Norwich bulletin., 1909-08-07
LEGISLATORS PATCHING
UP THEIR LINES.
6srnum Bill Supporters oettins Ready
for Contest Tuesday
lspecIal to The BuIletin.l

Especial to The Builetin.3
Hartford, Aug. dedicated in the
first engagement, but not routed, the
cohorts of Chandler and Wilton now
have over Sunday to patch up their
lines and prepare for next weeks con
tinuation of the fight over the public
utilities question in the house. The
general assembly has done number
of other things during the past week,
but 1t Is quite footless to suppose that
there is interest in any other than this
subject at the end Of the week. 1t oc-
cupied the time of the senate during
most of its session Tuesday and of the
house for all of its double session yes
terday, and will be the first order OF
business on Tuesday morning in the
latter body.
Nor is it alone the supporters of the
minority bill who have over Sunday
to prepare for further struggles over
the matter; the supporters of the Bar
mum bill have just as much time and
are in fully as good a tactical position.
The fact which stands out above all
others relative to yesterdays day-long
battle over this affair is the clever way
in which the minority bills aonerents
were outgeneraled ct the start and
forced back on their own defenses, such
as they were. Nothing like it has been
shown this session and it was so much
like the old days as to make those of
us who have been here before sit up
and take notice.
Some days since Chandler obtained
a ruling from Speaker Banks on what
he deemed a precisely similar case to
the effect that a minority report could
not be substituted for a majority re1
port until the latter had been disposed
Of even by way OF an amendment. Of
Banks said this, he must have been
dreaming or misunderstood the ques-
tion for anything which is in any
sense germane can be offered as an
amendment and in some legislative
bodies the amendment needn't ever be
germane.) and therefore he and his
friends supposed that they would not
be able TO move the substitution of the
minority bill for the majority bill and
be declared in order. Therefore, they
all-Chandler, Wilton, Brinsmade.
Bishop and the otbers-prepared to at
tack the Barnum bill by way of plan
of campaign.
1 confess to having been bit sur
prised when House Chairman Scott of
the select committee on public utilities
made so short an explanation and de-
Tense of the Barnum bill, but the rea-
son for 1t was apparent the moment
Judge Marsden of Madison made his
motion to amend the majority bill by
striking out all latter the ensctng
clause and substituting the minority
bill. He said he did this to bring the
| minority bill before the house, which
was exactly what he did do 1t for. that
and to force the supporters of the
minority measure to defend II. With
| the question on the minority BILL their
| speeches raking the Barnum DILL, oil
which Chambers had been most care
| fully prepared and he had furnished the
| afternoon papers with ample copies
were little better than useless. though
| they did find it possible to work in
some of them. 1t was really very fun
| ny to read in that afternoons Times
| the speech Chandler didn't make.
So first blood was with the hackers
| of the Barnum bill Also every man
| in the state of Connecticut who ever
| pretended to do anything at lobby
work and is not ill or away on a va
! cation was in the lobby all day--wher
| he wasn't on the floor of the house
The &C. d. O." signal had gone out
manifestly. The minority bill people
| did draw blood later on, notably wher
| Bishop induced DIR. Knight to come tC
| the defense of E. d. Robbins and Sen
ator Barnum. 1t doesn't really appear
who drew blood when the sub commit
| tee bill was laughed out of the house
Dormitzer was foolish to try to gel
1 Nlldl III ScSLeTUdN. lIlG lCtiiIlS Vi lllt
| house was that there was serious bus
| mess on hand and little time to do il
| in and Interruptions were offensive.
| In the forenoon everybody believed
! the minority bill was going to win, al.
| though it was apparent to those on tht
| inside that lot of hard work for the
Barnum bill had been done. In thu
| afternoon there was a little different
| look-on the face of affairs, but Burnes
=, l.
| would have gone far to undo wha
had been done had not there been Ar
| effort to. lug Governor Lilley into the
situation. That hurt the minority bill
| Even then it looked as though the
minority bill would win out, though
the leaders for it were losing conf
dence and fighting hard.
When the vote came the counties
with the city members went. for the
minority bill, Hartford county to /
and the minority people began tC
brighten up. New London county gave
a small plurality the other way. Mid
dlesex county more than evened up
But Windham. Middlesex and Itch
field carried the day Even then it re-
quired great efforts and the change OF
three or four votes to beat the minority
bill. 1t is beaten, however, and will be
beaten worse on Tuesday when recon-
sideration is moved.
That may not mean, however that
the Barnum bill will pass. and in that
lies the real interest of the situation.
There were a number of votes cast
against the minority bill yesterday
that will not be cast for the Barnum
bill. That is where the subcommittee
bill, which can be moved as an amend
ment to the Barnum bill, though not
again as an amendment to the minority
bill. may come in. This will be tried.
Reconsideration will first be moved
and will fail. Then the Subcommittee
bill will be discussed and a vote taken
on it. If this fails amendments will
come in in considerable numbers. In
the end a modified Barnum bill is apt
to pass the house, but the senate will
hardly 'recede from its position to
amend that bill. The vote on the mat
ter in that body wouldn't be as close
again as it was last Tuesday.
BUCKINGHAM.