Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-01-04
ASSEMBLY OPENED.
Governor Higgins Delivers
 His First Message.
RAINES AND NIXON ELECTED PROTEIN,
George M. Palmer For Fifth Tims Nominated ns Speaker, Thus by Implication Made Democratic
 Leader In the Assembly.

Nominated ns Speaker, Thus by
 Implication Made Democratic
 Leader In the Assembly.
 ALBANY. N. Y., Jan. 4.-Senator John Raines of Ontario and Assembly, man s. Fred Nixon of Chautauqua were reelected respectively as president pro tempore of the senate and speaker of the assembly at the opening session of the legislature here
 The legislature of 1905 heard the fi:st message of Governor Higgins and then took recess for one week until noon of Wednesday. Jan. II. During the interval the committees in both houses will be selected by the respec- tive presiding officers, Lieutenant Gov ernOr M. Linn Bruce of the senate and Speaker Nixon of the assembly.
 Assemblyman George NJ. Palmer of Schohare for the fifth time is the Democratic nominee for speaker and thus by implication Democratic leader in the assembly. The Democratic sena- tors postponed their caucus until today owing to the nOnarrival of several of their most prominent men, due to delay of trains by the storm.
 Only one new name appears in the list of senate attaches Everett Brown of Yates succeeds William w. Adams of Steuben as assistant sergeant at arms. The Republican senate caucused and, with this exception, renominated the employees who served at last ses- sion. MT. Brown was named by Will liam J. Fully, the newly elected sena- tor from the Forty-first district The absentees were Senators Goodsell, Hill and Elsberg. Senator Davis of Buffalo presided.
 In nominating Senator John Raines of Canandaigua to succeed himself as president pro tenn. Senator Malby made brief complimentary speech, during which he said that the result in this state at the last general election was due in large measure to Senator ! Raines' activity.
 The other nominees. each of whom Was named by the senator from his home district, were as follows:
 Clerk, James $. Whipple of Cattarau- gus; sergeant at arms, Charles K. Ho- taling of Albany; stenosrapher, A. B. Sackett of Ontario; doorkeeper, Chris topher Warren of Erie; assistant door, keeper, Howard Beecher of Sullivan, The Democratic senate caucus was held at 10:3O o'clock this morning.
 The Republican assembly caucus lasted but thirty-five minutes and re- suited in the following nominations: Speaker, $. Fred Nixon of Chautau- qua; clerk, Colonel Archie F.. Baxter of Chemung; sergeant at arms, Frank w. Johnson of Buffalo; chief doorkeeper. Frank Siberer, IT,, of New York; as- sistants. Andrew Kehn of Albany and William Bayless of Washington: ste nographer, Henry c. Lammert. of q Kings. .....-.
 Assemblyman Bedell of Orange pre- sided. Speaker Nixon's name was placed in nomination by MT. Wade of Chautauqua. who spoke at length up- on the victory of the Republican party and the service of Speaker Nixon to his party. He said that the Odell ad- ministration. just closed, was of the highest credit to the party and that the Higgins administration would be as prosperous as that of his predecessor. "The Fiftieth senatorial district has just reason to be proud of two of their citizens" he said. referring to Govern or Higgins and Mr. Nixon.
 The nomination was seconded by Mir. Merritt of St. Lawrence.
 Mir. Burnett of Ontario nominated Colonel Baxter as clerk.
 Speaker Nixon was not present, be. ing confined to the house by illness.
 The Democratic assembly caucus nominated Assemblyman George NJ. Palmer of Schoharie for speaker.
 The attack of the anticanal forces, led by the grangers of the state, will begin immediately with the intrOduc- tion today in the senate by Senator Amber of Columbia of bill repeating absolutely the thousand ton barge ca nal act of 1903.
 If such bill should pass the legis- lature and receive the governors sig nature before any contracts are award cd for work on the canal it would en- tirely nullify all that has been done save the preliminary engineering work