Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1913-06-20
General Assembly

Especial Hartford correspondence1
Hartford.-Governor Baldwin in an
address to the general assembly lust
before Adjournment, reviewed the
work of the present Legislature. He
said
Mr.. President Mr. Speaker and
Gentlemen of the General Assembly.
The members of the General Assembly
1913, as they meet to-day In Joint
convention and meet to part, may be
fairly congratulated on the general
character of the laws which they
have enacted. Had the time not been
so much occupied with the distribu-
ton of local Offices and the consider.
alton of local and special legislation.
an adjournment could-sreadily have
been made a month ago
ut seems to me that there Is cause
for sincere regret in the rejection of
the amendment to our statutes. which
would have placed the nomination to
the bench Of our municipal courts In
the hands of the Governor; and also
of the report of the house COMMITTEES
on constitutional amendments. pro-
posing an amendment to our consti-
tuition to preclude the appointment by
future general assemblies of their
own members in office.
you have given the assent of this
State to the amendment of the con-
stitution of the United States, which
henceforth will place the choice of
hands of the people-a measure which
can hardly fail to make for the public
good.
You have also taken the initiative
in suggesting to congress the proposal
to the States for ratification of an
other amendment to that instrument
which, If adopted, the election of the
President of the United States by a
direct popular vote would be secured,
and secured without varying the num-
Der of votes to be credited to the re-
spective States in the final count.
Praises Compensation Act.
This session will long be remem-
hered in the history of Connecticut for
its work in framing and enacting
workmen's compensation act. It is a
carefully considered statute; perhaps
none the worse because in some re-
spects it represents a compromise be-
tween differing views. 1t seems well
calculated to attain its declared OBJ
ject, and to be wisely planned with
respect to the classes of employers,
and employed which comes within the
scope of its operation.
by a reasonable relaxation of our
ancient Sunday laws, you have rec
ognized the general trend of public
sentiment in our times, and relieved
our prosecuting officers from an oeca-
sion of reproach for sometimes SEEM
ing to tolerate acts forbidden by
statute, but sanctioned by the prev
alent opinion of the community.
by an act giving general powers
to cities and boroughs you have made
1t no longer necessary for such mu-
inequalities to apply for special acts
to enable them to issue bonds within
reasonable limits, and have also given
them power, with the aid of the local
referendum. to revise their own char
tiers from time to. time, in some of the
most material points. The principle
of home rule has been thus more
fully vindicated
"You have by your enactment OF
general law for the incorporation, I'M
der certain restrictions, of banks and
trust companies, put an end, 1t is to be
hoped, to the flood of applications
for special charters for those purposes
which have served heretofore almost
every session, to clog the wheels OF
legislation, and when successful have
often had their main effect in putting
into the hands of a few favored indi-
viduals a marketable commodity.
you have relieved future general
assemblies from the consideration OF
many applications from particular
charitable institutions for relief from
the burden of legacy taxes. by grant
ing a general exemption in favor OF
all of them. This is likely to have an
important and enduring effect in pro-
noting charitable requests.
Approves Highway Fund.
"You have made a liberal provision
1OT the Improvement Vi Jul hASh' -
fettered by no unnecessary conditions.
You have for the first time in the
history of the State enabled any OF
our citizens who contemplate entering
into the marriage relation in for
eign country to know with certainty
how the ceremony may be legally per
formed. I think that only a single
State, Massachusetts, has preceded US
in that direction.
81 cannot but think that our con-
stituents would have been better
pleased had it been determined to
keep the expenditures of the State
during the last two years, within its
nrobable revenue. The OUTLAWS au-
thorHed in many cases will be rep
resented by permanent additions to
the property of the State. In respect
to all others, so far as the appropria-
lions were really necessary, | believe
they could have been provided for by
increased taxation. Had this. policy
been pursued, and State tax OF two
mills a year laid. I am confident that