The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-02-14
Her False Position Exposed
at Last Nights Meet
ing in the Council
Chamber.
SIR. MULLONE's BILL ENDORSED.
Senator Mcdonald and Mr.. Ward
Advocate Jersey City's Rights
A Large Delegation TO
Visit Trenton.

The meeting of the Board Of Alderman
which was called for last evening for the
purpose OF adopting q memorial urging
the Legislature to pass the Mullone
Wateu.bill did not take place. Aldermen
Hoos, O'Neil1. Salinger. Smith and Jor-
don were the only members OF the Board
who take enough interest in that ques-
tion. which is one of the most vital i'm
portance to the citizens Of Jersey City. to
be present. City Clerk Scott called the
Aldermen to order at half-past eigh
O'Clock and adjourned the Board for
want Of a quorum. At that time the lobby
was crowded with a throng OF repre-
sentative citizens who had assembled to
attend the meeting in favor Of tue water
bill which was to follow the meeting Of
the Aldermen. Among those present
were John ID. Carscallen. president of the
Third National Bank; Dr. Isaac N. Quinn
by, e.%Assemblyman James s. Erwin,
George f. Watson, james Flemming.
Frank Stevens, Henry Lembeck, Edwin
5. Manners, ex-Fire Commissioner Mad
den. Robert Mcknight. M. }. Farley,
James II. Love, William H. Lewis, s. B
Ransom, DIR. McNeill, L. b. Ward, John
Edelstein. president of the Board
of Taxation: County Superintendent
James Cannon. Senator Mcdonald and
Assemblymen Mullone, Byrne, Moylan.
Puster, Boyle, Usher and Madden 0ccu-
pied seats within the rail-
Alderman Salinger stated the object of
the meeting, and nominated Ex-Assem-
blyman Johu d. Carscallen for chairman,
and James Flemming for secretary. These
gentlemen were closen for the places
named. and upon taking the chair Mr..
CarscalleD saiu:-
1.-THE time Is ripe when we should OBJ
tain for ourselves pure supply Of water
independent of any private corporation.
Jersey City has always claimed that this
was business transaction. The law of
New Jersey has always claimed that there
can be no property In water. and the
action of the Riparian Commissioners has
always gone to show that the State owns
all the water below low water mark"
GOV. ABBETT's VIEWS ON THE QUESTION.
Mr.. Carscallen read from Governor ABB
belts MESSAGE to show that the Governor
held the same view, aud repudiated the
idea that any man had rights in the water
of New Jersey because be was an abut-
ting land owner.
1ne Mullone bill, Mr.. Carscallen said.
was TO emphasize that idea. All the signs
of the past few years prove that IL was
The intention of those interested IN these
water scnenes to make public merchan-
d ze OF tbeswater and sell it TO the highest
Ui0utfs To luAt L pdSb OuE uDOEo tuQ sell
cut OF the State If the people of New DER
sey would not pay enough for it. He
called upon those present TO endorse and
support Mr.. Mullone's bill.
at has been said that the bill would be
great injustice to Newark" Mr.. Cars
calien continued. that is fallaclous
argument. The bill says that Newark
shall have all she wants but sue has not
the right to have more than she can use.
All we ask for is the right to condemn
aud take the amount of water we require
FOR our citizens, and we will pay for 1t TO
whomever the State says is the owner. But
we went TO own our own water works aud
not e be dependent upon any private
company. ! am glad to see our Senator
and Assemblymen here and l hope you
will give such an expression upon the
subject thar they will 20 back 10 Trenton
determined to stand up for the right"
Mr.. Mullone was asked to address the
meeting, but said that he would rather
listen than talk Mr. L. B. Ward was
then invited to speak. He said that the
subject was so broad aud had so many
sides that he did not know where to be-
gin.
Senator Mcdonald said that the men,
bers of the Legislature were present 10
get instructions, and said tnaC they
wanted arguments to show that Newark
was not entitled to control the water
supply.
Mr. Ward replied that such facts were
set forth in the memorial.
The memorial WAS the one printed in
The JERSEY CITY NEWS recently. 1t sets
forth the fact of the appointments of a
State Water Commission in 1852 aud the
organization of the Commission under
the act. The Commissioners made re-
port to the Legislature OF 1888 in which
they recommended that in order to pre-
vent conflicts and injustice which would
arise from the appropriation Of the avail
Ill nf uat nj -
authorities or private companies the State
should take control of the water sheds.
The commissioner made surveys and
ascertained that the Pequannock could
be depended uoon to supply so,0O0,0O0
gallons of water daily. The memorial
fhen sets forth the efforts OF private par
ties TO gain control of that water shed and
prays tine legislature 10 pass MIR. Mullone's
bill.
1.-The zeal Of Newark in this matter"
Mr.. Ward continued, lis induced oy GER
tain influences which are brought
TO bear upon her by the foreign
railroad company with which Newark
made a contract for a water supply i'll
1889. 1t is an important question 20 cou-
slider whether either party TO this con-
tract had the right TO make IL under the
Fuller law.
is NEwARK's CONTRACT LEGAL?
THE contract commences with the re-
cital that the Lehigh Valley owns and
controls the Wyanochie. Pequannock
aud Ramapo Rivers. which form the
upper Passaic and drain an excellent
country for water supply. The con-
tracI Is peculiar in many respects The
city OF Newark binds itself not to sell any
water TO any other municipality except
10 the Towns of Belleville, East Orange,
South Orange and Clinton. On the other
hand tue Lehigh Valley Railroad Com
papy binds itself to sell no water from
Pequannock River, except to Newark.
These clauses make the contract one cou-
trary 10 justice"
MIR Ward argued that the company did
not own the Pequannoek River, and con
tinued:-
If the Iehigh Valley Company as
lessee of the Morris canal claims to own
The river it has no ground to stand upon
Tue canal never drew any water from
the Ptquannoek- Therefore the preamble
Of the contract contained fslsehood.
The company does not say IL owns the
Peuuannock. but that Is claims 10 own
it - that II it turns out that it don't own
~. - ka Il