CONNECTICUT. 



215 



Militia. Tin- Stale militia for the year cnd- 



in- N'(i\.:;n. IV.M. con.siMcd of !?:{ otticers iiml 



men. NVitli the Governor's gnanK there 



i :M "Hirers and :2,7H(i men, making a total 



><>. Tl xpniM's for the year ending June 



:;n. iv.u, we re * I '..'n. Kin. >:,. 



Hail roads. Of the total amount of capital 

 stuck (S7(i,->ii. |:;o.ssi i-Mied by Connecticut rail- 

 n UK! companies, as shown in the thirty-ninth an- 

 nual report of the commissioners, $19,269,:>.">n i- 

 owned in Connecticut. The total indebtedness is 

 '-.-ds.:; 1 . an increase of a little over $4,000,- 

 000 in one year. The funded debt is $36,010,- 

 935.88, an increase of half a million ; and the cur- 

 rent liabilities are $!),7!)2.522.43, an increase of a 

 lilt lo over $3,700,000. The gross earnings, $23,- 

 Ii>l. 77 1.25, show a gain of $1,162,949.30, or 5-21 

 per cent. The total reported operating expenses 

 amounted to $16,091,932.97, an increase of 

 $1,268,143.62, or 8'55 per cent. The net earn- 

 ings amounted to $7,875,414.52, or 1 4 45 per cent. 

 dri Tease, owing to the large increase in operat- 

 ing expenses. There were 31.087,344 passengers 

 carried, an increase of 2,315,896, or 8'05 per cent. 

 Tin' whole number of miles of road operated is 

 1,688 miles. The operating expenses averaged 

 $9.533.30 per mile, an increase of $586.87, or 

 <>.">(; per cent. Therefore, the net earnings, 

 which averaged $4,369.40 per mile, show a fall- 

 ing off of $147.26, or 3-26 per mile. 



Abandoned Farms. Inquiries made this 

 year by the Secretary of the State Board of 

 Agriculture developed the fact that very few 

 farms in the State are actually abandoned. But 

 in many cases the owners of farms reported that 

 they were desirous of selling at a low price. The 

 number and area of the farms so offered for sale 

 are shown in the following table : 



World's Fair. The dispute over the election 

 of State officers having resulted in the refusal of 

 the State Senate to consider any business sent to 

 it from the House, it became evident early in the 

 year that no appropriation in aid of the State 

 exhibit at the World's Columbian Exposition 

 could be expected from the General Assembly 

 this year. Accordingly, on Feb. 8, at the request 

 of the Connecticut members of the commission 

 having charge of the Exposition, Gov. Bulkeley 

 called a convention of persons interested to meet 

 at ilartford on Feb. 22 to appoint a State com- 

 mittee and to raise funds for its use in provid- 

 ing and superintending a suitable exhibit for the 

 State. This convention was entirely successful. 

 The committee was appointed, and the sum of 

 $50,000 was pledged m the convention for its 

 use. It is expected that the subscribers will be 

 reimbursed whenever the wheels of legislation 

 are again put in motion. 



Political. Early in the year State com. -n- 



t ions of tlic ditTcrcnt pan id to select 



delegates tn their respect jve. national conven- 

 tions. The Republican Stair n.n vent ion, held at 

 Ilartford on May 4, defined the position of tin- 

 party in the State election contest by the follow- 

 ing resolutions : 



\Vr heartily approve of the position of the House 

 of Representatives of < '<>mic<-tirut, that the constitu- 

 tional duty of the General Assembly is to declare the 

 election only of such candidates tor State officer* tut 

 the Assembly shall find to be legally chosen ; and we 

 dispute the claim of the Denineratie Senate that the 

 incorrect returns of moderators are final and binding 

 upon the Legislature. 



We cordially commend the firm, united, and patri- 

 otic course of the House of Representative^ i: 

 ing, by every honorable means, to bring to a solution 

 the existing differences between the two Houses con- 

 cerning the last State election ; and denounce the 

 constant refusal of the Senate to join with the House, 

 according to the unbroken practice of seventy years, 

 in any reference of such differences to a joint com- 

 mittee, or to the Supreme Court, or to a special non- 

 partisan tribunal, or to join with the House in any in- 

 vestigation to determine the number of votes legally 

 cast and the persons for whom they should have ocen 

 counted. 



We indorse the action of the House in passing the 

 usual and necessary appropriation bills and other im- 

 portant public and private measures brought before 

 it; and we condemn the Democratic Senate for its 

 stubborn refusal to unite with the House in the legis- 

 lation imperatively needed to prevent similar compli- 

 cations in future elections, or in any legislation what- 

 ever, by which refusal the State has been subjected 

 to great financial loss. 



We denounce the outrage upon the State Constitu- 

 tion perpetrated by the same Democratic Senate, 

 without the concurrence of the House, to put in pos- 

 session of State offices persons whose election was in 

 dispute, and was at the time under investigation by a 

 House committee. 



We indorse the administration of State affairs by 

 Gov. Morgan G. Bulkeley and the Republican State 

 officers associated with him, for its courage, ability, 

 and economy ; and we especially commend the firm- 

 ness which has successfully resisted the unlawful at- 

 tempt of the Democratic party to seize the Suite gov- 

 ernment in defiance of the State Constitution as in- 

 terpreted by our highest court. 



We further extend the thanks of the Republican 

 party to Gov. Bulkeley for his successful efforts to 

 provide for the prompt payment of every obligation 

 of the State. 



On the same subject the Democratic conven- 

 tion at New Haven, on May 10, passed the fol- 

 lowing resolutions : 



We enthusiastically commend the attitude of the 

 Democratic members of the General Assembly in in- 

 sisting, first of all, upon a declaration of the result of 

 the State election and in subordinating everything 

 else to that first and most imperative duty of the 

 servants of the people. 



We condemn the public acts of Morgan G. Bulke- 

 ley since Jan. 7, 1891, in not promptly surrendering 

 the office of Governor of Conneetieut t Luzon B. 

 Morris, as the choice of 67,t>f>8 elector* of this State as 

 against 68,975 for his chief competitor, Samuel K 

 Merwin, and none for .himself; we condemn him tor 

 unlawfully dirceting the acts of the Republican ma- 

 jority of the House of Representatives to nullity the 

 election, to establish and perpetuate a deadlock, and 

 for attempting to justify his holding: office for the 

 entire term intended by the Constitution for his sue- 

 by the tlimsy excuse that a deadlock exist* 

 which he himself made. 



We condemn the Republican members of the House 



