New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-04
yEW-JEESEr LEGISLATURE.
THE Jersey CITY BRIDGE.

~
.r,,,,v<r ny corNsrt FOR AND AGAINST THE
propnsEp BRIDGE OVER THE MORRIS CANAL
pFrorr THE HOUSE COMMITTEE on CITIES
rrRoM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF THE rRlBuNEl
TRENTON. y. j., Feb. 3.-lOur correspond
ents statement III to-day's TRIBUNE that the AR Wou
ne filed with music the opening Of This weeks session
OF the NeN-Jersey Legislature. is amply fulfilled TINS
evening. The that have infestcd to-day nave
been the arguments before the House Committee on Mn-
ncipal Corporations upon the bill for bridge over INC
Morris Canal BASIN at Jersey city. The nature OF
the contest over the measure was fully described
in the letter from Trenton pubishcd III 'o-"dS
TRIBUNE aud the argument took place TINS hterhoon a'
o'clock, In the Assembly Chamber The scene was NOT
unlike that Of lecture before the American "eosraph
cal Society half dozen maps were spread as stand
ards about the chamber. and before these the couSel
for the interests involved pranced up and down wand
I'm hand explaining the situation, with mat
ingenious earnestuess which makes the transi'loh
Of the legal profession 10 tho stage so NAT"
raj and easy. Tho array OF counsel was very large
and comprised distinguished men In the Now-JerSey
Bar: T. Y. McCsrtor Of Newark. for the Lehgh valley
Railroad and the Morris Canal Company; James H.
vredenburgh, Of Jersey City, for the hattbiesen X
Wiechcrs sugar Refining Company. aud a printed ar
gulnt mt for tue interest by eXAttorney Generdl
Gchrist 0: Jersey city who was too III TO appear III
person All Of these opposed Ia the bill In It's
favor were cx-Seuators WI Magic and John W Taylor
for the Ncw-Jcrscy Central l'allreau 'oinparNi n
horne fer inc people Of jersey Ci.y The arguments
were confined 10 half hour Zach ana WtFc hnc "si"S
OF special pleading almost without execution.
Nj. William i. D0ugas. Of Jersey CITY, opened VIC
argument giving history 4' 't t i, VI III b'n
sv,tcr ~ IMPROVEMENT, In the neishhorhccd OF nc
Morlrs Canal Basin. the principal % Th'ch was inc
oncrInr grading and having Of Wasiing1on-SL, the
plans c0mpiSuga bridge over the basin. The Coanls-
sioncrs IN awarding damages - 1TopcTtr-hodcs ror
the improvement. neglected To award any TO thr &
Canal for The Insignificant amount "l me cdnai DISn
dravhridcc wonld turn. The opening OF tie
street cost $4,000. and without me ol!GSo At
was. ~ couIsc. "no thofouch'are' When W@rh was
hegln upon the bridge the MathcSen y "itehcis
sugar Refining Company asked FOR an injunction on he
Hudson River nv the basin The Chancellor denied mo
application, The ground that the refining '""IaN
navigating public The Morris Canal applied for an IN
junction and secured IT, aud il Is SIN III cl'o', y
damages WHAT the people now ask Is that provision
be made for paving the Canal C"mpiF me nhllHt''
tncy claim nid the erection Of the DfGc be allowed
Counsel stated the amount 20 be the r-t.huc9nt su"
Of $22s TO- Counsel said the o1ec' on 10 me PROVE
good I'm New Of he ftct that II merely for the sake
Of speeding the work ard That the bonds coud bc pid
Thomas s. McClitcf followed for the Lehch valley
Railroad Company, owners Of the Morris Ctnal ON
pauy Tie oil! his opinion, was too sWe' pnG Huu
,;db, a., go CIV in The e,tc and tho provi-
SONS which required Jersey city bonds for the
improvement mi -ht he Uade TO work disa,lf"l~l' ~
oncr IuUuiclplrs The bonding provision he regarded
as peculiarly obnoxious. particularly IN 'ic" OF
The condition Of Elizabeth. city Whlrh htd
come 10 the Legislature fld Obtained auihcl,N
10 issue bonds inst JcIScv Cy is now asking ana me
result has been bankruptcy ana ~ lis attendant 'lH
The proposed bridge, counsel claimed would hilct
da,nag, 20 the interests he repro Scnted 10 the amount
OF thousands. for which the cana Company would look
to the city for acknowledgements Counsel knew thdt the
interests advocating nis bondng of Jersey CITY Wei"
powerful lie had the present receiver o the Ten
iral railroad, tho real party III interest, secure
immense sums from the stale 70 LulId the Nor
ristoWn IuEatic Asylum. and thereby iasttn an
Incubus on the state for all time 10 come. lie
knew the receivers power, ana ne hoped
the Legislature would not submit tn his dictatlnn III iho
matter II the Central Railroad wants the bridge, why
don't II huild il az It's cost, instead OF asking me
impoverished city o. Jcrscy CITY 10 bond Itself f0rltf
Counsel further declared that heavy damages would he
claimed OF al the parties in interest II the bridge was
built and the city would he Involved in hopeless gd-
ton. or muctcd In enormous amounts.
Mr. NreedenburEh followed Mr.. MCCdrter, reading the
argument Mr. Chemist, and commenting upon III oc-
casiCHny. The argument differed from that of his pre-
dcccssur in that Mr. McCHlter wanted 10 bridge AT all
while Mr. NrccdcnhuTS Ia only wanted none az Washing
tOnst lie claimed that the Cunard Line OF steamships
and other large interests have been driven away from
Jcrgey City already by high taxes and such encroach-
mems on Their rights this bill proposed upon those of
the Refining Company. THIS company would leave Jcr-
scy CITY II bridge built and take away with
IL population Of 1000 VINO depended ON 1t for sub
iStcncc.
". H. Lewis aud Others followed at length in iavo? OF
the bridge speaking is citizens OF JtrsCy CITY. Inc Dl
viii probably he reported fav0rablJ tomorrow, ana
then the real excitement will begin.