The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-20
Says Courts of Common Pleas Are of Little Use to the State, Especially the Criminal Court. Refers to Fees of $7O,OOO Paid to Certain Lawyers for Revising Statutes and as "Raid on State Treas ury."
Bill Favorably Reported from Committee is Bear- en 19 to 13-Carried $500 Pay Raise to Common Pleas Judges in Three Counties.
Especial to The Farmer.o


 Hartford, June 20-Senator Jeremiah Donovan of Norwalk scored a nota ble victory in the Senate today. He suc-i ceeded in defeating the attempt to in- crease the salary of the judges of the 1 Civil Common Pleas court of Fairfield, Hartford and New Haven counties from s4.O0o to s4,5oo per annum. Sen. Donovan led the fight against the resolution providing for the in- crease which was a unanimous re- port of the committee on judiciary. The vote rejecting the bill was 19 to 13.
 Sen. Donovan called attention to the fact that the appropriations made up to May 31 by the present General As sembly amounted to $6 800, 900. He said there was still to be acted upon re- quisitions approximating A980, 900 not including the proposed increase of the judges. In his argument against the increase Senator Donovan said:
 "In all fairn IS I s omit that some day these raids upon the treasury must stop. There is a question in the minds of many able men of this State whether there is any necessity for the existence of the Common Pleas court particularly the criminal branch. Quot ing from Gov. Bulkeley's veto mes sage he referred to Bulkeley's predic- tion made at the time he was the Governor of the State, that unless a halt was called in the judicial ex- penses, the State must stagger under the burden.
 How prophetic were his words. said Senator Donovan. Since his day as Governor, and he proved to be one of the best business managers that ever sat in the Governors chair, tax payers of our State have been bur- dened by an increase of S400, 900 an- nually in their judicial expenses. A most wise manager was he. He vetoed two bills creating courts one in Green wich and one in Waterbury, but the able statesmen passed both bills over his veto notwithstanding the unan- swerable argument against the crea- tion of the courts. One thing which impresses the fair minded observer Of the doings of our legislators is that the General Assembly never hesitates to open the treasury at the beck and call of the legal tribe" Q
 In seathing terms he denounced the raid as he termed it upon the treasury of the State In the so-call- ed revision of the statutes, for which the lawyers engaged, received fees of the Senator "I call this work nothing short of robbery. He said the legal profession used to boast of high ideals. but in his Judgment as a profession it it was rapidly deteriorating."
 Senator Spellacy said while he had no personal interest in the pending bill he desired to say that the judges of the Common Pleas court whose salaries it Is proposed to increase, were capable and painstaking officials devoting their entire time to the of- fices. He said that they received now
 
 the States Attorney in Fairfield and Hartford counties, yet these officials had abundant time to devote to their private law practice. Senator Hook CT of Hartford did not think the pro- posed increase was excessive in view of the character of the officials filling these positions and further in view of the greatly increased cost of living. Sen. Judson informed the Senate that none of the judges affected by the bill has in any personal sense sought to secure this increase. The bill he said had it's origin among members of the bar of Fairfield county who were familiar with the work of Judge Howard B. Scott and who felt he was not adequately paid for the services he rendered during the 10 months the court is in session.
 Referring to Senator Donovan's ob- jection Sen. Judson said that he con- ceded that Donovan's judgment was usually sound in all matters except those involving lawyers, or members of the judiciary. To mention these things to Donovan, he said, was like shaking a red flag in the face of a | charging bull in a Spanish amphithea- tre.
 As tending to show the necessity l for the existence of the Civil Common Pleas court of Fairfield county he said 1 at the present time because of the | great growth in population and in the | increase of criminal actions two | judges of the Superior court are sit l ting in that county almost continu- ously.
 However he did not propose to ask any Senator to vote either for or | against the bill. although he himself | felt convinced 1t is a reasonable one. 1
 Senator Donovan was waiting for | Senator Judson to finish his remarks | having in the meantime been boring | over statistics on his desk The gem tleman from the 25th" said Senator | Donovan, "is just as eloquent when | he is wrong as when he is right His | voice was not heard when the treas | ury was raided of S70.0OO to pay the | members of his profession who per formed the so called revision do | not want to criticize the judges of | our higher courts" continued Sena- tor Donovan, but I do want to say with all the emphasis in my power that if ever the name of the judiciary of Connecticut was stained it was when the members of the Superior