The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-02-19
LEGISLATIVE WORK.
Pages a Positive Nuisance
in the House Bills
Passed and Proposed.


TRENTON, Feb. 10, 1S9t'-At the close oil
yesterday mornings sss sion Of the HousI
the Democratic members held a csucu:
In the Speakers room. 1t was an earnest
session, and at times the eloquence of the
members advocating the claims OF their
districts to recognition percolated through
the heavy oaken doors into the chamber
The Middlesex members complained tina
they had no pages aud they wanted n few
more. Warren and Bergen counties
male the same moan, and one or two
Others took up the strain: "A south Jer-
seyfnan kicked because Essex mud n1ne
pages and declared that even Mr.. Jack
son. a Republican, had one while he, q
good Democrat, was shown the cold
shoulder. II was finally resolved to ap-
point five additional pages.
Thomas Fillipe NoonaD, the genial
clerk of the House, receded from his for.
mer position, and with that courtesy for
which he is noted, allowed the caucus
nomination of Frank p. Jones, as assist
ant journal clerk, to stand. IL was found
that the caucus nad been a little Drema-
ture aud had appointed a number of as
sistant clerks for whom there is no war
raut in law, and so to get over the
difficulty, they were made assistant door
keepers.
AN ABSOLUTE NUISANCE.
The page matter is coming To be a nuis-
ance pure and simple. There are so many
OF them that they are in each others way,
and when they occupy the seats intended
for them in trout Of the Speakers desk,
they have TO sit in each others laps
They do not pretend to do any work. but
sit and smoke cigarettes in the cloak
rooms and match pennies In the Speakers
reception room.
During the session yesterday afternoon.
Speaker Bergen suddenly ordered the
sergeant-at-arms to close the cloak room
doors, and allow the pages TO smoke and
converse in peace as they were disturbing
the House. Mr.. Bergen was indignant
and spoke severely. The manner in
which Mr.. Harrington hustled the young
sters out of the comfortable chairs aud
off the downy lounges was a caution. Mr..
jackson when spoken to about the page
said to have been given him, said that he
had no page; but he had been asked TO
let them put his name down for one so
that the boy could get a railroad pass.
Mr.. Campbell asked yesterday after
noon that the hearing on Mr.. Mullone's
water bill by the House in Committee of
the Whole be resumed at four O'Clock
Tuesday afternoon. The Speaker thought
that was an awkward time, as it would
interfere with the business of the House,
and the matter was laid on the table. IL
Will probably be held In the evening of
hat day.
WHERE CAT IS NEEDLE.
A peculiar discovery was made when
Mr.. Campbell's bill authorizing the gov
erning bodies of cities to change
the late of holding their mu-
nipcial elections came up on sec
ond reading. IL was engrossed and
occupied its proper place upon the calen-
dar when Mr.. Trefz objected to some of
It's provisions. Ii then occurred to him
that the bill had never been before his
committee, to which 1t had been referred.
There were some attempts at %explana-
tion and then IN order to make the record
stra fght the matter was referred back to
the committee. This but shows how
easy 1t is TO smuggle measures through
unless carefully watched by the officers.
The bill raising the salary of Mayor
Grassmau to 81, 200 was piloted through
by Mr.. DAILY. A resolution by Mr.. Boyle
was adopted calling upon the superin-
tendent of the Capitol TO light the As
sembIy Chambers by some method which
did not throw out the heat the gas does.
The joint resolution appropriating $1,000
to defray the expenses Of the Grand
Army of the State in attending the funeral
of General Sherman was adopted in the
$1,000 for stocking the waters OF the State
with fish also passed. 1t now goes to the
Governor.
A batch Of bills for increasing the
terms of various municipal officers were
introduced. Mr.. Mulione wants the
terms OF City Treasurer Cleveland, City
Collector O'Neill and Comptroller Hough.
extended from Two to fly years from
date of appointment and Mr.. Daily wants
Hoboken's City Clerk aud Street Com
missioners to have three year terms. Mr.
DAILY also wants to give Hoboken the
authority to issue 500, 900 of bonds to re-
construct old school houses.