The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-03

hours and places to your board during thal
| long period.
These last remarks apply equally to the
case of Mr. Weart, whose term likewise ex-
pired in April last.
THE CORPORATION ATTORNEY.
| Let me relate the familiar circumstances
of his appointment to the Corporation At
torneyship. As you well know, when l was
| elected Mayor in 1899, it was deemed advis-
able that l should appoint for time, at
| least as my private secretary, lawyer
familiar with the city government and capa-
| BILE of sitting the vast amount of detail WORK
which daily came into this office; my train
| ing up to that time had not
| qualified me to deal with these mat
| ters unaided. The choice fell upon
Mr.. Weart. He finally accepted, and for
more than ten months devoted himself un-
remittingly to the the task before him. To
a large degree he was called upon to advise
me upon the multitudinous legal questions
daily arising. In this way he became prae-
! tically, if not nominally, one OF the law
| officers of the city. The present condition
of the routine business of the city is
period, the knowledge which then ac-
quired, and the systematic methods of work
| then insisted upon. When Mr.. Hudspeth
was elevated to the Judgeship in January,
| 1898, there was left of his term as Corpora
tion Attorney about two months. 1t was
|
session would take the power of appoint
ment from me, as they afterwards attempted.
OF course l at once offered the position YER
| bally to Mr.. Weart. He declined the offer.
! | then insisted upon his acceptance
| or public declination. To insure this sent
the formal appointment to his office in his
absence. After careful consideration for
nearly the whole of the ten days allowed by
law he finally consented to serve for the UNI
| expired term. Since then he has served
without term as in the case of Mr.. Edwards,
expecting and asking that his successor be
appointed. He has had cast upon him much
of the work previously performed by
the senior law officer OF the city,
whose time has thus been at his
disposal for other municipal matters. The
present condition of his Office shows his eff
cheney: upon the calendar of our County
Court there is but one case undecided against
the city: although the method now adopted
as to contracts have quadrupled the work of
the City Attorney in that regard, have
only been called upon to sign two contracts
since your action of December q last, and
even they were drawn by him In fact, the
only important unfinished law business of
the city is the closing of the title and con-
tract for the new City Hall, and even they
have been advanced very largely to compile
ton during the past week.
During their respective terms of Office the
the formal opinion of our law officers upon
any question.
These statements and the fact that your
board was supposed to be in harmony with
me, have created strange confusion in the
State at large as to the status of affairs in
this city Some believe that your board
and I have dismissed Mr. Weart and with
out reason. while others claim that your
board, although supposed to be working in
harmony with me and for the welfare of my
administration, has come to the parting OF
the ways on a mere question OF patronage.
Either impression is unfortunate, especially
in view of its effect upon the legislation
which the people of the city hope to see
speedily enacted.
UNFAIR TO MAYOR wANSER.
But, unfair as these appointments are to
the present incumbents, they are still more
unfair to me. Under our present system
the Mayor comes more in contact with the
city's lawyers than with any other official; ;
they are in measure his confidential adyls-
ers, and in many instances his medium of
communication with the other boards. In
fact, your board has comparatively little to
do with them, much less than the boards and
officers performing the ministerial duties
of the city from day to day. This
fact, after my experience OF ten months,
was SO impressed upon me at the time of the
organization of your board that it made me
very careful to protect myself in that re-
gard, which did by obtaining, as thought,
clear understanding between myself and
at least four members of your board that no
change should be made in these officers with
out consulting and agreeing with me. In
fact, so clear was this understanding so
far as the political majority of your
board is concerned that | have spoken to
the minority in different manner to what
| otherwise would have. In April last when
YOU organized, it was distinctly agreed that
all appointments made by me to you should
be promptly confirmed without regard to
politics, and as fully as if the confirmatory
legislation had never been enacted, and in
SO far as such partisan legislation abridged
my powers it was to be disregarded except
possibly as matter of form. l was not
consulted and hence am not bound to accept
your appointments
1 have written thus fully so that the public
may understand the situation existing be-
tween u.s. have carefully read the public
prints containing your interviews and those
of your appointeeS to ascertain what ex-
PLANTATION or justification existed for your
sudden action Even the press could not
obtain from you any plausible explanation of
your action, and was compelled to suggest
reasons for Individual and personal action to
explain the combined result. Upon such
make at this time. l can only consider your
official reasons and in the hope of obtaining
them send this veto.
THE MAYOR.
Under the law there can be but one Mayor
in Jersey City at one time; SO long as l am
attending to my duty / think I know his
name. The Board of Finance is responsible
to that Mayor.
l think it is necessary to say this because
the people of Jersey City elected me as their
Mayor with a full appreciation of the indi-
vidual responsibility cast upon that officer
by the Charter of 1889 Thus far have had
to bear the burden of the shortcomings of
every individual and department of the city
government The criticism, though
severe, has been wholesome. You
have seen fit to assume por-
ton of that responsibility and the criticisms
of your acts and methods, brought daily to
my notice, form no inconsiderable part in the
sending of this paper. If you persist in this
assumption of my responsibility in plain dis
regard of our understanding, you must not
feel annoyed if strained relations exist be-
tween us for the next few months at least.
In Justice to Messrs. Brinkerhoff and Err
win, can only add that I now, and shall
until the final determination of the contro-
versy, continue my relations with the pres
ent law officers of the city as heretofore
PETER F. WANsER, Mayor.
BUILDING THEIR OWN CHAPEL