New-York tribune., 1879-02-03
THE YEW-JERSEY LEGLSLATURE.
MORE EXCITING TIMES AHEAD.


san BENtH-THE GOVERNOR MEANS WELL.
TRENTON, y. j., Feb. 1.-This Legislature.
which set ou on under such gcnte Influence,
+ likely 10 encounter wild weather before
N tails, another week to deatn. The capital
wiu hr-t mako weary and genteel effort
20 appcar Interested IN the tencng-match
" len Is to be fought with blunt fos by eminent law
y,rs before the Committee Municipal Corporations on
onda AT ernoon. 10 be the jersey Cy bridge war;
thu, formally opened for the session, is matter o more
than ordinary concern It il Old fight, not exactly
bcQucaticd from bleeding sire TO son. yu alr-ady
Waecd b. bleeding corporations IN many successive
Lrg saturos. The project Is pressed ard opposed by
several of the powerful interests in IN" STATE 1t
has swced into the dignity Of an issue IN several
counties and Senators and Assembymcu nave reached
the LEGISLATURE by espou-ng side OF tho otfer IN
the struggle And yet the fencing OF the lawyers be-
fore the committee will create excl cemcnt tor every
cody knows that the real battle viii be fought with
other pOns and other fields. The whole question
involved tang Ell web Of litigation and counter
LITIGATION, but the core OF The mailer IL thls
a bridge across the inlet OF tile Morris Canal basin
would be- convenience TO tho people OF jersey Cy,
VINO are now compelled 10 cross the Hudson River
twice before they reach the depot the eud OF the
long roadway built out by NewJcrsey Central from
30 id ground to navIgable water. Naturally the Central
wants the bridge and it is said the Baltimore and Ohio
people, hoping ultimately 10 reach NrW-1Ork
by way OF the Central, are fayoriug the pro
1ect The Morris Canal Company. when pays the state
rental Tor the bdsD opposes the scAeme rs do several
large manufacturing establishments notably tie great
SUGAR refinery Cf MattElescn Sc Wccher5, VINO have
bought certain privileges from the canal company and
who mold that Their way to the river would be
obstrlcted by the bridge The Pennsylvania Raii-
road also claims consequential damages Tor
loss OF ferry fees and for incidental losses
from the gains Of their rival, and IN this latter
.t- N~.HH, D.
road OF course the bridge will be bnt sooner or la,er
and even now it il claimed by -hre WI observers That
the opposition matter OF habit than of genuine
interest although great corporation which has for
long time counted Legislature among ITS assets natu-
rally takes an honest pride III demonstrating noT
and then, test question, that 10 sun
owns and possesses its property in fec simple
The pending bill said to be Objectionable to some
true friends Of the bridge but IL Will probably pass the
House IN some shape. Present indications are however
thItt will hardly get through the Senate without some
compromise the leading contestants. II Is TO
bc hoped that the final struggle comes the balance
OF power will not be neld by the two three prudent
who have the most thorough appreciation OF
the value of votes in a tight market.
or more absorbing interest is the question what viii
of the nominations by the Governor which were
carefully hung up in the Judiciary Committee last week
II longer secret that the nominations Tor the va
cant Judge ships were reinforced by message which TOOK
advanced ground in favor of uOu-uartlsdu Judiciary
ana .arct,rlzcd partisan composition Of the courts
as one of the grayest evils which could bcfa
wealth The Governors arguments SAID 10 be urged
with something like vehem, nee and II Is more tnan
likely that the Judiciary Committee will
find themselves In such full and sympathetic ac-
cord with his views that they will feel
constrained to reject several Of the nom nations.
Indeed they driven this course by the erms Of his
message and the Republicans OF the state viii hold the
Senate majority responsible for supporting the commit
tee. For while announcing his stem determination TO
preserve the nOnpartsan constitution OF the courts the
Governor proceeds establish In three counties solid
Democratic bench from the justice who preside5
over the circuit down to the last lay judge, ami
shut, ont the possibility Of even minority representa-
tion 10y Republican judges OF any grade Tor tnree iu
years Without the message the Senate might have felt
iueliGed to accept what gwen them III the minor
places allowing the Governor 10 reserve for his pot
cal friends the import ut iudSesLips but as IT Is
they will be unable to reconcile his conduct with
the beoutiful and elevated Ian Suage OF his manifesto
II "a understood that the Republican caucus, APP
preciaiing his delicate position, offered Inn
an opportunity 10 withdraw his sermon lie
failed, however, to avail himself OF Their c0ur-
tosv and getting into u bewidcred state Of
mind as the situation WIS explained TO him, he laid
down the rather mOnstrOus proposition that bis non
partisan plan would work well IN the highest tribunals
like the Court OF Errors and Appeals and the supreme
Court and that it would Hospitality include the lay
Judges; but that it's principles did not apply
TO the law judges before whom ia transacted
all the Common Pleas business. all the Orphans
Court business, and all the criminal bus
ness except the very highest. According to
this very unique theory the law iudgeshlps stand IN
class by themselves ana to be reserved a. pOcal
spoils to be distributed as rewards among his party
friends for gallant aud mertOrOus service at the pols
II ought to be set down mitigation OF the
t,.ly, ,l.f hp wall bpin
carpetbaggcr he Is not yet sufficiently
familiar with the judicial system OF the state whose
laws he is accidentally administering To know exactly
what he Is trying do. lie also seems to have conpu
Gated matters in his confusion by sending HIS massage
70 the wrong place. II appears That the document
WAS not intended for the whole senate. but only Tot Es
party friends. These untamed parisans were so yio
lent in their demands for every position that
the Governor was moved to effort to educate them
nm to his moro advanced hut somewhat fOggy concep
tous and TO Justify himself to them for the crime ot
giving any recognition whatever to Republicans Ana
Le did we'll 80 far as lie went. With perhaps single
exception he named worthy and comDet"nt men, ana IN
selecting the Republican lay judges he advised III many
cases with leading Republicans Ia their respective
counties. The rumOrs here to-day, that h. VIII
Withdraw the names Of all the Republicans
and hold them until the Senate has acted the Dem
ocratc nominees, are certainly without foundation
Notwithstanding the Inconsistencies into which he has
been BETRAYED hc undoubtedly thinks there Is principle
AT stake. and ne cannot be induced to hcAIt'e
hi, Efforts and lay his motives open to
suspicion by any such freak Of cmldshne>s OF
u,tllaucc. T. is hardly sl;c 10 Ncninn
guess rs to how the conflicting views OF ia" Governor
and l, senate VIII be ultimately harmonH"d bar II Is
rrct,y certain that when the legislature r'ira'mhlcs
nfcr lis sunday rest and worship the ar "i DC hed
with music. -
UTvrING DOUN fLLICEI DISIILLERS.