The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-01-11
A BUNCH OF NEW LAWS.
The Bar Association Will
Ask Considerable
Legislation.
WOMEN's RIGHTS AND JUDGMENT LIEEs
A Proposition to Limit These Liens
to Ten Years---An Official
City Searcher Proposed.

The Hudson County Bar Association
neid an interesting and protracted meet
ing in the Chancery chambers last night.
President Samuel A. Bessen occupied
the chair and Counsellor Cudlipp Of
ficiated as scribe. The others present
were Lawyers Ransom, Grouse, Heck.
McGrath, Gordon, Rosenberg, Block.
Keller, Joseph Bedle, Jr., Potts and
Judge Douglas.
The meeting was formally opened and
Counsellor Keller nominated Counsellor
Charles B. Hughes for membership.
Lawyer Rosenberg asked to have the
rules suspended that he might be elected
at once. He believed in not letting zone
single guilty man escape" The Presi-
dent in beautiful basso profundo voice
decided that this would be bad prece-
dent, and especially so as there were two
others who desired to become members.
After much discussion the application
was laid over for week. Counsellor
Gordon. on behalf of the Dinner Commit
tee, reported that nothing definite had
been done to appease the appetite.
Counsellor Griffin, with an accent of de-
spair, murnlured that he hoped a report
would be made before the dinner, and
Counsellor McGrath feared that the COM
mittee had eaten it all themselves.
SOME NEW LEGISLATION.
Counsellor Gordon promised to re-
port at the next meeting,
and then Counsellor Heck produced
half dozen legislative bills in a rough
state, which he desired the committee to
take action on. Then big talk began.
Four or five got in their fine work at a
time. 1t was Liberty Hall. How long
this would have continued can only be
imagined.
The first act discussed when order from
chaos came was IAN act to limit the lien
of judgments which have been or shall
be obtained on all real property for ten
years." and not twenty as it now is.
1t was explained that the Judgment
would be good against the individual for
the same period as now, twenty years.
but not a lien on the land longer than ten
year; so that at ten years clear title
could be given purchaser without re-
leasing the liability of the debtor Eo any
property he might afterwards acqukse.
TEN YEARS LIEN DISCUSSED. IL
Counsellor McGrath claimed thatSM
adopt this act would be to impair the
obligations of contracts, and said if the
legislature could reduce the limits Of
liens to ten years it could to one year, and
that was nonsense 1T can't b. dome, !"
said he.
Lawyer Ransom disagreed with the
| speaker. and produced much law to aid
him.
1t was finally decided, after everyone
had talked, that the committee should
draft two bills. The present one was
adopted and the new one will omit the
words which have been" in the sentence
"a lien of judgments which have been or
shall be obtained"
A Aof ,f< he
Bar that the life of a judgment should be
shortened to ten years was lost, but the
vote was nearly evenly divided.
A WoMAN5S PROPERTY RIGHTS.
Another act proposed was that married
women should execute deeds and other
instruments in her own name and dis
pose of her property as she pleased. This
was laid over until Counsellor w. B. Will
liams could make q report, he being abb
sent.
The next innovation proposed will hurt
someone. 1t is an act to regulate muni-
cipal lien searches in cities; The bill pro-
yides that the Finance Board shall
| have control and shall appoint an official
to make all searches, and the fee shall be
| So on one or more lots contiguous ON a
city block. That liens not certified to by
| the official shall never be a lien against
| the property.
! Mr.. Heck explained that a municipal
|
| city it costs S8, and when secured is of no
| value because it does not come from re-
| sponsible authority. The bill met the
| hearty approval of ALL but the committee
| were asked to condense it and report it
| again at the next meeting.
| ASSIGNMENTS OF JUDGMENTS.
| An act that make all judgments and
| chooses arising on contracts assignable,
and permits the assignee to sue in his
| own name was recommended, and so was
one proposed by Mr.. Potts, to repeal the
| act to record replevin bonds.
| Another one recommended was an act
TO make money q good security in lieu OF
bonds in replevin suits and TO make it
net necessary to have more than one
| bondsman.
Mr.. Potts wanted an act introduced
| making two years residence and two
| years desertion sufficient grounds to OBJ
tain divorce.
The proposition went to the table.
Counsellors Potts and McGrath were
appointed committee to draft bill to
amend the law of executions in the Prac-
tice act, and it was decided to have an
| act drafted to regulate appeals from Dis
trict Courts. The association adjourned
to meet Friday night at First District
! Court room.