GOVERNMENT. The, present Constitution was approved by the people of the State in ISIS. Twenty-nine amendments have since been adopt ed. An amendment originates in the House of Representatives, is approved by a two-thirds vote of each Ilouse at the following session, and in turn by a majority vote of the electors present at the town meetings held for its consideration. Applicants for franchise must be twenty-one years of age, must be able to read, and must have lived one year in the State and six months in the town.
Legislature—General elections for Stale offi cers and the General Assembly are biennial. in even years, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The General Assemblyeon sists. of 24 Senators, elected from districts of con tiguous territory. no town being divided or part of a county attached to any other county. and 252 Representatives, elected from the towns, each town being permitted one or two members, ac cording as its population is below or above 5000. But towns which had two Representatives prior to the amendment of 1874 still retain that number without regard to population. Senators and Rep resentatives are elected for a two years' term, and receive for the regular session $300 each and mile age. Only mileage is allowed for extra The Assembly convenes on the first Wednesday after the first Monday inJanuary of each odd year.
Exceutire.-The. Governor, Lieutenant-Gover nor, Secretary, Treasurer, and Comptroller are each elected fur two years, and have their sal aries fixed by law. The Governor's veto may be overcome by a majority vote of each House. The Lieutenant-Governor presides in the Senate.
Judiciary.-The judiciary consists of a su preme court of errors, with a chief justice and four associate judges; a superior court of six judges (all the foregoing are nominated by the Governor and appointed by the Assembly for eight years) ; courts of common pleas for Hart ford. New Haven, New London, Fairfield, and Litchfield counties, each with one judge, except in New Haven County, where there are judges respectively for the civil and criminal sides; a district court in Waterbury; various city and borough courts, and justices of the peace.
Local Goreranzent.-The counties elect sheriffs who serve for a term of four years. The towns annually elect selectmen and other local officers.
State La•s.-Real estate acquired by a mar ried woman's services, or conveyed to her for a consideration, may be held for her own use. The husband is trustee of a wife's personal estate, which upon his death falls to her or her devisees, legatees, or heirs, as though she had never been married; and married women may convey by devise the same as single persons, except that a husband (if he have not abandoned her) must unite in conveying by deed. Divorce may be had for fraudulent contract, adultery, desertion, and neglect of duty for three years, habitual intem perance, cruelty, for imprisonment for life, and for certain crimes; previous residence required, three years; either party may remarry. The sale of liquor is regulated by each town in accordance with local-option laws. The rerristration of voters is required in this State. .1Vomen may vote in an election for school officers. The legal rate of interest is 6 per cent. Judgments outlaw in seventeen years; notes and open accounts in six years.
Militia.-There is a total organized militia of 2774 men-infantry 2589. artillery 12S-organ ized into one brigade and four regiments. There are 207,000 men of military age, of whom 106, 500 are liable to military duty.
Pim/nem-The receipts for the civil-list funds during the fiscal year ending September 30, 1900, aggregated $2,876,856 and expenditures. 514. The largest items of expense were the com mon schools (8154,652) and humane institutions (8365.684). The largest sources of income were tax on railroads, 8975,143; tax on savings banks, 418,780: tax on mutual life insurance compa nies. 8291066: and inheritance tax, $165.930. The total State debt, less the civil list funds, was $2.108.873. The total indebtedness of all towns. cities. boroughs, and counties of the State was $27,624,827, much of which was incurred in the support of schools and in the construction oh roads.