The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-04-05
Detection Of an Effort to
Steal a Railway Grab
Bill Through the
Assembly.
SENATORIAL DISCOURTESY
The Bill Just Surrendered All the
Land in the State to the Greedy
Corporations.
Especial to the Jersey city Nescs.l

[Special to the Jersey City Ne,os.l
TRENTON, April A, 1ss9.-A surprising
discovery was made today. 1t was that a
bill had apparently been passed before the
very eyes of an old stager like Voorhees,
without his knowledge. The bill was
sent to the Senate and thence to the Gov
ernor for signature, although there are
the gravest reasons for doubling that it
was ever passed by the House
The more comment is provoked by the
fact that this extraordinary occurrence
happened to railroad bill, and that it
conferred powers fit to take your breath
away. When the discovery was an
nounced, members looked at their bill
files to study their copy of the measure,
one after another; several announced that
they had not copy of it.
Frank McDerrnit made the discovery
He has had his eye on the bill, and as he
was away yesterday he asked about the
bill when he reached the State house this
morning. He was told that it has been
passed Off he rushed to the record book.
1t did not show the passage of the Dill,
but this was subsequently explained by
saying that the record had not been
written up. McDermit promptly made
row when the House met.
THE BILL.
The bill is Senate 1856 and was fathered
by Senator Gardner, the big Republican
from Atlantic county. 1t is worth read
ing to show how much law may be COM
pressed into small compass.
ID Nf,r1
/. Be IT ENACTED By the Senate and Genera!
Assembly of the State Of Neac Jersey That it shall
be lawful for any railroad corporation owning or
operating railroad within this State to take ana
acquire title, in the manner prescribed by the act
under which such railroad was originally con-
structed, or by any supplement to said act, to all
DIREcToRs DIR sf5I s. OF Such M coRPoRATIoN. NAY
BE NECESSARY for the erection thereon of
freight and passenger depots, and yards In CON
nection Herewith for coal yards and coal trestles
for water tanks, for sidings and for all other
legitimate purposes of said company; and said
corporations are hereby, for this purpose, again
invested with all the powers, privileges and iran
chises given, granted or conferred IN their re-
spective acts of incorporation and in the various
peen5s sas for tang and
O. And be it enacted that this act shall take
effect Immediately, and that all acts and parts OF
acts inconsistent with or repugnant to this act
are hereby repealed.
An OUTRAGEOUS JOB.
BY this simple, innocent act, the follow
ing trifies conld be performed, it is de-
clared:--
i. The Pennsylvania Railroad could
gobble up all the available water front of
Jersey City, and turn it into coal dumps.
2 The Lehigh Valley Railroad could
extend its coal dumps in Newark over
whole block which it bankers after
5. The Central Railroad could seize on
mile of water front at Elizabethport.
4. In general way the railroads could
do as they pleased in the way of gobbling
up cities or parts of cities from Cape May
to Sussex.
Yet this act reached the Governors
hand without anybody hearing of it.
Gariner's story is that he, as the real
estate agent of the Philadelphia and Read
ing at Atlantic City, introduced it that
sion of some land at Atlantic City
needed for depot purposes. The
owners of the property want
$4,000 for it. although it is worth not more
than $500 or so. 1t went through the Sen
ate smoothly, and was up In the House on
Wednesday. An unimportant amendment
was agreed to. Voorhees,, the Republican
leader, is certainly clever parliamen-
tartan. Rilxer, Kalisch and Marsh are
careful and experienced members. All
were thunderstruck when, in reply to
McDermits question, it was announced
that the bill had been passed by vote of
AZ to 0.
All of them declared that they had
heard no voting on it, save as to the
amendment Marsh and Voorhees, de
clared that they had been watching the
bill carefully, because of the dangerous
powers it seemed to confer
McDermit insisted on the reading of the
roll of those recorded as having voted in
the affirmative. Among the names read
were Bigelow and Keyes. Both gentle
men denied having voted for the bill.
hare Jo6
of the bill were out of the chamber, and
whether or not they voted for the bill was
not aScertained.
O'Neill, Harris, Chambers and half
dozen other members said they knew the
bill was on its final passage when they
voted O'Neili, however says he will not
vote for the bill again.
THEY WANT THE BILL BACK.
By vote of 81 to II, a concurrent res
olution was passed requesting the Senate
to return the bill for further considera-
tion. Exactly thirteen. Senators We're at
work when Clerk Matthews arrived with
the resolution. Senator Edwards sug-
gested that it lie over till Monday night.
Senator Gardner was pacing up and down
the Chamber swinging his eye glasses.
He objected,
Senator Edwards suggested statement
concerning the bill. Senator Gardner
continued to pace and to swing and said
nothing, except to insist on a vote. The
Senate rejected the Houses request. This
is said to be unprecedented The vote was
as follows
Yeas Senators Bogert, Edwards and
Werts
Nays Senators Adrain, Carter. Gran
mer, Everitt, Gardner, Martin, Nevius,
Newell, Roe and Thompson.
Meanwhile, somebody had hurried the |
bill to Governor Green for his signature.
Frank McDermit and Colonel Heppen-
heirner had been already there to explain |
the situation to him, and he assured them
that he would not act on the bill till the |
Assembly had been heard from.
STRONG RESOLUTIONS.
Then McDermit heard of the Senate,s |