The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-02-21

rzH sr4rEH ISLAND .BH1BeE.
Masterly Presentation Of the Subject b.
Senators Briniterhoa, Of Hudson, and
Gardner, Of Atlantic.
TRENTON, February TO- The arguments
against the Staten Island bridge matter
were thoroughly presented by Senator
Brinksrheff, of Hudson, and Senator Gard
ner, Of Atlantic, during the discussion in
the Senate the other day.
SENATOR BnINKERHoFFs SPEECH.
Mr.. President: When came to the Sem
ate chamber this morning it was not my
purpose to discuss the subject under CON-
sideration, but as the Senator from Essex
County has called upon mo to reply to his
arcnment REGARDING the constitutional
power in Congress to regulate Interstate
commerce, feel justified in taking some
of your time for that purpose. The Sena-
tors from Cumberland county and Essex
county have seen fit to charge unjust mo-
tiyes to the advocates of this bill-which i'm
putatioHs and insinuations are as uncalled
for as they are unkind do nor ask any
Senator to bear any part of the response
bility which assume for my action or vote
upon this bill-that vote which will be
given, as l hope the Senators from those
two counties will vote, with conscientious
desire to do right, no living man knows or
has right at this moment to know what
my views are upon the subject matter Of
this bill or how shall vote. This is a sub
ject which appeals to State pride, and pre-
sents as the foundation of and for that APP
peal the use which foreign corporation
"a 4xrxk1
| corresponding benefit to our State. In
the many arguments made by me in this
Senate upon the subject of railroad corpo-
rations. / have at no time denied or
doubted that railroads were one of the
factors of our growth, advantage and pros
| perity as State. My insistment has been
against their discriminating demands, and
| have advocated and shall continue to adj
yocate the creation and preservation of
| equal rights to railroad companies and in
dividuals. The geographical situation of
this State with its great water bound
aries has established our importance
and created section of it the chief
depot and outlet for the travel and
freight of this country. This State
by its liberal, general railroad act, aids
railroad corporations IN the acquisition of
land for their corporate purposes and pro-
tects them in the object of their creation,
but when those corporations emboldened
With wealth and influence seek to offend
and bid defiance to this State, il is time
| that the liberality Of the State is curbed,
and the offenders taught that the State is
owned and controlled by individuals form
| ed into society for their common good
and protection, and not for railroad COM
panies and foreign spectators alone. The
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company
comes into this State because Of necessity,
and by the first outlet it assages and places
its terminal improvements on an isolated
spot in the State of New York distant six
miles by water from the place it seeks to
| reach. IF there was, or is, necessity for
/ such evasion, fair dealing and justice would
4 demand our assent, but this seeming disrs-
spect and insult demands our opposition in
| the name and cause of protection. If their
purpose Is to reach New York City by way
Of Staten island with its passenger traffic,
/ object. Other localities in this State
present advantages far superior to Staten
Island for that purpose If their object is
TO take their freight to Staten Island in the
name of the State of New Jersey, protest.
Shall we permit that company to erect
depots, freight houses, warehouses and
other terminal improvements on Staten
1 "
million dollars of taxable property, when
by fair dealing the County of Hudson or
the County of Union should receive that
advantage. Do you propose to allow that
company to use the advantages of our
general railroad law, lay its tracks through
our State to enrich Staten Island and not
pay enc dollar of tax to the municipalities
through which those tracks are to be laid
The Arthur Kill Sound is a public navi-
gable highway, and navigation should Ie-
main as now wholly unobstructed. A
bridge across that stream would retard and
embarrass commerce, render navigation in
convenient, and abridge the rights of those
accustomed to use it. Let them show a
greater necessity for bridge than the
convenience and safety of the thousands of
sailing craft which daily ply on the ground.
Let us regard the eighteen millions of tom
mage which annually use that stream. Let
us jealously regard and protect our valu-
able water front-a water front which has
become valuable because we are seaboard
State, water front which has added up
wards of three million dollars to our State
School fund, and of which amount Hudson
county has contributed in excess of two
millions seven hundred thousand dollars
there still remains in Iny county untold
/ "a !
propose to build up the shore front of Sta
ten Island to the injury of those undeveI-
oped shore fronts Of Hudson County from
the Central ferry to Constable Hook. The
Senator from Essex contends that there Is
not sufficient depth of water at that point,
but does he forget that the Central Railroad
Company, the Pennsylvania Railroad COM
pany and the Erie company made lands
from the fats, from the river bed,
which reclaimed lands are the most
valuable in our city. Cannot the
Baltimore and Ohio Company obtain
grant from the Riparian Commissioners
and reclaim the lands under water to the
exterior line for solid filling established by
that commission Do you propose to per-
nit the shore front of Union county to be
transferred to the State Of New York? Dc
you suppose that would vote in the inter.
est of a bridge from Jersey City to New
York for the purpose of permitting this
company to make its terminal point and
terminal improvements on the east shore
of the Hudson River? Then why should ]
not deny that right to the injury of the
County of Union The senator here show,
ed that the bridge is in the interest of New
York. Keep the termini of the
railroads, and the docks of the steamships
where they now are, and offer no induce
ment for the devastation of the shores Of
Jersey City, Hoboken and Camden. ane
the transfer of their terminal improvements
to another State. The State OF New Jersey
receives the greater part Of her revenues
from railroad and other corporations, anc
when municipal taxation is properly equal
lied those corporations will aid in the sup
port of municipal government. 7 in sis
that the bridge should not be bull
in the interest of Miman, who has pur-
chased ali of Staten Island not required By
the Vanderbilts for grave yard. But it il
commended by the Senator from Essex, that
New Jersey has no Jurisdiction in the mat
ter of authorizing the construction Of
! bridges across navigable streams. The
territorial lir=its and jurisdiction of this
State and New York have been defined
by compact entered into by those States
The right of those States to the lands un-
der water, and the water over the land in
the Hudeon River and DelaHara River