The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-07-19
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL
JUDGE M'OoNVILLE IN RAGE
 FOR PROBATE COURT JOB.g

Fabulous sums Received-AnketeII fin
 One Year Received S14,751 .3s-Cut- l
 ting Out of Legislative Securities.
 Hartford, July 14,-Judge William J. McConville, who has held the office of city attorney in Hartford seven years and the police judeship four, has en- tered the race for judge of probate in the Hartford district this fall The district is composed of the towns of Hartford, Bloomfield, Glastonbury, Newington, Rocky Hill, West Hart ford, Wethersfield and Windsor Locks. The convention for the nomination of the candidate by the republicans will be composed of tWenty-tWo delegates. In all of the towns in the district, ex- cept Hartford, the delegates will be se- lected directly by the party. In Hart ford by a system of rules adopted while United States District Attorney Francis H. Parker was chairman of the republican town committee, the
 delegates to the state, congressional,
 county and probate conventions are chosen by a town convention. Cau- cuses for the nomination of aldermen and councilmen are the only ones in
 Hartford in which the voter has an op-
 portunity to vote directly for the men who are to represent him. The Hart ford system has sometimes thwarted
 republican sentiment and threatens to thwart republican sentiment agan.
 The members of the town convention can hardly be said to be selected by
 the republicans at large Instead they are selected by the ward committees and voted for by a handful of men at the ward caucuses. The simple fact is
 republican opinion is not voiced by the system that is now in force. Had the system been devised for the purpose of preventing full and free expression it could hardly have been more suc- cessful. The town convention has
 been for several years subject to log rolling of the most reprehensibe char acter. The clique in power generally carries the day and delegates to the | sional, county and probate are elected by the clique and not in the old way
 by the party, There is an under
 current of feeling against this course that must be effective sooner or later
 Judge A c. Bill who has been judge 1 of the police court and a national guardsman of distinction, is also a
 candidate for the probate judgeship. As in the case of Judge McConville he has numerous friends throughout the district. It has been understood dur ing the past three years or more that
 Judge Harrison B. Freeman, who will
 retire at the end of his present term by reason of the age limit has select ed United States Attorney Parker to be his successor. It is expected that the Hartford convention system will 1 be used for all it is worth for the elec-
 ton of Parker delegates. It has been assumed in some political circles in | Hartford that no one is to be consid- l cred for the probate judgeship but MT. Parker, who is amply provided for now l in the office of United States District attorney. The friends of Judge Me
 conville and Judge Bill in the district object to the assumption that District Attorney Parker Is the only candidate to be considered. The contest promis- l es to be one of considerable interest.
 A few years ago Governor Bulkeley bolted the candidacy of Mir Parker for state senator from the old Hartford district, and it is a question of some concern as to what course he will take in regard to Mr. Parker's candidacy for the probate judgeship, Ex-Gover- nor Bulkeley's opposition would of course have a detrimental effect on the district attorneys chances. 1t Is not certain that Mir. Parker will be renom- mated for the place which he now holds under the United States govern ment. That uncertainty may be the reason why the probate judgeship is the goal of his ambition at present,
 The general assembly of 1898 inaugu- rated an inquiry concerning the fees of clerks in the courts of the state,
 bringing to light an astonishing situa' tion. A committee consisting of Hu-
 Der Williams and J. Carl Converse re- ported towards the last of the session, showing that the fees of the court clerks for the preceding year amount led ito S66, 6,411.42. George A.. Conant, clerk of the superior court in Hart ford received $7,55965, and Charles E.
 FelloWes, clerk of the court of common pleas in Hartford county, S4,45l.14,
 Edward A, Anketell, clerk of the supe-
 rior court in New Haven, received $19,-
 O89TS. AS clerk of the criminal court
 of common pleas in New Haven coun-
 ty his fees amounted to $166160, mak
 ing total of $14. .751.3S for the year
 Frederick L. Averill, clerk of the civi Icourt of common pleas in New Haven
 county received $4,51412, and for the
 criminal court of common pleas, $291. B
 making a total of $4,74545. Edward F
 Cole, assistant clerk of the superior
 court at Waterbury received feeF
 amounting to $1 ,3SS.75, and the fees oi
 I1inford F. Root, clerk of the district
 court, Waterbury, aggregated $2900
 The fees of William R. Shelton, clerk of the superior court in Fairfield coun.
 ty were $9,116,06. As clerk of thu criminal court of common pleas ir
 that county he received $97453, mak- ing the years total S10,090,59. The
 fees of William T. Haviland, clerk O. , the civil court of common pleas il lFairfeld county were s, ,104.22. Int report was buried in the secretary O
 states vault in the Capitol, where
 thousands of legislative reports ana
 papers are smouldering. The scope c
 the legislative committee now havinj