190 



CONNECTICUT. 



Mr. D.ivU t. the chair. In accepting the posi- 

 tion, he declared that he could not nave done 

 s . if the manner in which ho was chosen had 

 nut loft him t'roo from party obligations. Ho 

 accept e<l tlio honor as a recognition of the in- 

 i k-ir. position he had long occupied in the 

 polities of the country. 



Tha session, which was interrupted for a few 

 .tennial celebration of the battle 

 >f Yorktown, camo to an end on the 25th of 

 >.-r, having been devoted exclusively to 

 executive hu-iineas. Among the important 

 ii'tininations confirmed, was that of Charles J. 

 ;-, of New York, for Secretary of the 

 Treasury, Mr. Windom having insisted on re- 

 signing, and ex-Governor E. D. Morgan, of 

 NV.v York, having declined the position after 

 his appointment had been made and confirmed. 

 A contest was begun over the appointment of 

 a postmaster at Lynchburg, Virginia, at the 

 instance and in the supposed interest of Gene- 

 ral Mahone, but as it threatened to prolong 

 the session it was dropped without action. 

 The appointment was opposed by the Demo- 

 crats, on the ground that it was intended to 

 have an influence in the political canvass .then 

 pending in Virginia. An unwonted incident 

 of this contest was a resolution adopted dur- 

 ing an all-night sitting, directing the Sergeant- 

 ut-Arms to compel the attendance of certain 

 absent members, in order to produce a quorum. 

 The execution of this order led to a vigorous 

 protest, signed by several Senators, which was 

 filtered on the journal. 



CONNECTICUT. The members - elect of 

 the Connecticut Legislature met at the Capitol 

 and were organized for the session of 1831 on 

 January 5th. Lyman W. Coe was elected Presi- 

 dent pro tempore of the Senate, and William 0. 

 Case Speaker of the House of Representatives ; 

 both were Republicans, and both elected by 

 great majorities on a party vote. 



On January 5th, also, the new Governor, Ho- 



hart B. Bigolow, was inaugurated. His mes- 



to the Legislature upon the condition ot 



public affairs in the Commonwealth he sent in 



at once to the two Houses. 



The constitutional amendment changing the 

 manner of appointing the judges of the Su- 

 preme and Superior Courts, which was passed 

 at the last session and submitted to the people 

 for sanction or rejection at the town elections 

 on October 5th, was ratified by their vote, and 

 " thus became a part of the State Constitution." 

 ^ The sanitary condition of the people of the 

 State, owing apparently to want of caution and 

 other causes, suffered in 1880 ; although there 

 have been no serious epidemics, the general 

 average of health has not been so good as dur- 

 ing the two years preceding. The sanitary 

 conditions of life, however, as regards drain- 

 age, ventilation, and water-supply, are receiv- 

 ing constantly increased attention. 



The affairs of the Commonwealth are in a 

 satisfactory state, and there is every sign of a 

 healthy and- progressing commercial condition. 



With regard to manufacturing industries, 

 which are of comparatively vast magnitude 

 in Connecticut, and other matters relating to 

 which directly or indirectly the General As- 

 sembly would be called upon to legislate, the 

 Governor in his message deprecated the enact- 

 ment of any law that might, even remotely, 

 tend to affect them injuriously, saying: "In 

 every county are flourishing towns and villages 

 which have sprung up, each about some thrifty 

 manufacturing establishment. These estab- 

 lishments now number nearly twenty - two 

 hundred, employing, and as a rule profitably 

 employing, over $60,000,000 of capital, and giv- 

 ing work to upward of sixty-six thousand per- 

 sons. The value of their annual product is 

 reckoned at $120,000,000, and their market is 

 the world. Interests so important, and affect- 

 ing such large classes of our people, should be 

 sedulously protected from any legislation that 

 would embarrass or contract the energy of in- 

 vention or of capital. Every enactment which 

 could possibly affect them should be carefully 

 scrutinized, to the end that it works no injury." 



The finances continue in a satisfactory con- 

 dition. The conservative method which has 

 been steadily used heretofore is still continued. 

 During the year ended November 30, 1880, the 

 aggregate receipts of the State from all sources, 

 including $42,146.95 brought over as cash bal- 

 ance from the previous year, were $2,506,- 

 971.18 ; the aggregate expenditures for all pur- 

 poses (including $286,197 interest paid on the 

 State debt) were $1,600,383.30 ; leaving in 

 the Treasury, on December 1st, an available 

 surplus of $906,587.82 to meet current expenses 

 of the year 1881. 



The amount drawn from the Treasury on 

 account of the new State House in 1880 was 

 $118,131.36. This sum includes the $15,000 

 appropriated by the last General Assembly as 

 a compensation to the members of the Capitol 

 Commission, who had in charge the building 

 while in course of erection. 



The receipts for the year ending November 

 30, 1881, including the above-noted balance of 

 $906,587.82, were estimated at $2,501,461.82 ; 

 and the expenditures at $1,459,005.32. 



The State debt continues to be as it was at 

 the end of 1879 $4,967,600. Nearly three 

 fourths of this sum bears interest at the rate of 

 6 per cent per annum ; the remainder at 5 per 

 centum. 



Outstanding bonds to the amount of $887,000 

 will become due on January 1, 1883, the State 

 having it then in her power either to pay and 

 cancel them, or to continue them, in whole or 

 in part, by a new issue. 



The total valuation of taxable property in 

 Connecticut the grand list shows to be $327,- 

 182,435, an increase of $2,293,412 over the pre- 

 ceding year. 



The number of savings banks in the State 

 continues the same 85 ; but the number of 

 depositors has grown up to 231,913, which is 

 9,692 greater than it was at the close of the 



