The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-06-15
LEGISLATIVE DOINGS.
STATUS OF THE PERSONAL TAI
 BILL.


 Haven Delegation Set for June 2s-
 The Guesfs-savings Bank Tax Re-
 duetion and c. R. Bonds.
 Hartford, June 1.-The session open ed this morning with Flag day." the new saint in the states calendar, be- ing the chief topic of interest. This will be day in future requiring spe- cial observances under a governors proclamation. The bill was railroad ed'' through both houses in order that Governor Roberts signature might be in black and white in time. But the railroad process in this case was not objected to by Senator Donovan, who has been an out and out opponent of the way in which railroad franchises have been scattered about this winter. Senator Donovan is a. public spirited citizen, and has been an advocate of the peoples. rights against the rail- roads through the session. He has bsen "a kicker" at times. But that recalls one of the noted remarks of Walter $. Logan one of Litchfield county's dis
 tinguished sons in New York city, and a graduate of Yale in 1870. "The kick ST." remarked Lawyer Logan at class reunion a few years ago, lis always right That may not have been an axiom in Senator Donovan's senatorial career. But there have been lots of truth in it. The senate proceedings
 time and gain have been the more lu- minous on account of the senator from South Norwalk.
 The report of the judiciary committee, favoring the reappointment of Colonel Lucien F. Burpee judge of the city court of Waterbury, received only six
 votSs out of the full membership of eleven. There were four votes against
 the reappointment. Senator Paige,
 chairman of the committee, abstained
 from voting on the question. The vote of Major Tilson of New Haven in favor of the colonel's reappointfent was de- termined mainly by military considera- tions. Major Tilson has served in the
 National guard with Colonel Burpee,
 and voted for him on the ground of old
 time associations. Edward F. Cole, who has the support of Henry H. Peck of the Fifteenth district, is a member of the Waterbury bar, and amply quail flied for judicial work. The position taken by Senator Peck is in keeping with his high ssnse of public duty, and
 reflects the citizenship of the senator. The banquet which Senator Peck is to give to the New Haven delegation in the house and senate will take place at the New Waterbury hotel, the Alton,
 Friday night, June 23. The New Ha- ven county commissioners and Assist ant Dairy Commissioner Robert O..
 Eaton of North Haven will be the guests of the occasion. The senators who will take, part in the festivities in- clude the Hon. Eli Whitney, the Hon. Minotte K. Chatfield, the Hon. James
 F. McGann and the Hon. John F. Shan ley of New Haven, the Hon. George E. Bicknell of Meriden, the Hon. Omar W. Platt of Milford, the Hon. Finton. J. Phelan of Waterbury and the Hon.
 Wm. H. Wooster of Seymour.
 The personal tax bin, which abolishes E the communication tax and places the
 maintenance of the military es-
 tablishment of the state on the
 towns, the grand list basis being
 the principal factor, came up in the sem ate this forenoon, being the order of the
 day for 11:S0. This bill has been con sidered as "a small town" measure, the grand list feature compelling the cities and large towns to shoulder the bulk of the. expenses for the maintenance of the National guard. The collection
 of the tax of $2 for each male citizen with the exemptions being contained as at present rests with the town collect ors. But the provision is made that the collector, in case of failure to pay l the tax, shall inform the grand juror, who shall issue a warrant for the prose
 eution of the offender. This course re- | leases the tax collector from opprobri- um that has been experienced in the past from enforcing the communication | tax collections. The house, which pass | ed the bill few days ago, overriding
 the committees report, is now anxious | to have the phraseology of the law in \ regard to informing the grand juror | changed to may inform" instead of I making it peremtory on the tax collect
 or to give the information. Senator Bicknell of the finance committee pre-
 scented the committees objections to l the bill in an able and sound argu- | ment. He defended the interests of the
 cities with splendid convictions, hold I ing that the change in making the I grand list the basis of support for the 1 military establishment of the state | would be insquitable, placing most of l the cost on the cities. The continuance
 of the present law, the basis being mil itary population of each town, would l be far more, he said, in the interest of | fairness and equity. Most of the sen
 ators representing districts composed of l small towns have been in favor of the bill. Its fate was not wholly decided | by the debate this forenoon, as the
 house desires to take it up again for ! the purpose of an amendment taking
 away the compulsory provision in re- gard to placing in the hands of grand l jurors information concerning delin-
 quent payers of the personal tax.
 | The senate rejected the personal tax I bill by a. vote of 20 to 12.
 l The governors veto of the board o1 l pardons bill, which was not sustained
 in the senate Tuesday, will soon go tc
 the house for action. Had the veto heen sustained in the senate where the