The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-08
THE STAIN ON BYRNE
Tried to Have His Amend
ment to the Insurance
Bill RecOnsidered.
A SURPRISING VOTE
Insurance Companies Fighting Hard
to Defeat Mr.. Eisele's
Lapses Bill.
Specfnl to the Jerseu Cttu Neaus.

Special to the Jersey CtJ NOUS.
TRENTON, May s, 1S94.-Once again has
House Bill 81, the now famous insurance
measure, doomed up as a subject for lively
debate. 1t shot to the front suddenly,
shortly after the beginning of last nights
session of the Assembly, but some of the in
cidents hat cropped out during the discus
| sion, while surprises to many perhaps, had
been looked for by others for the reason that
| they had been quietly given out as coming
| events.
There was a goodly number of insurance
people down here, the Prudential and the
| United States being about equally divided.
Assemblyman Edwards, who presides over
the deliberations of the Committee on Banks
and Insurance, submitted a m unicatlon
from the United States Industrial Insurance
Company of Newark. IT was in the nature
of an appeal to the House not to pass the Dill
with Assemblyman Byrneas amendment re-
curing the companies to issue a PAID up
policy after four years. 1t set forth that
such a law would work hardship to the
United States and would certainly force 1T to
suspend business.
A few minutes after the clerk had finished
the reading of the communication, Assem-
blvman Byrne arose and proceeded to make
II DOtC O1 XIV t%AlOo oOobAO
Thursday of last week, he began, he had at
tempted to give. a solution of the insurance
problem, but his statements were not taken
in the spirit in which they were given. His
reasons for offering the four-year-pald-up-
policy amendment. he went on, were that 1T
seemed to him that the Eisele bill, with its
three-year clause. could never pass. a
similar measure had failed last year, and the
wear prior to that had seen another bill, like
in kind, go to the wall. As the companies
would fight the three-year proposition, but
would grant a fve-year-paid-up policy, he
(Mr. Byrne) concluded chat it would be a
happy solution to split the difference and
cali for a paid up policy after four years.
BYRNE's STAIN. e
al rave been told that | turned somer-
saults,'' continued Mr.. BYrne. 81 have been
savagelyu attacked on the floor of this House
and at home by the press. | have been cali
ed a lobster of last year, but | will take that
up later on. My constituents have talked
to me, and have said that from all that APP
peared it might be inferred that corpora
lions owned me, but my constituents have a
better opinion of me. In view OF what |
have said and what has occurred, l ask to
withdraw my amendment, and l ask every
member who voted my way last Thursday
to vote with me now and remove this cor
p~oration stain from my reputation"
81 hope that the members will not con-
| sent to any such thing spoke up Mr.. Car
roll of Hudson. ssIf it is a certainty that the
three year plan can't go through, let us
shove the four year proposition along and
help the poor policy holders
ssMr. Byrne acted in good faith when he
| offered that amendment, " said Mr.. Eisele,
fand he should not be permitted to with
| draw it now. He offered it in the interests
| of his constituents and for their welfare. |
was approached by a representative of one
of Newark's leading newspapers last
nh NJ. D-,-r1, a.,aa
ment had been agreed to, and
| that representative told me that if | dare to
| call the bill up Thursday night he would kill
it. He wanted time to consult his people. l
| ask that the amendment be allowed to re-
main in and that the bill come up. and we'll
see if they will kill it.0
The roll call was then begun. 1t was de-
cided by a vote of 81 to Il to keep the
| amendment in the bill. Many members who
fought Mr. Eisele right along voted against
Mr.. Byrne.
This is the vote:-
Yeas-Austin. Baker, Burger, Byrne,
Clarke, Glaspell, Holt tSpeaker), Schuchardt,
Thompson, lfher, Wilson, Woolssylls;
Codding, Gourscn, Coyle, Cross, Denise,
Duncan, Egan, Eisele. Fl lenkotter, Exton,
Flynn, Ginder, Harding, Harkins, Kelly,
Kerr, Lewis, Matlack, McEwan. McKelvey,
Murphey. Olvaney, Reading, Salinger,
Slower, Somers, STAFFORD, Stranger, SIecner,
Storrs, Walters, Watson, Wilbur, zabris-
kie-3T.
WHAT TEL COMPANIES DESIRE.
The impression down here is that the in
surance companies feel that they can defeat
any bill containing a three-year-paid-up
policy clause, but that they canno stop the
passage of the measure amended to provide
for a policy after four years. Should this
conclusion be right the companies will get
the bill back to its original form if possible,
so that it can be conveniently killed. There
was lots Of quiet whispering and no end of
buttonholing INDUCED in in the private
rooms back Of the Speakers desk last night.
Mr.. Byrne is determined to nave the stain
on his reputation wiped out apparently. He
had personal chat with member who voted
against him and will probably make another
attempt to withdraw his amendment shortly.
Mr.. Kerr. who voted with the insurance
people last week, is with thu people now.
Assemblyman Thompson is a red hot in
surance man, apparently.