The Jersey City news., 1892-03-17
HYDROPHOBIC new ARK
Some Inside History About
the Water Bills at
Trenton.
BERGEN'S FLIMSY PRETEXTS.
He and Barrett Did the crooked
Work-Just a Letter
Missing.
3ERGEN'S FLIMSY PRETEXTS.
He and Barrett Did the Crooked
specia, to the JERSEY csty Ne,os.

-
that Speaker James Bergen, Of Somerset,
and Colonel. the Honorable Michael I. Bur-
rett, Senator from Essex county, are am
bilious and are looking for honcrs at the
hands of the people of this State. If the
opportunity to place these self sought
honors upon these two distinguished
statesmen is ever afforded the people OF
Jersey City, they should bear in mind the
course of the gentlemen in the matter OF
the efforts in the last Legislature, to
secure supply of pure water for Jersey
City, and reward them accordingly.
Six bills having this object in view
were introduced in the Legislature, two
in the Senate and four in the House. The
first Senate bill was introduced by Mr..
Hudspeth and provided that Jersey City
might condemn Newark's surplus water.
AS soon as this bill was introduced, Mr..
Barrett openly declared that it would
never see the light of day again;
For some weeks his declaration held
good, and nothing further was heard OF
the bill until Mr.. Hudspeth moved that
the Committee on Municipal Corpora
tions, consisting of Senators Barrett,
Gardner of Atlantic and Hinchliffe, be re-
lieved from further consideration OF tne
measure. MIR. Barrett opposed the mo
tion, saying that several interested per-
sons desired to be heard upon the bill be-
fore it was reported. Then followed the
peculiar, to say the least, tactics OF the
young man from Essex. The session was
rapidly drawing to close, and If the con
sideration of the bill could be put OF
from day to day the final adjournment
would come before the measure could be
disposed of.
BARRETT'S UNFAIR TACTICS.
Mr.. Barrett accordingly gave a hearing
on the bill Jersey City sent down here
large delegation of her most influential
citizens and Messrs. L. B. Ward, w. ID.
Edwards, Joseph Dear, Edward Manners
and others presented, such strong argu-
ments in favor of the measure that the
Newark people took alarm. The hearing
was postponed from day to day until
Mayor Joseph and his map of many colors
had exhausted his few remarks" con-
tanned in some odd hundreds of type
written pages. Then the matter was
dropped again until Mr.. Hudspeth at,
tackled the committee second time anu
compelled it to make a report. AS was
expected, Mr.. Barrett reported the bill
adversely and the Senate sustained the
report.
The first Of the water bills introduced
in the House was identical with this
Senate bill, and never came out of the
next No. SO gave the State Water Com
missioners power to commence, in the
name of the State, proceedings to restrain
any other State. person or municipality
from diminishing the flow of any stream
that enters the State. or from polluting
the same.
1t is difficult to conceive how any OBJ
lection could be raised to such measure
as this, the sole object of which was to
keep the waters in the State for the use
of the people of the State. And vet there
was opposition to it which Speaker Ber-
geu did all in his power to make success
full. The bill was reported, passed second
reading and engrossed. When it came
up on third reading the extra $500 assis
tant Secretary OF the Speaker had made ii
discovery. In the printed copy of the
bin in one place it read, "and
be 1t enaced." 1t read enacted"
in the engrossed copy, and the mere fact
that the printer had omitted the y"
was of no more consequence than fly
speck. Yet the Speaker raised a great
hullaDaloo over the matter. He called at
tention to the trifling error, and. saying
that it might be fatal, suggested that the
bill be sent back for correction. It went
to the Committee on Revision OF Laws,
which made the correction and reported
the e. bin M almost Immediately. But instead
of going back to the place it occupied on
the calendar where the fatal error" was
discovered. the Speaker very promptly
pigeonholed 1t.
THE SPEAKERS SLIM EXCUSE.
There is O sort cf nnwritten law in the
Legislature that a bill is not to be dis
posed of during the absence of the intro
Queer unless he consents. Mr.. O'Neill
introduced this measure and was absent
from the cham ber during the greater part
of the last weeks of the session. 1t W
the absence of Mr.. O'Neill which Speaker
Bergen gave as an excuse for not bring
ing up the BILL Finally Mr.. L. B. Ward
went to Mr.. O'Nell's home in Jersey
City, to which that gentleman was con-
fned with illness, and obtained from him
a note to the Speaker requesting Mr.. Ber-
gen to recognize Mr.. Heaney or Mr.. F. d.
Smith as representing him (Mr,
O'NeilD in the matter of this
the Speaker Mr. O'Neill's note. Mr.. Ber-
gen said the bill was not on second read
ing, when the records plainly showed
that it was. and it was pigeon holed in
the reading clerks desk. The next day
Mr.. O'Neill appeared in his seat, but
failed to call up the bill. and after that
the Speaker would recognize no one in his
place.
No. 399 was introduced by Mr.. f. d.
Smith, of Morris. aud authorized the
geological survey to investigate the
potable water resources of the State
This bill was reported passed second
reading, and ordered to be engrossed.
1t was held back, however, until the
last night of the session when
it was brought up, and on motion of Mr.
Hardin, supported by almost the entire
Essex delegation, was indefinitely post
poued. The reason the Newark men gave
for their action was that they did not
want any Investigation that might be
detrimental to Newark. This was in
strict accord with the settled policy of the
Essex men to repress all water legisla-
ton. A bill identical with this was intro
duced by Mr.. Winton in the Senate 1t
was reported and engrossed, and then
very quietly put to sleep in President
Abrams little drawer kept for such pur-
poses.
SUCCESS ALMOST IN SIGHT
Notwithstanding all these d IS the
Jersey City men were not dis ..aged,
and in the last week OF the 81 ssion Mr.
Heaney introduced bill similar to Mr.
/ Huuspeth's, which was killed in the SEN
| ate. 1t tonly differe from Mr. Hudspeths 8
| bill in thnt it authorized, in direct terms
the acquisition by any CITY of the surplus
water remaining in the control of any
water company for term of years unde
| anv existing contract between snch co.
| pany and municipality, upon terms TO
by Justice of the Supreme Court. hut
upon conditions which should not conf ct
| with the terms of the original contract.
| On the afternH he day before final
| adjournment this DILL was reported, took
| the usual course and went to the ell
| crossing Clerk. 1t came up again in the
| avanipcy on Anal massage and WAS ViQOr-