The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-05-24
LONG AGO LEGISLATION
The Second Session Of New
Jerseys General
Assembly.
CATTLE BRANDER IN CHIEF.
A Liquor Law With a Penalty
for Failure to Sell Rum.

The second session of the General AS
sembly Of New Jersey began on Novem-
Der 8, 1868. BERGEN, which included the
territory now embraced In Hudson county,
was represented. as at the session held
the previous spring, by Mr. Jasper Steen-
metts and Mr.. Baltazar Bavard The
session was short one, for early in its
deliberations the deputies got into
SO uabble with the Governor and his
Council, as it will be remembered the
Senate was then known. On November
6 the deputies sent this communication
to the Councfl:-
Honoured Gentlemen--We, finding SO
many inconveniences by our not setting
together, aud your apprehensions so diff
ferent TO ours, and your expectations that
things must go according to your opin-
ions. though we see no reason for, much
less warrant from the concessions. where
fore we think it vain to spend much time
OF returning answers by writings, that
are so exceeding dilatory, If not fruftless
and endless, we think our way ruthar to
break up our meetings. seeing that the
order OF the concessions cannos be at
tended unto"
In reply to this outburst OF legislative
virtue the Council replied in a spirit of
mingled concession and independence.
1t asked the deputies to appoint two OF
their number to consider with the Coun-
Gil in what point they, the Councillors,
acted contrary to the concessions. All
night sessions were unknown to our Jer-
sey forefathers, for the reply goes on to
say.
sit being too late to entertain SO long
a debate we will be ready tomorrow to
give them (the deputies) hearing"
Then the Council proceeds to infer
hard things against the deputies and TO
assert Its Independence.
INDEPENDENT AND SARCASTIC COUNCILLORS
If reason will satisfy YOU" saws the
reply, tive snail be very well pleased that
you proceed according to the Lords
Proprietors concessions and the trust i'm
posed upon you. il not you may do what
You please, only we advise you to con-
slider well Of your resolutions before you
| break up.
What the outcome Of this little contro-
| versy was does not appear on the record.
4 but as the communication aud reply were
dated November 6, and several laws were
passed and agreed to by both branches on
the following day, 1t is fair to presume
| that the two chambers came to SOME
understanding upon the subject. Among
the acts of this session was one providing
| that each town in the province should
have distinct brand for marking the
| horses and cattle of the town so that those
another, aud that sin every town there
should be an officer chosen by the
| Governor, except in such towns as have
| the liberty to choose their own officers
aud there to be chosen by the freehoiders,n
| to brand the cattle and keep a record OF
! the particulars of each mans live stock
! possessions. This brauder in chief was to
| receive six pence for each animal so
| branded and recorded, and anyone who
| refused to have his live stock attended to
| as provided IN the act was to pay fine of
ten shilings for every such failure The
brand for Bergen was the letter b.
| This session also enacted the first LIQUOR
| legislation of the provence which was
! somewhat novel as compared with that
| which now harnesses the party of great
| moral ideas. Instead of seeking to pro-
| hibit and curtail the sale OF intoxl eating
liquor by imposing penalties the Assembly
there, provided that a penalty for failure
to sell liquor. 1t may not be pleasing
| thought TO Chancellor McGilI VINO now
enjoys the distinction of being the Ordl-
nary General of the State to know that
! the liquor sellers in We olden time were
| designated rs ordiuaries.
THE FIRST LIQUOR SELLERS.
| The act provided that lin consideration
! of the Inconvenience that do arise for
want of an ordinary in every town in this
Provence, that every town shall provide
| an ordinary for the relief and
! the ordinary keeper is to have a license
| from the Secretary and oblige himself to
make sufficient of. meat. drink and lodc-
| ing for strangers and for neglect hereof
| in any Of the towns they shall forfeit 40
! shillings fine TO the country for every
mouth after publication hereof; and that
| none shall retail drink of whatsorr soeyer
under the quantity of two gallons. ex-
ceDt the ordinary keeper and no person
| whatsoever Gas we'll the ordinary keeper
as othersl shall retail any sort of drink as
aforesaid under the quantity of two gal
Ions under the penalty of paying 10 shill-
ings fine for every such default TO the
| country
1t appears that the kicker against tax es
came into existence with the Provence.
At tho session of the Assembly held in
the previous May it was enacted that
thirty rounds should be raised upon the
country for the defraying OF the public
charge, the portion of each town being
about five pounds All the towns paid
except Miidletown and Shrewsbury.
These towns absolutely refused t. paw
the tax and made no bones about intimat-
ing that the Provence could 10 where
there was no fear of Indian inyasions.