Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1869-03-22
THE briggs LAND BILL.

before the Senate, known as the briggs
Land Company bill We learn it is to
be put on its final passage in the senate
tomorrow morning. This bill was de-
feated in the house about three weeks
since, and it was then thought it would
not be heard from again this session
but the stakes were too important to
be abandoned without another effort,
and accordingly it vas introduced into
the senate.
This bill, under pretense of improv-
ing the salt meadows, transfers to
private corporation, at nominal price.
las we will presently show the water
rights of the state, along the shores of
Hudson, Essex and Union counties.
According to the judgment of many in
telligent men, these rights, in the course
of few years, will be worth millions
of dollars. But this bill enables the
company to take them at once, and of
course, at nominal price, because the
commissioners must assess them at their
present actual value, which any one
must see at "a glance, is comparatively
nothing. The pretense, therefore, on
the part of some, that they favor this
bill because it will bring revenue to
the state, is not only mere pretense,
but it is a false one, for on the face of
the matter, it is manifest that only a
nominal price can be obtained under
this bill for these state water rights. -
But, mark this, there is no time limited
in which the company shall commence
the work, and it makes the salt meadow
owners pay an annual tribute forever to
a private corporation.
This bill gives the control to q pri-
waite corporation, over the drainage and
sewerage of large part of the cities of
Elizabeth and Newark, which, besides
being aninsult and an outrage of Almost
grievous character, might result in a
vast pecuniary damage to said cities. -
There are other serious objections to
this 6 briggs Land Company" bill,
which we have not time now to men,
ton.
Who this Mr.. briggs is we don't
know-ouly that he has lately come
into our state, and resides in New Bruins
wick, and represents certain Wall street
operators. We understand it is said
by the friends of this bill at Trenton
that nobody in this noighborhood is
opposed to the bill, excepting fewrea
J estate men. If that be the case, We
= suspect it will be made very manifest a
e the next state election, and perhaps fol
e several thereafter, that eee1y r0ter il
1 Union and Essex counties is real es
tate man. .,. s.-..
t Senators from other counties ma,
. imagine they can vote with impunit,
/ for this bill, because it affects localit,
t remote from their districts, but we hop
: our friends will not make this mistake
l Do the Senators from the southern
S counties deem it consistent with thei
official oaths to permit this outrage up
on the property of the citizens of Tn
ion and Essex, and the municipal right
e of Elizabeth and Newark :?
The city councilof Elizabeth have ia
3 ken action with regard to it, and tn
:, authorities of Newark are also takip,
steps to resist the passage of the BILL
The senators from Union and Essex ar
: doing their best to defeat the bill Sen
e ator Taylor, of Hudson, late keeper O
=" Tavlor's hoter' in Jersey City, th
$ recent headquarters of that band O
Wall street gentlemen, to whom tn
: laws of New York were somewhat incon
I venient, is in favor of the bill. He ma,
have good reasons for wishing to plac
the shores of Hudson county under tn
control of the :" briggs Land Co., bu
we desire him to understand that OF
this side of Newark bay we have othe
ideas-that our Senator in this matte
truly represents every voter in Uniol
county.
We would also like to ask Senate
Robbins if this bill is a good thing TO
Union county, why not include in i
Middlesex also? Shall the salt meadow
owners downto the Middlesex line hav
their land and rights taken from them
and transferred against their will t.
this corporation, and this in Middlese.
left undisturbed. 1t seems to us if thi