The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-03-01

ana Is andep6ndenI III IS VIeWS Wv @st
local questions.
Partisan Legislation for h City.
The bill vesting the power OF con-
frming Mayor Wanser's nominations
in the Board of Finance is now in the
hands of Governor Werts. 1t was
hurried over to him as soon as it was
passed by the House. OF course, the
Governor will give it a full and
searching examination before he acts
upon it. We believe and hope he will
veto it.
The full text of the bill has not yet
been published in this city. The pub
lie are deeply interested in its pro-
visions. Here it is
An act concerning the appointment of NUM-
cipal officers and boards in cities.
i. Be it enacted by the Senate and General
Assembly or the State OF New Jersey, That me
law officers of any city of the first class, as Cor
poration or City Counsel and Corporation or Clty
Attorney, shall be appointed by the board IN
such city having charge OF the financial a1airs
thereof and charged with the duty and power OF
confirming, by ordinance or otherwise, the an
nual tax levy or tax budget, by whatever name
the SAM may be known in any city, by a vote
ofnot less than two-thirds of all the members OF
any such board being recorded in favor OF sucn
appointment, in every case.
q. And be it enacted, That in every case in any
city where the Mayor thereof is now authorized
by any law to appoint any municipal officer or
member of any municipal board. the name OF
the person appointed shall be submitted TO the
board of such city government having
the control and management of the financial
affairs and the duty and power of confirming
the annual tax levy or tax budget, by
same may be known in such city, and no such
appointment shall take effect until such
board has confirmed the same by vote 10 favor
thereof of not less than two-thirds of all the
members of such board, duly recorded III the
permanent minutes thereof; provided, that
this act shall not apply to the appointment OF
office authorized by law, nor TO any of the &C
tive members of any police force or fire de-
partment in any city, other than the Superin-
fendents thereof.
8. And be it enacted, That if any section of
this act shall. for any reason, be held to be un-
constitutional or invalid. such holding shall not
affect the other provisions Of this act, or any or
them.
4. And be it enacted, That all acts or parts
of acts Inconsistent with this act be and the
same are hereby repealed, and hat this act
shall take effect imm ediately.
1t will be seen that this measure is
sharply divided in to two parts. First
comes the part referring to the Cor
poration Counsel and Attorney. This,
it will be observed, is an absolute re-
production of the eel ebrated DAILY
bill, which Governor Werts caused to
be withdrawn from his hands under
threat of a veto. There is absolutely
no difference. Everything that held
good regarding the DAILY bill holds
equally good in respect to this part OF
this new measure.
AS for the second part, it is an anti
Wanser bill, pure and simple. 1t is
absolutely and without qualification
an act of partisan legislation. There
is no reason, good or bad, for it. save
and except that of preventing a Mayor
from replacing public officials whom
the people have condemned with
others of a different political party.
The effect of the bill, if enacted into
law, is to give every city official, now
in office, a life tenure of his post, I'M
less another Legislature intervene.
That is all there is of it.
This sort of legislation, it is obvious,
is subversive of all good government,
of all decency, of popular government
altogether, in fact. 1t cannot be too
strongly reprobated by decent men.
But if we are to have legislation of
this kind, this bill is by allIodds pref
cradle to any other that has been
proposed. This much must be said,
that the Board of Finance is a body
far above the level of the Aldermen,
for instance, in intelligence, in respon-
sibilitY, in moral and business and
political standing. It is the hest
board in the city in which to place
such power, if such power is to be
given at all. If Governor Werts con-
templates the possibility of signing
any bill of this general character, he
cannot do better than make this the
one. If any partisan bill is TO be
passed over his veto, we hope this will
be the bill.