The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-01-02
WEST HAVEN ANNEXATION
THE FEATURES OF THE oUEs-
 TIoH oHAsLUCIDLF PRESENTED

By Ex-Judge Lynde Harrison-Limfsa-
 tions and RestriotIons-How and
 When ths Work Gan Legally and
 constituttonalIy be Done.
 In an interview with ex-Judge Lynde Harrison last evening the legal and constitutional aspects involved in the proposed annexation of West Haven to New Haven were Iucidly set forth as follows:
 It is true that Article s1 of the amendments to the constitution of Con- necticut adopted in October, 1901, pro- vides that no town shall be divided un- less for the purpose of forming more than one district wholly within such town, and that the districts, when es- tablished, shall continue the same until the session of the general assembly next after the completion of the next census of the United States.
 These provisions in the amendments to our constitution are important in their effect upon the division of the towno of Orange. Neither the whole, nor a part of Orange can be taken out of senatorial district No. IA until after 1910, but the legislature of 1911, while it might put Orange in another senatorial district, would have no power to divide the town of Orange so as to put part of it in one senatorial district and a part in another, because no town can be divided in forming senatorial dis tricts. except for the purpose of nak- ing more than one district wholly with in the boundaries of the town.
 If, however. the residents of West Haven and the citizens of New Ha-s ven desire that that portion of Orange which is now the borough of West Fla / ven shall become a part of the city of New Haven, the legislature has power to annex that part of Orange to the city of New Haven without making 1t a part of the town of New Haven. For all municipal purposes West Ha- ven could participate in the benefits, and taxes, and government which the several wards of New Haven now en- Ijoy but it could continue to be, for purposes of electing representatives to | the general assembly, and voting for senator from the Fourteenth district, a Ipart of the town of Orange.
 It could hold certain relations to the | city of New Haven, as Westville and Fair Haven East have for many years held etoward the city of New Haven for some purposes, and the town of z New Haven for other purposes. West 1 Haven eaulds become a part of the school district systtsi Of New Haven. The question Of the divfsiou of the lexpenses and the assessment ofAssxes could be fairly settled between the fy9s7l districts of the town of Orange The Orange district could take care Of its own affairs Probably the paupers Of the two districts would have to be pro- vided for as at present by the taxpay- CTS living in the two districts. | Undoubtedly the general sassemblN has power to put parts of two or three town under one city government, but the territory of the different portions would for sundry town purposes remain parts of the several towns.
 It seems to me that if West Haven l is to become part of the city of New Haven for nearly all municipal pur- poses, for the purpose of eIecting repre- sentatives to the general assembly,
 West Haven should continue to be a part of the town Of Ornages
 Under the provisions of Article 15 of the amendements to the constitution, adopted in 1874, Orange, with it's popu- lation of 5000, is now entitled to send
 two representatives to the general as- selnbly. There is no provision in that amendment that if any town once hav- ing by it's population of 5000 acquired l the right to elect two representatives, shall forfeit that right if the popula-
 tion happens, in some census, as is pos- sible wit hsome of our towns, to fall ofr
 below 5000 again.
 I Yet, it would not be fair toward the sister towns that if West Haven is set
 to the town of New Haven, the re- mainder of Orange should be entitled
 to send two representatives to the l Legislature. I think, however, the
 canny people of that portion of Orange would claim and hold the right to tw0l representatives if they could.
 This whole question is one to be set-
 tied by the desires of the residents of
 New Haven and Orange If the adn1is-
 sion of West Haven into the limits of
 the city of New Haven is desirable tfie
 senatorial amendment difficulty can be
 easily obviated by leaving West Ha-
 ven for sundry limited, sepcified pur-
 poses a part of the town of Orange,
 and it can be done at the next session
 of the general assembly, if the parties
 are agreed.