Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-06-04
THE STATE HOUSE.

1t was announced recently that the
Commission which has in hand the re-
building of the burned portion of the
State House, had decided upon plans,
and were soon to proceed with the
erection of the edifice Indeed, the
plans which were elaborate, were an
nounced in the papers, and everybody
naturally supposed that there would
be no further trouble in the matter of
rebuilding, and that the State House
walls would soon rise again, the whole
building to be completed by the time
the Legislature met in January next.
On Tuesday last the Commission had
another meeting, and the situation
changed in the ''twinkling of an eye,"
as it were. When the Commission,
which consists of Governor Albeit,
Secretary of State Kelsey, Comptroller
Anderson and Treasurer Toffey, came
| together, it was discovered that it
would be utterly impossible to erect
such building as the State needed, on
the limited appropriation of fifty
thousand dollars which the late Legis-
lature had made. Comptroller Ander
son moved that the Commission pro-
ceed to build a larger building, and
leave the result as to money with the
Legislature of 1886. This motion was
voted down. A motion was then made
that all further building proceedings
drop, and the question be left until
the Legislature should assemble. This
proposition was adopted by vote of
three to one, the Governor alone
voting in the negative.
The refusal of the Commission to
proceed farther leaves the rebuilding
in bad shape, but their action is justi-
fable, and just what might have been
expected. The Legislature adjourned
without making sufficient appropri-
alton, fifty thousand dollars being en-
tirely too small an amount with which
to erect such an edifice as the State
needs and ought to have in order that
the public business be properly trans
acted The State of New jersey is not
poor; it is in many respects rich.
There is no necessity for niggardliness
in the rebuilding of the burned portion
of the State House, and so far as the
people are concerned there is no de-
sire that the Commission should be
stinted for money. On the contrary
there is widespread feeling that the
State should have a commodious and
creditable Capitol, even if the expense
should exceed two hundred thousand
dollars. That amount, and even a
larger sum would have been voted by
the Legislature, had it not been for the
foolish efforts of the Essex and Hudson
delegations in attempting to pass law
which would remove the State House
from Trenton to Newark. While eff
forts of this character were bound to
prove fruitless, the representatives of
those large, ambitious and grasping
counties were determined that if the
Capitol could not be removed, then the
appropriation for its rebuilding should
be made as small as possible, in the
hope that if but little money was ex-
pended the Capital might some day in
the near future be removed to the
Northern portion of the State. By a
consolidation of their votes and a dex-
ferrous roping in of several of the repre-
sentatives from smaller counties lying
near them, Essex and Hudson sue
ceeded in preventing a more liberal
appropriations The result is what was
plainly seen by many MEMBERSHIP
return of the subject to a reconvened
or an incoming Legislature. The Gov
ernor refuses to recall the Legislature
of 'S5, and consequently the question
will go over until the meeting of the
Legislature next year. Then the bat
tie will be fought over again. But, if
in that Legislature Essex and Hudson
should control sufficient number of
votes to carry bill for removal of
the State Government so far as the
Assembly is concerned, the bill could
not. however, pass the Senate. Tren-
ton is the historic town of the Revolu-
ton. 1t is centrally located, and the
legitimate and proper place for the
Capital. The people want it to remain
there, and it will remain there no mat
ter how much noise is made nor
how much of an effort is exerted
to change the base of government in
this State. The next Legislature will
see to it that the Capital question is
settled definitely, and settled in favor
of Trenton. 1t will also see that fit
ting sum is set apart for the purpose
OF rebuilding the Capitol which will not
only prove sufficient, but large enough
to give the State a first-class building,
creditable in all its parts. The bad
feature of the situation is, however,
that the departments at Trenton are
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