268 



CONNECTICUT. 



riages, and deaths in their towns, unless otherwise 

 specially provided by law. 



That towns may vote to furnish school-books to 

 children free of charge. 



Increasing the penalties for burglary, especially if 

 the burglar nas weapons in his possession. 



That the Board ot Pardons shall have the powers 

 of a Superior Court to compel the attendance of wit- 



That no person shall be taken out of the State on a 

 requisition until after he is informed of the crime 

 charged, and has opportunity to apply for a writ of 

 habeas corpus. 



That persons arrested for oflenses on cars or steam- 

 ers may be prosecuted in the town where the arrest is 

 made. 



Punishing trustees of public institutions for receiv- 

 ing bribes or commissions on contracts for supplies. 



That each savings-bank shall annually report to 

 the Comptroller a list of unclaimed deposits of twenty 

 years' standing, with the name, amount, and last- 

 known address of each depositor. 



That "druggists' licenses," issued to druggists, 

 shall contain this clause : " This license does not au- 

 thorize the sale of spirituous and intoxicating liquors 

 to be drunk on the premises." 



That nominations of Common Pleas and District 

 Court judges shall be referred to the Judiciary Com- 

 mittee of the Legislature before the nominations are 

 voted upon. 



Authorizing the State Board of Health to investi- 

 gate the pollution of streams. 



That no person shall be disqualified as a witness 

 because of his disbelief in the existence of a Supreme 

 Being. 



Kestoring the old system of selecting jurors. 



That towns may establish Kindergarten-schools for 

 children between three and seven years of age. 



Legalizing barbed -wire fences and fixing their 

 height, etc. 



That corporations may vote to share their profits 

 with their employe's. 



To punish fraud in the sale of oleomargarine. 



That police officers may make searches and seizures 

 for illegal liquor-selling. 



Appropriating $100,000 for armories in Hartford, 

 Norwalk, and I*few Britain. 



For the protection ot trees on highways from being 

 cut or injured by employe's of telegraph, telephone, 

 and electric-light companies. 



For the study in the public schools of the effect of 

 alcoholic liquors and tobacco and other narcotics on 

 the human system. 



Authorizing the Labor Commissioner to employ spe- 

 cial agents at an expense not exceeding $1,000. 



Prohibiting the discounting of wages by employers. 



Prohibiting the withholding of wages because of 

 any agreement requiring notice before leaving the em- 

 ployment. 



That no marriage license be issued until the regis- 

 trar or town clerk receives the sworn statement of the 

 person applying for the same. 



That the Governor shall annually each spring desig- 

 nate " Arbor-day," to be observed in the schools, arid 

 for economic tree-planting. 



Imposing a State tax or two mills. 



Appointing the Governor, Secretary, Treasurer, and 

 Comptroller a commission to examine ballot-boxes in- 

 vented to prevent frauds in elections and report to the 

 next General Assembly. 



Appropriating $190',000 for improvements at the 

 State-Prison. 



Finances. The finances of the State are in a 

 highly satisfactory condition. On the 1st day 

 of July the funded debt was $4,721,200. Of 

 this debt, bonds bearing interest at the rate of 

 5 per cent., and amounting to $1,030,000, are 

 due May 1, 1897, but are redeemable at the 



pleasure of the State after the 1st of next May. 

 The Governor recommends that these bonds be 

 paid as soon as they become redeemable, and 

 that funds for this purpose be provided by the 

 issue of new bonds bearing interest at the rate 

 of 3 per cent., and payable thirty years from 

 date. The large balance of cash in the treasury 

 at the beginning of the last fiscal year was ow- 

 ing to the then recent sale of new bonds which 

 had been issued for the purpose of paying that 

 portion of the State debt which was then ma- 

 turing. At the close of the last fiscal year the 

 cash on hand was $230,442.48, and during that 

 year the ordinary receipts of the treasury ex- 

 ceeded its disbursements for ordinary expenses 

 by more than $300,000. 



For the year ending June 30 there came into 

 the treasury, through the ordinary sources of 

 revenue, the sura of $1,813,701.78. During 

 the same year there was paid out of the treas- 

 ury for ordinary expenses (including the inter- 

 est on the State debt) the sum of $1,511,697.52. 



Military Affairs. The National Guard is com- 

 posed of 2,244 officers and men. 



The last Legislature authorized the building 

 of new armories at New Britain and Norwalk, 

 and the purchase of the one occupied at Hart- 

 ford, with the condition that the total expen- 

 diture should not exceed the sum of $100,- 



000. Contracts effecting these objects have 

 been made, and involve a total expenditure of 

 about $92,000. 



Banks. There are eighty-five savings-banks 

 in the State, an increase of one from last year, 

 and the general condition of these banks is 

 better than it has ever been before. On Oct. 



1, the total amount of deposits in all the sav- 

 ings-banks of the State was $97.424,820.85, an 

 increase during the year of nearly $5,000,000. 

 At the same date the total number of deposi- 

 tors was 266,888, an increase in the year of 

 10,791. More than two fifths of the popula- 

 tion of the State are depositors in these banks. 



Insurance. Within the past year, the Charter- 

 Oak Life-Insurance Company has been placed 

 in the hands of receivers. In the general con- 

 dition of the other insurance companies no 

 marked change was shown. 



On Jan. 1, 1886, there were in the State ten 

 stock fire-insurance companies, with paid-up 

 capital amounting to nearly $11,000,000, with 

 gross assets of more than $25,000, and with a 

 surplus above all liabilities of nearly $7,000,- 

 000. The number of mutual fire-insurance 

 companies was sixteen, with assets of $1,270,- 

 000, and with a surplus above all liabilities of 

 $974,000. The number of life-insurance com- 

 panies was nine, with gross assets of more 

 than $110,000,000, and with liabilities (except 

 capital) of $98,000,000. 



Railroads. The Commissioners report that 

 there is continued improvement in the general 

 condition of all railroads in the State. The 

 freight and passenger traffic, the gross earn- 

 ings, and the net earnings have all largely in- 

 creased. The number of passengers carried 



