New-York tribune., 1876-01-22
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
POLITICS IN NEW-JERSEY.
NATIONAL QUESTIONS DISCUSSED.


PRoTEsTANTIsM-PRosPECr OF AN UNPLEDGED,
HARD MONEY DELEGATION TO TIE NATIONAL
REPUBLICAN CoNyEsTIoS.
PROM AN OCCASIONAL coRREsPospEST TIE rRIBuSEl
TRENTON, JAM 21.--The amended Constitution Of
Ncw-Jersey seems to exert discouraging influence
upon the State capital. Trenton wears an air Of
bereavement and dcsolation depressing TO the Wis
itor who recalls the festive and somewhat
rotous exuberance of spirit which is won't to
prevail in the barrooms and lobbies of the State
House during the session" The gentleman with
his little bill is nfrequent and melancholy. lie has
absent, unsocial look and consecrates himself to
painful study Of the amendments OF to a reperusal
Of the Governors message. yet the only COM
Inentary the DISPUTED text, or is hungry listener
tO the Republican criticisms Of the Governors
action as an impertinent assumption Of supe-
riOrty to the wise representatives of the peo-
pie, and high-handed attempt to forestall the
decisions Of the courts. He grows more bew-
dered, weary, and uncertain; wonders whether
his bill comes under the prohibited special
local class sets ont for rural NewJesey, meets tho
convivia lobbyist at the depot explains in brief the
situation. and the pair journey sadly to their homes
to await deveOpements, while Trenton keeps sober
and retres at 10 o'clock. The Legislature itself is
quite as thoroughly befogged. Both Houses met on
Monday evening but the Senate adjourned
"Wednesday morning and the House followed
the same afternoon, after accomplishing nothing
Of Importance. They allege as "a reason for
so brief a session that they "deprecats
precipitate legisaton"-whch means when trans
lated that they arc certain neither of their powers
of their limitations. Meanwhile rev Commits
sion consisting Of the Judiciary Committees Of both
Houses, has been appointed to Interpret what tho
original Commission meant when it framed these
additions TO the organic law, and nothing will be
accomplished until o report is rendered and
acted on. All this grati6es the gentleman
who says II told yOu So" He argues
that convention called to make a constitution
new from the foundation would have done neater
work that the document now is unsymmetrical
that it is not informed throughout with tho same
spirit; that the patches on the old garment do
not add to its beauty, and once il begins 10 give way
the rents will be awful but in all this he is not
half right.
PRESIDENTIAL sKIRMIsHING.
The rhetorical set-to in the House Wednesday,
which really amounted to very little, happened in
this wise. The Democratic State Committee, with
its traditional talent for laundering, met on the even
ing of the organization to prepare some fixed am
munion for campaign purposes. Then they selected
one Egan, member whose name is suggestive Of
his race and faith and Donnybrook friskiness, and
loaded him with resolution. Mr.. Egan early in
the session discharged himself in effect as fOows
Whereas, The Constitution provides that there
shall be established religious sect and whereas
the Constitution provides for system of free schools
and makes the moneys raised for that end a sacred
fund to be devoted to no other object aud whereas,
notwithstanding these provisions, effort has been
made in certain quarters (by the Republican party.
witt to alarm the friends of our school system by
az sering that sad system is in danger of nimical
| legislation; therefore,
Ir,J Mat raaff firm he ~ tafa
separation of church and State" or course the ma
| ority were not to be seduced into ndorsing such
deliyerance, and it was promptly tabled On
| "Wednesday il was brought up again, preambled by
certain other whereasas, thus
Whereas, The Constitution provides for cs-
| tabshed church. said provision being passed by tho
people IN the face of violent opposition by the
thorities of q relig gious sect bishop Corrganl and
whereas, the Constitution provides fox unsectaran
| schools Notwithstanding determined effort to de-
| feat the on the part of o sectaran body the
Catholic church, and whereas, the dominant party
Democratic) in the late House Of Assembly outraged
public sentiment by passing bill to establish sec
| tartan institution F; therefore
"Resolrd, &C., &c" After much Muscular ora
tory the resolution passed by party vote. This
pious unaaimity, this stern and militant de-
votion To PrJtestantism, be more prop
erly estimated when remember that in
the Republican Senate, few days earlier, Gen.
Sewel was elected President because of his Catholic
!eanings and because he voted last Winter for the
act mathematical in the above preamble while in
the House John Y. Foster was made Clerk as a re-
ward for his efforts against the bil and for letter
to a Mr. Blaine which he had published; this
Mr. Fost, and Gen. Sewell mutually assisting each
other 80 far as they were able from opposite ends Of
the Capitol. Down with the Popel
THE RLPIIBILCAN DELEGATION.
OF course all thi, is skrmshing for position in tho
grand fight next Summer. AS yet Republican
opinion in regard TO nomination hasicrystallzed
into nothing like tangible shape. There IL nothing
ike unanimty, except on the one point Of Q
third term and against that eycrybOdy's face
set like flint. The members of the Central Com
mittee openly assert that they would oppose Gen.
Grant even if he received nomination.
and in this course they would be followed
by every voter in the State. with POSSIBLY
two exceptions. One of these is ex-senator Catte,
and the other is said To be concealed somewhere in
the Pine Barrens New-Jerseys positJ At the Gin
cnnati Convention is more difficult TO predict from
the fact that the party absolutely without leader
ship. She has no candidate rs rallyng point. IL
"A true that occasionally country editor steps
bashiully to the front, calls Mr. Frenghuysen her
iavorlte son. and then retres among his locals with
blushes and confusion But TO call Mr.. Frcling-
huysen "A leader would SAVIOR too much OF
He is too goudnaturcd and in order to avoid disagree
able collision with superseryceable managers he has
too frequenty suffered them to work theiE own
sweet will. In this way he has squandered many
opportunities to exhibit his real strength OF char
acter and force of mtellect-aDd has come 10 be an
undcr-estiu.ated man i'll his own State, aid even