ro.NNi:< TKTT. 



211 



That the Democrats of Connecticut, by 



f th.'ir Slav r.mvfntii.ii in 1862, dc- 

 I th<! legal-tender act an a congressional 



mi iniVin^i -nuTit upon the letter and spirit 

 Constitution, mid in vinlution of the rightb of 



I' the States. In 1870, the Bupn -niu 

 >t tlio United States atHrms the position as- 



I by UH in 1862, and wo reiterate the declaration 

 that tin TV shall bo but one currency for the govern- 

 ment uiul lor the people ; und that one tin- constitu- 

 tional fiirn-ncy proclaimed by Andrew Jackson ; und 

 i upon the Administration to aid UH, by honesty 

 mill ii'onomv in the public service, in the restoration 

 <!' that currency to the uses of the people. 

 Hetolced, That the language of Mr. Dawes, of 

 ..husetts, in which he asserts thut, in the work 

 of government economy, " the House could expect 

 no :iid from the other end of the Capitol" (meaning 

 natc), " or from the other end of the Avenue" 

 (in. :ming the President), should startle the country, 

 and urouse all good men to unite in overthrowing a 

 .'ate Administration, which is confessedly ex- 

 _:iut and reckless at a time when all business 

 inttTvsts are perishing under their heavy burdens, 

 :uul labor is being pauperized with their intolerable 

 taxation. 



Retolved, That the bill now before Congress for 

 the purpose of changing the law regarding naturali- 

 zation is a direct attack upon all foreigners seeking 

 the United States as a home for themselves and fam- 

 ilirs. And the present corrupt and unprincipled 

 leaders of the Republican party, having destroyed the 

 constitutional rights of the people of all the States, 

 robbing them of the power of determining the status 

 of citizens, now seek to degrade the white immigrant 

 below the level of the native negro ! 



Retolved, That the Democracy of Connecticut sym- 

 pathize with the people who struggle for freedom 

 everywhere, and send their cordial greetings to the 

 patriots of Cuba, who are now valiantly contending 

 i'or their freedom and their rights. 



Resolved, That a direct tax levy in Connecticut, 

 of over eight hundred thousand dollars, besides half 

 a million more upon savings-banks nnd other corpo- 

 rations, is a larger amount than should be taken 

 from the people annually ; and we demand that the 

 public burdens bo diminished by equality in taxation 

 and economv in the expenditures. 



Resolved, That, in presenting the honored name of 

 James E. English as our candidate for Governor, 

 we do so with lull confidence that we appeal to the best 

 judgment of a large majority of the people, and the 

 sound patriotism of the State ; and in the candidates 

 associated with him we feel assured that worthy 

 representatives of the people and their best interests 

 have been selected. 



The election resulted in the success of tho 

 Democratic State ticket. As to the members 

 chosen for the legislative body, there were 

 eleven Republicans and ten Democrats in the 

 Senate, with a somewhat larger proportion of 

 Republicans in the House of Representatives. 

 This excess of Republicans in the General As- 

 sembly is wholly ascribed by the Democrats to 

 the system now existing in Connecticut for 

 choosing the members of that body. They 

 denounce this system as worse than unjust, 

 the right of choosing and sending members to 

 the Legislature being unequally and, it seems, 

 strangely distributed among the several sec- 

 tions of the State. Twenty-three small towns, 

 containing an aggregate population of only 

 33,000, return to the Legislature, every year, 

 46 representatives ; while Hartford and New 

 Haven, with a population of about 90,000, are 



entitled to only 4. Bridgeport, with 22,000 

 inhabitant^ has but one representative ; Union, 

 witli 1,000 inhabitants, has 2. Waterbury, 

 Middlctown, New London, Bristol, New Mil- 

 ford, and Litchfield, with a population of 

 nearly 60,000, send 11 representatives to the 

 Legislature; whil.- tin- town* of Willington, 

 Torrington, Durham, Hebron, Woodbnry, Nor- 

 folk, Thompson, Ridge-field, Woodstock, Red- 

 ding, Lebanon, New Hartford, Pomfret, and 

 Plainfield, with an aggregate population of 

 only about 83,000, return 28 members. 



An increase in the number of senators, 

 and an apportionment of senatorial districts, 

 throughout the State, regard being had to an 

 equality in the number of their respective in- 

 habitants, seems now to be determined upon, 

 as appears from the following resolution : 



PBOPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION. 



HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, i 

 May Session, A. D. 1870. ) 

 Resolved, That the following be proposed as an 



become a part thereof, viz. : From and after the first 

 Wednesday of May, in the year of our Lord one 

 thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, the Senate 

 of this State shall consist of not less than twenty-five 

 nor more than thirty-one members, and be chosen 

 by districts. The General Assembly, which shall be 

 holden on the first Wednesday of May, A. D. 1871. 

 shall divide the State into districts for the choice of 

 senators, which districts shall not be less than twen- 

 ty-five nor more than thirty-one in number, and 

 shall always be composed of contiguous territory, 

 and in forming them no town shall.be divided re- 

 gard being had to the population in said apportion- 

 ment, anal in forming said districts in such manner 

 that there shall be a proper equality between said 

 districts in respect to the number of inhabitants 

 therein. The districts, when established, shall con- 

 tinue the same until the session of the General As- 

 sembly next after the completion of the next census 

 of the United States ; which said General Assembly 

 shall have power to alter the same, if found necessary, 

 according to the principles above recited ; after 

 which said districts shall not be altered nor the num- 

 ber of senators altered, except at any session of the 

 General Assembly next after the completion of a cen- 

 sus of the Unitca States, and then only according to 

 the principles above described. 



Resolved, That the foregoing proposed amendment 

 to the constitution be continued to the next session 

 of the General Assembly, and be published with the 

 laws passed at the present session. 



Passed July 13, 1870. 



B. A. HOUGH, Assistant Clerk. 



During this session of about eleven weeks, 

 it having been closed on July 22, 1870, the 

 General Assembly transacted a vast amount of 

 business. Among the most important matters 

 of a general character submitted to its consid- 

 eration was the calling of a constitutional con- 

 vention for the purpose of revising the organic 

 law of the State, framed fifty-two years previ- 

 ous, in order to adapt it to the requirements of 

 the present time. The changes wrought in the 

 ideas and habits of the people since 1818 are 

 such, and so many, that much of what that i n- 

 strnmcnt contains has now become obsolete, 

 while much that would te of use at present is 



