law a
 to eminent domain, limiting such righ
 to companies specially chartered b, the state. The fact that it has sid reference to the Connecticut Western
 building over the disputed East Gran
 by farm gives the bill unique impor
 tance.
 1 bill reported favorably this weel
 establishes the custom of told hom ! weeks" in Connecticut. and gives eac]
 town the power to appropriate for tha
 purpose.