Norwich bulletin., 1918-03-20
Assembly WOrkingO on.
 Soldiers Vote Law
.ATToRNTY-G Y-GENERAL HINMAN's
 BILL NOT ACCEPTED
WAS MERELY A BASIS
As Drafted the Bill curtaiIed Fran
 chise of Soldiers to Vote For State ' officers-lt is Expected an Agree
 ment Will Be Reached Today.

~"tse'e- si9 1APSStSo di N9iSS-
 ment Will Be Reached Today.
 Hartford, Cohn.. March 1s-As the general assembly, called into special session by Governor Marcus H. Hol- comb today to provide a law through, which those Connecticut electors ecrv- ing with the flag may vote in next falls election, did not accomplish that purpose it adjourned late today unti, tomorrow. The judiciary committee could not agree on .. redraft of 6 bill for an act which would provide ma chinery for taking the vote.
 Bill Drawn by Attorney General.
 Governor Holcomb addressed joint convention of the two branches at noon and this address while very brief was to the point that there was but single thing to be done and that was to adopt franchise law. A bill had been drawn by Attorney General George E. Hinman, based not only up- on his own legal opinion. but upois the suggestion and wisdom of a number of other men of legal prominence ill the state. This bill rad been print ed and was upon members desks. It was iE effect a house bill. That it was not satisfactory was quickly ev l ident, when members offered objec- l tion to a. section which provided that l electors who are in service would. not vote for members of congress, state l senators, representatives, sheriffs and | judges of probate.
 Town Clerk Protests.
 When the judiciary committee sat ] for the hearing objections to the bill were many. Senator Doughan of l New Haven, as town clerk objected
 to throwing upon town clerks the bur l den of preparing lists of electors who are serving the-country. He believed i that registrars of voters, at least in towns of more than 5000 population
 were in better position to have. this
 work done within the sixty days pro- T vided for in the bill Then he advo- cated greater secrecy in enclosing the ballot after it was filled out by the
 elector and he also wanted the full franchise for the soldier or sailor vot- CT, not one which was abbreviated te merely the state officers-namely, thu l governor lieutenant governor, secre-
 tary of state, state treasurer and com il troIler.
 i The last demand also coming iron
 representatives of the smaller town
 provided to be the point on which tn, judiciary committee later divided
 making it impossible to report in bill, even for an evening session. ant in the late afternoon. when Spcake | Healey called the house to order agail 1, 1t was to permit Mir. Peasley of Ches hire to move an adjournment until to , morrow This gave the committee al night to thrash out the bill.
 Attorney General Hinnaan Explains.
 At the hearing Attorney Genera l Hinman explained that the bill a r drafted was merely the basis of a ] act which the legislature could alte 1 at it's pleasure. As to the limitatio :. of the franchise to the state officer, e he s1id that in drawking up a gener1 ,, bill it had to be borne in mind that t : provide for a ballot on which all nom -J inees' names should be placed mear e that all nominations would have to | $ made at least 12o days prior to eiec t tion that sufficient time might be avail 2 able to get the ballots to the men i : camp in cantonments. in the trenclie 1t on war vessels and to remote parts e the world where Connecticut men has c the right to vote, are serving. To pre- : vide for such early nomination nneal l, that not only would party practice 2 Il regards caucuSeS, conventions etc. = upset but the bill would conflice vii 2 laws which fixed definitely the rin : for holding town causes for the non e ination of representatives, and iudg. = of probate, and would require change
 in party caucus rules as to senatori l. and congressional conventions Nj l, Hinman said. that in drawing a ger Y eral bill as a Framework for frar
 r1lnSC lrwr %l,@r IL. .- sidered and it would be for the legi. ,e lature to so change the bill that i = provisions would not clash with e, el isting statutes. In this particular NJ 1T Hinman had referred to point raise q by MT. Rogers of Manchester, who he ,r said that the date of town caucus
 had been fixed by statute for his tow
 and this date is less than the reedt
 120 days before election
 Fl Physical Aspect of Problem. There was some discussion as to u
 physical aspect of the problem of ge ting ballots to the electors, this poi
 being emphasized as being of gret in
 portance. The bill as drafted proyid sS that soldiers ballots shall be return, ai before election day and be placed
 hands of town moderators so that tn U may be counted with the town retur
 on election day.
 ss It was stated in the course of di u U; cussien that any bill adopted wou ,a .a mean that party conventions wou le Ie have to be held probably not later tn; ,a ,s July 1.
 of The expectation was that over-nig ~ 7 differences would be reconciled. se Half Dozen Changes Made.
 Waen the committee ended it's st
 1 t;rg tonight it was stated that half
 dozen changes had been made in t
 biii, which it is believed would re IT der it acceptable to both houses. The
 included a provision to permit voti ag fer representative in congress and
 eheriff. placing a penalty on to,
 clerks for neglect or refusal to carnr he with the provisions of the acr. chan ng irg the section which provides u is ballots must be marked with black i n- or black pencil, to permit the use
 any color of ink or pencil, providi
 for the checking of names before 1 a. ballots are opened, and providing u IA. even when a. mans name does not z Ie- pear on the list sent from his voti
 district. if he claims to be an ell
 tor, he may be permitted to vote.
 the assumption that his name n
 have been left off the list inadyerte VS ly.