The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-14
How To MaEe The General Assembly
 More Effective Rep. w. w. Bent Addresses Business Men of Seymour
 on Legislation Private Laws Occupy Most of the Time of Legislature
 Attention Should be
 Given to General Laws

ness Mems association at their annual
 banquet Lincoln Day by Representa-
 tive W. W. Bent of this city who
 was one of the energetic and infiuen-
 tiaI members of the General Assembly
 at it's late session. MT. Bent was the
 principal speaker of the evening and
 his discourse dealt exclusively with
 matters concerning the legislature of
 the state. He was listened to wi'h
 the closest attention and on the con-
 clusion of his remarks was the recip-
 tent of much congratulation.
 The address follows:
 MT. Toast Master and the members
 of the Seymour Business Mems As
 sociation. I desire to express to the
 members of your committee upon
 whose kind invitation I am present
 here this evening, and to the members
 of the Seymour Business Mems ASso-
 citation whose guest it is my pleasure
 to be, my sincere thanks for the priv
 ilege of participating in such an en-
 joyable occasion as this one has been.
 I shall for a long time look back with
 a great deal of pleasure to the ex-
 tremey enjoyable occasion of the 1912
 banquet of the Seymour Business
 Mems Association.
 Your committee, profiting I presume
 from past experiences, with apparent
 fine myself within the const tutional
 restrictions as to the freedom of speech, has generously allowed me the
 privilege of selecting for my address
 this evening whatever subject I de- sire, and I have therefore chosen a
 topic in which, I believe, you as mem bers of the Seymour Business Men'A 3 Association should be interested. and based, upon actual personal exper- fences.
 I had the good fortune to be select ed by the peope of the City of Bridge ko tive fV1 Connecticut General Assembly of 1911, and although things did not some times go as I would have them, or as thought they should go. and although the delusion that the value of our ser vices to the people of the state was measured by the length of the ses- sion, and were therefore instrumental in dragging 1t out from the 3rd of January down through the spring and summer months and the hot dog days of July and August, and on into the faT and even though the session was somewhat costly to me, contrary to the general impression as to the err"ol- uments connected with that position, yet notwithstanding these things, I do not regret my experience in any way, worth the time which I was obliged to give it..
 The session of 1911 was notable by reason of it's breaking all long dis
 
 sion of the General Assembly in this state. The longest session prior to the last one was that of 1909 which ad- journed August 24th, that of 1911 ad- journed sine die September 26th.
 The method of procedure of the General Assembly is somewhat bp- teresting and sometimes aggravating, and perhaps to a new legislator con- fusing and for that reason represen- tative who has passed through one session of the General Assembly, and has by his actions shown himself to be honest and thoughtful, Is by virtue of his experience able to accomplish much more, and of greater value to his constituents if he serves a second term. The General Assembly meets In Hartford upon the Wednesday af CT the first Monday in January and is of thirty-five Senators and TWO hundred and ffty-eight Repre- 
 The first day of the session is taken ID in administering the oath of office 70 the members, and the eection of a speaker and clerks. Certain commit ees are also appointed. After both Houses have been organized, a joint session Is held at which time the Gov srnor is inaugurated, and the other tate officers take the oath of office. A ew days afterwards the speaker an- lounceS his appointments to the joint 1 number at the present, and are usually composed of nine members of the | House and two members of the Sem lte, so that every member is practi- | ally certain to be appointed to some | committee or other, even though, as | vas the case with some committees, 10 | Jus ness ever comes before them. A | late is then fixed by a joint vote of | 10th Houses limiting the time in whic1 | III bills and joint resolutions must be ] presented At the last session that ] late was fixed at February 2nd, and l turing that time the members prac- | iac'Iy did nothing hut go to Hart | ord with their pockets stuffed with | ,ills and resolutions some good, others I ,ad and some indifferent which had | itber been drawn up by themselves or | " their constituents and which trey | introduce, and the speaker refers them | o the appropriate committee.
 During this period the House is in | essfon for comparatively a short time l ach day, upon Tuesday, wednesday y | md Thursday of each week usually | pening at 11:15 and closing on an av- rage before zoo o'clock After the l xpiration of the time limited for the | resentation of bills and resolutions, he committees, or rather those com. nitteeS whose chairmen are inclined l O be business ike and have regard or promptneSs, at once proceed each f+ernoon to have hearings upon the ills and resolutions which have pre- iously been introduced into either the Iouse or the Senate.
 At these hearings those who are in | avor of the bill or resolution appear efore the committee and advocate heir reporting favorably upon it, and hose who are opposed to the bill lso appear and present their argu- rent against 1t. From time to time | he com mtttee hold executive sessions 3 consider the biTs unon which they ave had hearings, and make their re- ort to the House or the Senate de- l ending upon whether the bill was fl st ltroduced in the House or Senate, and sport back either favorabIv or unfa- orably upon it. The bill is then | laced upon the calendar and the day pon which it is reached, the chair ian arises in his seat and explains to ne members the reasons for the fa- orabIe or unfavorable report, and the Touse after debate proceeds to take ctiOn upon 1t, and by vote either dopts or rejects the committees Te- Ort.
 The bil1 if a House bill then goes to 1e Senate, and if approved by bo+h -ouses it is conveyed to the governo~ nd upon his approval becomes a law
 vetoed by him it Is referred ba ck the House in which it originated nd if both branches, by a majority ote decide to adopt 1t. it becomes 2 W. the governors veto notwithstand-