The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-03-13
THE REFERENDUM.
Direct Legislation League
Wants 1t Embodied In
the Constitution.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
Argument Before the Committee
Of the Whole Of the
Assembly Last Even
ing.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT,
ing.
specia1 to the Jersey City Nears.

Special 10 the Jersey Cty NeuS.
TRENTON, March 10, 1S94.-The Assembly
spent the greater part of last evenings ses-
sion in Committee of the Whole to consider
a proposed amendment to article Nv OF the
State Constitution embodying the right OF
direct legislation by the people. Mr.. Cross
mittee. Permission was given the Direct
Legislation League to address the meeting,
and William A. Cotter, President OF the
League, introduced J.. w. Arrowsmith OF
Orange. Vice President of the League, who
read the proposed amendment as follows:
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
Amend Article ~. by striking out Paragraph
1, Section !, and insert the following IN heu
/. The legislative power upon all measures for
the goyernance of the whole Statc,i in addition to
being exercised by the Senate and General AS
sembIy, shall be vested in the electors qualified
to vote for members OF the Senate and General
Assembly.
the governance OF any municipal division OF the
state (such as county, city, town. town ship,
borough, village, etc.), in addition to neing
exercised by the legislative body Thereon and
NV the senate and General Assembly, shall be
vested in the qualified electors of the municipal
division affected thereby.
Q The right TO reject any measure passed by
the Senate and General Assem- oily, affecting the
whole State, shall be vested iu the electors
qualified to vote for members or the Senate ana
General Assembly.
The right TO reject any measure affecting less
than the whole State, passed by the Senate and
General Assembly or by the legislative body OF
anv municipal division OF the state tsuch as
county. city. town, township, borough. village,
etc.0. shall be vested in the qualified electors OF
the municipal division affected thereby.
a The Senate and General Assembly at its
first session after the adoption of this amend
ment and from time to time thereafter, shall
pass laws necessary to carry the provisions
thereof into effect and may therein provide for
ami classify measures for the public peace,
health and safety, as urgent, which may take
effect immediately, and all other measures shan
not go into effect until the expiration of the
time fixed by law for fling petitions for a vote
of the electors thereon, and il such petition
shall be filed, then not until a vote is had there
on. Should the law or laws to carry the pro-
visions of this amendment into effect not be
passed, or if passed, be unsatisfactory, the
Qualified electors in number not less than five
Il ner cent, per cent. of the votes cast at the
last election for members Of the General As
sembly, may sign and fls with the Secretary OF
| State, within ninety GOD days after the ADJOURN
| ment of any legislature, a petition or petitions
10 enact a law or laws for such purpose and the
Secretary of State shall submit the law as passed
by the Senate and General Assembly Qf any)
| and such proposed law or laws to the vote of
The qualified electors at the next, regular State
| election for a choice thereof and the one in favor
| of which the largest number OF votes Snail be
cast, shall be the law.
d Any measure enacted by a vote Of the quail
fed electors shall not be repealed, altered or
changed without a vote Of the electors thereon.
K Nothing In the Constitution shall be taken
| ar construed to limit the foregoing powers of
| legislation vested in the qualified electors, nor to
require the presentation to, or approval by the
| Governor or any other officer. of any law enact
| ed Inv A vote of the electors and all provisions
Their Elm IN conflict herewith, are hereby resclnd-
| ed and annulled.
THE SCHEME FEASIBLE.
Mr.. Cotter then introduced J. W. Sulli-
van. who delivered a lengthy address on
ssThe scientific method of getting the voice
League for asking the Legislature to con-
slider the matter was the sovereignty of the
neonle. He then proceeded to consider
whether the scheme of direct taxation is
feasible. He argued for some time to show
that it was as practicable as that by which
the towns and townships OF the State voted
to fix fhe appropriations for the support of
schools and other matters. If the people of
the leading cities OF the State have the right
to pronounce upon certain measures, he
asked if the people of all the State make the
! Constitution, what is there too important for
them to make or unmake. In New England
townships tile local taxes, bridges, schools,
libraries and fire departments are subjects of
direct legislation, Mr.. Sullivan said, and
then dweIt at length upon the benefits of
such procedure. In fact, SO well has it
worked that many Massachusetts, towns re-
fuse to become incorporated and stick to the
old form even when they have over $4,000
Inhabitants. The aggregate debts of the
New England towns in which this system
prevails is less than the aggregate debt of
any similar area and population in other
States, while no other part of The State is
better off in local improvements.
AS PRACTICED IN SWITZERLAND.
AS the direct legislative system is practiced
in Switzerland. a citizen who wants a law
drafts it and draws up a petition for it which
others who favor it sign. When the requisite
number of voters have signed it the petition
goes to the Legislature, which cannot alter
its meaning. 1t must be sent to the polls al
the next election and the vote upon it is sim
Div YES or no. The Referendum vote is taken
In the same wav. Under this system Zurich
with $40, 600 inhabitants and $4,000 voters
passed four laws last year. Today its taxes
are direct and paid by the rich. Since 1875,
when the Referendum for the Swiss Confed.
Grafton as a whole, went into effect with 600,-
600 citizens the confederation has passed
twenty-eight bills, twelve of which were re-
iected upon the direct vote. Mr.. Sullivan
closed with a strong presentation of the
many benefits which this system would bring
: to New Jersey if it should be adopted,
( H. d. Opdyke Of Stanton, State Secretary