The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-02-29
How THE WORK IS Done.
Sample Pages From the
Legislative Books at
Trenton.
MONDAY NIGHT THE BEST
----
Early Attendance Necessary to Sc
cure a Front Seat-WeIl
Worth Seeing.
SpeciaL to the Je,seu an Ne,rs.

SNB ~ftNof
TRENTON. Feb. 80, 1S92.-The general
reports of the proceedings of the Legis-
lature, which appear in the daily news
papers. while they give an excellent sum-
mary of the work of the law makers. con-
vey but little idea of the manner in which
that work is done. The Assembly Is the
most interesting branch to see at WORK,
and Monday night is the best time. and a
front seat in the gallery the most com :
Portable place for seeing it. You will
have to go early if you want that seat in
the gallery. Although the Legislature
has.been playing the same old farce for
116 seasons it still draws large houses on
Monday nights. Even though you should
arrive early you will be surprised oto SEQ
the condition of the floor. 1t is crowded
with all sorts and conditions of men. Some
are rushing around shaking hands with
those they meet aud laughing heartily at
the greetings they exchange. Over in
the corners are others in small groups,
talking earnestly and looking exceeding
ly wise. Men come in with satchels, drop
into the large Russian leather chairs and
begin to unlock ana open the desks.
Some take off their coats and hats and
hand them to Il small boy who is there to
welcome them when they come in. The
boy Immediately disappears down the
marble steps, winch lead from the rear
end of the chamber, to the smoking room.
These are the members who have been so
fortunate as to have had influence enough
to get ii a. appointed, and the boy con-
siders himself in duty bound to wait upon
the member The member who has no
page goes down the marble steps himself
with his hat and coat and puts them away
in his locker.
NO s~MoKING-oN PAPER.
By this time the floor is densely packed,
and Notwithstanding the signs con-
s~picuously displayed on all sides to the
effect that by order of the House smok-
ing on the floor at any time Is prohibited.
vo.ume OF smok roll upward, aud
thanks to the excellent ventilation OF the
quickly disappear.
The loud hum of mingled voices floats
on the air. and as eight O'clock approaches
the scene becomes exceedingly ninated
The throngs increases, and now state
officials and men of influence in politics
eau be seen making their way through
the crowd, whispering confdentially to
this one, and swapping jokes with others.
Around some OF the desks you will see
SINAI throngs approaching the emf
with the air a subject approaches "a
Prince. Now hat member is not one of
the leaders of the House. He's only one
OF the South Jersey members; in the eyes
of his subject a far greater man than the
Speaker.
vi Id
Now a couple of pages come out of a
room carrying several books which they
deposit Upon the Clerks desk. They are
followed by a tall, slim man with Il black
mustache and a ''know all" expression.
That is Stagg, the Reading Clerk. Be-
hind him comes a middle sized. stocky
man with u black beard streaked
with gray. and a kindly express
Jon. He is Naughright. the Journal
Clerk, who was q member from
Morris two years ago.. They take seats
behind the Clerks desk and look wise.
As.soon as they are seated there is a stir
about the door OF the Clerks office, and
out comes a picturesque figure whose gen
eral aggressiveness you will at once rec
oguize as belonging to Thomas +. Moo
nan. Jr.. the Clerk.
About this time a tall, sallowed COM
plexioned young mar with a small black
mustache looms up by the side of the
Speakers desk, and after depositing a
large book and u bundl of long narrow
papers in red and blue covers and tied
with red and blue ribbons upon the
desk, climbs up into the chair
beside the elaborately carved oaken
and plush affair which the Speaker
sits in when he is tired. Yon may hear
someone call the young man Mr.. Speaker.
but he is not the Speaker-ne Is only
Dave Hodge. a young Somerville lawyer.
who is the Speakers private secretary. 1t
is his uuty 10 sit beside the Speaker, keep
his calendar. prompt him as to who has
the floor, and in other ways hello him.
But now a hush has fallen over the
scene and tine crowd begins to recede
flom the floor. The members take their
seats and the public crowd into the lob
bies behind the brass railing which runs
around the chamber. back OF the last row
of desks.
SPEAKER BERGEN.
This csange III the scene is caused by
the appearance of d flne looking man,
who, with a small ivory gavel in his
hand, stands at the Speakers desk. This
is MIR. Bergen himself. He is slightly be-
low the medium height, with a fair COM
plexion and sandy. close clipped burn
sides. He pounds on the desk with his
gavel and announces that prayer will be
offered by the Rev. MIR. Smith.
The Rev. Mr.. Smith comes from some
where behind The Speakers desk, and
while the members bow their heads, ne
opened with prayer for which the offici-
ating clergyman receives $40. These
ciergymen are selected by a standing COM
mittee appointed early in the session.
AMEN WITH A BANG.
The minister's amen is received with
the banging OF desks, shutting in seats
and the hum of general conversation
amid which you hear the voice of Assist
ant Clerk Stage struggling through the
roll. Mr.. Stagg tells the Speaker how
many are present and then the Speaker
directs that the Clerk read the journal,
following IL nlmost in the same breath
with the announcement that the gentle
man from Essex moves that the further
reading of the journal be dispensed with.
No one has made such q motion, ana You
are tempted TO think 1t one of Speaker
Bergen's arbitrary rulings until you learn
that such procedure is the general Gus
tom.
Tine Speaker then the regu-
lar order of business, and what follows
can generally be found IN the JERSEY
CIry NEWS from dAV to day.