The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-06-03
GOOD OLD DAYS
conllnued from paqs cue.

1 ono I'LL t0@ts III Tx
Worst mortgage by Col Varick, and the
| arrangement to sell the lots in fee. Inc
| third was the most Objectionable and an
! moving to the people. IL struck a blow AZ
their self-respect. II subjected them 10
| laws In the making of which they hao no
voice.
FIRST INCORPORATION.
On November Is. 1919, the trustees OF
the Associates resolved ito apply to the
| Legislature for a law to establish q cor
| poration for the Town OF Jersey, with
power to forbid the running at large OF
swine, dogs, horses, or other animals,
generally for the regulation OF the police
Of the place, a charming picture surely OF
bucolic simplicity; horses disputlnR the
right Of way with the pedestrian and the
contented pig dripping from a refreshing
wallow taking his siesta on the doorstep
Of the solid citizen of the town OF Jer-
| sey." and asking for a corporate charter
mainly for the purpose OF restraining the
liberty Of the animals.
on January 2s. 1920, IAN act to incor-
porate the City of Jersey in the County OF
Bergen was passed by the Legislature;
In the body of the act the place was called
Jersey City. Had those interested IN the
place named it "City Of New Jersey, as
its great neighbor on the east side OF the
Hudson had been named city OF New
York" ir would have borne a name Justi-
fed by its location and by the census
! WHICH. IN less luHn ulutt1 IIAAo 6AeCA
| ceased to be occupied as a farm, gives ~
| the distinction Of being the first city OF
the State of New Jersey. But they ala
not comprehend the Importance and the
| place became the indefinite Jersey CITY,
| and sometimes the Pathological abomina-
! ton, Getty OF Jersey City" The Board
| of Selectmen we're empowered to pass ana
| enforce ordinances relating to streets,
public grounds. public markets, weights
| and measures, the inspection and
| measurement of fire wood, the weight
and prices OF bread, horses, cattle and
swine, or other beasts or fowl running at
| large. lighting streets, night. watch, IRE
/ engines engine houses and whatever
may concern the good government OF said
CORPORATION, and the orderly conduct OF
the inhabitants and others within the
same, so far as regards the public peace
and tranquility of the same"
There were. however, two restrictions
upon the exercise of these powers which
confined it to narrow limits. The inhabi-
tants were battered with the semblance
of self government without the power to
enforce it.
/. No tax could be imposed for any pur-
pose whatever without the previous con-
sent Of the majority Of the Freeholders
and taxable inhabitants who might at
tend and vote respecting the same at a
public meeting.
2 That nothing granted by this act
should interfere with any Of the powers
or rights granted to the Jersey Associates.
EARLY FINANCES.
What the Board of Selectmen did under
this charter is left largely 10 conjecture,
! for unfortunately the minutes of the
Board from its organization, May 20, 1890,
until September /, 1928, are lost, straYed
or stolen. But with no independent
mower of taxation and with the influence
which the Associates must have welded
with the "Ereeholders u taxable in
habitantsn of the own against the impo-
siUion of taxes, it is not difficult nor PROB
ably much at fault to conclude that moth
ing was done which necessitated an out
lay Of money. We have no means OF
knowing what amount of tax was levied
in any year previous TO 1925. bpt 1t is fair
/ to presume from the ordinary course that
the sums raised naturally increased as the
wears went by. From the minutes OF
September s, 1928, we incidentally learn
the amount of the tax levy IN 1879, and
we are amazed at the financial extraya-
oapce OF our municipal forefathersl On
that date the Treasurer submitted a state
ment OF his account with the Board, by
which it appeared that he had received at
sundry times S1s45, and had paid by
order of the Board TO
Joseph Nissan, balance Oh his ac-
For eps TWO BOOKS for use Of the Board. 4 50
Sl7 90
Leaving a balance in his hands Of. l As
He also stated that ne had made dill
gent search, and was unable to mud
among the books, papers or accounts OF
the Board, any statements, book OF ac-
counts, vouchers or others or other
memoranda, by which he could ascertain
with any degree of accuracy what amount
had been collected OF the tax OF one nun
dred dollars assessed upon the In
A - = CD~ -. H. shat IN n p NJ
sum or sums as maj have been received
into the Treasury had been appropriated,
and that he had reason TO believe there
had not been any particular account Kept
by former Boards of receipts and ex-
~penditures. In fact the tax levy was lost
II was of SO little Importance.
With such a tax levy il would be IN
reasonable to expect anything except
rigid economy from the Board. The
streets were ungraded, the sidewalks un-
tagged, and very little effort made to
keep the streets in order. No. 80 Morris
street was the only street opened from
the sewer TO the marsh on the west, and
that was more of a common than a street.
Hudson street was not filled In. Indeed
il must be considered that whatever I'M
proyements were made were the result of
private enter prise.
ANOTHER CHARTER
In addition 10 lack OF FUNDS, the lasl
section of the charter made many of the
subjects of their power uncertain. II
prohibited the Board from interfering
with any of the powers or rights granted
TO the Jersey Associates"
The Board of Selectmen and the citi.
zens whom the represented, after endur
ing this semblance Of government fol
eight years, sought relief in a new char
ter. On January %, 1929 AN Act to in
corporate the City Of Jersey, in the count,
OF Bergen, and to repeal the sormer act
was passed. The corporate name unuel
this charter was. "The Board OF Select
men and Inhabitants of Jersey City"
The night which had rested SO long OF
the place was now faGing away. People
were beginning to see that Jersey Cit,
had a future. In 1884 the rights Of New
Jersey to land under the water of Hud
sons River were conceded. In the sam
rear the New Jersey Railroad. with it
passenger car Washington, "a splendi'
aud beautiful specimen of Workmanship
containing three apartments, besides seat
on top" located Its terminus In Jerse,
City. II extended TO Newark, and worl
was IN progress towards Philadelphia
The Paterson and HUDSON River Rail
road, with its ''three splendid and com
modious cars, each capable of aceommo
dating thirty passengers" drawn b.
eject aud gentle horses" brought TO Jer
seY City its tribute in passengers an
traffic from that section Of the State. Tn
Norris Canal Company was rapidly col
pleting its extension from Newark t
Jersey City. asd il brought hither it
traffic IN 1885. Ia April 1855 thespeopl