Norwich bulletin., 1909-04-10
ILLNESS OF GOVERNOR LILLEY
 AFFECTS THE LEGISLATURE
Agitating Force, Actually Makes All the Difference in the World.
Especial to The Bulletin.

Special to The Bulletin.)
 Hartford, April 9.-The illness of Gov. Lilley makes all the difference in the world, actually, to the legisla- ture. although on the surface it might not seem that that was the case. But his absence means the absence of a distinct and direct agitating force which will not be felt again during this session of the legislature and the result will be that whatever the lee- islators choose to do with the legisla- tion in which the governor is especial ly interested, much of which he preached in season and out of season during the fall campaign, they will do without let or hindrance. There is talk of awaiting the outcome of his illness and no doubt there will be more or less delay, but in reality there won't be any such thing as waiting until the governor can get back into the harness or deferring to such of his wishes as have already been expressed because he is not there to fight for himself.
 His Nervous Energy Is Exhausted.
 When I say that the governor won't be in his chair again during the pres ent legislation of the legislature please do not understand that there Is any, thing whatever in these ghastly tales of his nearness to a fatal conclusion of his illness. His nervous energy is exhausted and this makes it difficult for his physical organs to perform their functions and shows up weak spots in some of them, but the weak spots are not organic defects which cannot be remedied by rest and care and that sort of recreation which a man of George Lilley's active type has never found it possible to take. When a man is so ill there is always the pos sibility of fatal termination, but so largely are his symptoms produced by extreme exhaustion of nerve energy, of which he has ever required unusual amount to go along, that there is no reason to doubt his improvement from the time of his being Nrelieved of the cares of the governorship, though the improvement will be very, very grad ual.
 The gentlemen in Connecticut and in Washington who are responsible for this state of affairs ought to be very proud of their miserable work, espe- cially those who turned against one of their own at the behest of the con- gressionaI lobby.
 Lieut. Gov. Weeks at the Helm.
 Of course Lieutenant Governor Weeks will do as the governor wishes in all those matters which are of prime importance to the latter. Governor Lilley has made plain his wishes as to the appointment of two judges to the superior court bench to fill vacan- cies to Executive Secretary Goodwin, and they will be carried out. It isn't known whom he has selected. but there is a well founded opinion that State Chairman kenealy will be one of the new judges.
 In other ways Governor Weeks will carry matters along in the pursuance of Governor Lilley's policies, but it will naturally be quite a different mat ter for the legislature to handle the public utilities commission, employers liability matter and other legislation in which Governor Lilley is especially interested without his being on the ground to fight for what he wanted and veto what didn't suit him, as he firmly intended to do.
 It Is Q strange thing that there shouldn't have ever been a case in the history of the state of Connecticut when the defect in our constitution with relation to the absence of a pro- vision by which the governor might lay down the cares of office when nec- essary and still remain In the state, and reassume the office when he can, has been made plain. We have had sick governors before. but it has never happened that the legislature was in session when they were taken sick, and l believe it has never happened that they were so ill as not to be able to leave the state and turn over the gov- ernment to the lieutenant governor.
 Foolish Talk.
 Any talk about the unconstitution- ality of the legislatures action in pro- vidlng way by which this might be done is foolish, however. The expla- nation given by Senator Searls when pushing this matter for passage was masterly at the same time that it was very simple He stated, what all ~7od constitutional lawyers agree upon as a general proposition, that the consti- tuition is not a grant of power to the legislature, but that the latter's DOW CTS are limited by the constitution. Therefore if the constitution does not expressly forbid passing resolution like the Searls resolution there is noth- ing in law which forbids it and it is legal and constitutional
 A Fact Not Generally Known. = As matter of fact, though this is not generally known. the justices of the supreme court were consulted be- fore the resolution in question was drawn, had to do with the way it was
 
 tional if it should ever be put up to them to decide on this point.
 It was discovered, too, that there existed no provision by which any one was empowered to sign the certi- fled copies of measures which go to the office of the secretary of state on be- half of the senate when the lieutenant governor was acting governor and in this was disclosed another defect which ir is odd should exist in the state which had the first written constitution. Tn has been remedied by the resolution passed Thursday, of course.
 The pioneer Danish preacher of America, Rev. A. s. Neilsen, head of the Danish Lutheran church here, re- gently died at Withee, Wis, aged 75 years. He. was the first missionary sent out from Denmark to look after the immigrants from that country in the United States. most of whom lived