The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-04-15
Mr.. Joseph M. Noonan Shows
Some Strange Features of
the Proposed Law.
WHERE FAT FEES WOULD ACCRUE.
Mr. Noonan Gracefully Replies to
the Pleasant Intimation That He
Is an ASS.

When in moment of unguarded mirth-
fulness l wrote an open letter to Assem-
blyman Feeney, in which asked him, as
a personal favor to mankind to oppose,
and if possible, defeat Senate bill No. "a,
relative to Coroners, | thought | was
establishing a claim npon the gratitude
of posterity But perhaps was mistaken.
At all events, / have jnst seen pub
lished card, signed by my friend. Mr.. James
Murrer, and my friend, Mr.. John e.
O'Hara, both Coroners, IL not Arcddes
dmbo, in which they take number of
persons, including myself, quite seriously
to task for our opposition to their piece of
proposed legislation.
They accuse the Journal of deliberate
Misrepresentation; they denounce the
County Collector as "a devourer of the
public money; they say of the Chief of
Police of this city that he constantly
violates" the law, and they launch
general anathema against the
Prosecutor of the Pleas and
the County Physician. Amid this pro-
miscuous distribution of honors perhaps
none of the recipients of their attention
has been so highly favored as myself. For
they ioyously allude to me as "a palpably
conceited ass" and IAN absolute ignora-
mus" And, indeed, from what
know of my own mind and its poverty
and feebleness, | might be disposed to
admit the justice OF this criticism
if it were not for the fact that such an adj
mission would have tendency rather to
refute than to confirm that criticism. If
confess | am an lass" l surely cannot be
IAN absolute ignoramus," for | at least
know that am an Ass" and when man
becomes imbued with profound convic-
tion that he is an ''ass," it is inn
possible for him to be "palpably
conceitedo although | should judge it
would still be quite possible for him to be
a Coroner. In view of these extracts from
and Mr.. John F. O'Hara, it is pleas
ing and refreshing to read, in
the same communication, the solemn
assurance of these gentlemen that "per-
sonality'' is not argument, land that their
business is to show that their bill is good
one, and not attack its opponents" F" If
they are correct in their theory as to their
business, they were sadly neglecting their
business when they hired someone to
write their card.
After abusing, in this refined and ele-
CANT fashion, every one who differs with
them, the COroners offer some statements
that are expected to do duty for argu-
ments. They. say that this bill gives
them no power whatever as to holding in
quests under any circumstances" and
that this bill don't increase the Coroner's
power to holp inquests. :" They then pro
ceeded to mix up law and pathos in the
following style and proportions:
The bill simply is to give the Coroners the fee
now provided by law for uie,cs of dead bodies
Section 4, act of March "a, IA, makes it the
duty of Coroner, being informed
of any violent, casual or sudden death of any
person in the county, to proceed Immediately
to view the body and make all proper in
quiry respecting the manner and cause of DEATH
and by Section % of the same act if any Coroner
fail to do his duty above, he is liable to fine
of $780, And yet the Coroner receives no pay for
the discharge Of this duty. He is bound al all
hours of the night and day, and in all sorts Of
weather, to travel to all kinds OF out of the way
his sleep to neglect his business, aud pay his
travelling expenses, and hunt up these bodies
and investigate these cases, and make memor
andunl of all the circumstances of all such cases.
and he d Jn't get cent for it. Now, Mr. Editor
it is to give the Coroner for this work, which he
is bound to do the smallest fee ever allowed
1t is true that by the act of March %,
lS14.-Section 5 and Section 4, as they say
the duty of viewing the body of the de-
ceased in any case of violent, casual or
sudden death =, was imposed upon
office of County Physician was estab-
lished. That office was established
by an act of the Legislature approved
April 81, 1876 and the fifth section of that
act gave the County Physician exclusive
right and power to make all views and in
quiries heretofore made by Coroners." So
that the fifth section of the act of 1876
completely repealed the fifth section of the
act of 1874, although my friend, Mr..
James Murrer and my friend, Mr.. John
+. 0 Hara, seem to be ignorant of that
fact. BY a subsequent act, passed March l,
1877, it was provided that whenever an
inquest was held by order of the County
Physician the Coroner should, in adj
dtion to his other fees, receive q fee
of IS for viewing the body, the
viewing in such case being an
incident of the inquest. BY an act of Feb
ruary 10, 1880, this fee was reduced to 80.
BY an act of April 2S, 1885, the fee was
abolished, 'unless such view had been
made upon the written order of the
County Physician" This legislation
then leaves the law in such condition
that the Coroner is not compelled to
make a view of dead bodies in
any case, and is not even permitted to
make such view except in cases of ''vio-
lent casual or sudden DEATH" nor can he
recover any fee for making view under
any circumstances unless he makes such
view on the written order of the County
Physician.
Now what does Senate Bill No. "a pro-
vide? This bill is in the form of a supple
ment to the act of April rs, 1885. The lat
ter provided that NO Coroner shall be en-
titled to receive any fees for viewing any
body of any deceased person unless
such view shall have been made upon the
written order of the County Physician"
| The proposed supplement changes the
phraseology of this clause so as to make it
| read that "no Coroner shall be entitled to
receive any fees for holding any inquest
on the body of any deceased person
unless such inquest shall have been
made upon the written order
| of the County Physician" But the most
astounding part of this bill is hidden
| away in a second and modest proviso
| that nothing in this act shall prevent
any Coroner from holding views ON any
| deceased person within his county and re-
| ceiving legal fees for the same"
This means that if it should become
| law our Coroners would have the right to
view the body of every man, woman
any child who might die in this county,
| not only such as died "of violent,
casual or sudden DEATH" but also
| such as died from perfectly nat
| ural and well known causes, and
/ would furthermore be entitled to fee
| of SO in each case. There is hideous bar
! barity about this propositions wanton
| disregard of the most sacred
ties OF human nature. AS to its
| financial effect, if YOU will multiply the
average annual number of deaths in this
| county from all causes by three you will
| get about the number of dollars that this
| bill would cost the people every year.
| OF course / have no feeling, no ami