The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-29
aN4r~.s
THE DEADLOCK'S KEY
Republicans Find a Law to
Settle the Senator
ia1 Middle.
1T TAKES THE MATTER INTO COURT.
A Prolongation OF the Trouble
Seriously Threatens the Court
Of %Chancery.
1T TAKES THE MATTER INTO COURT.
Special to the Jsrsea citu Nears.

1SENTON, jail. 90, 1CJf.@lHe lOul UA WCOh
of the present Legislature begins tonight
with a solution of the present Senatorial
muddle apparently as far off as ever. Nc
one bases any particularly high hopes that the
contemplated quo warranto proceedings will
bring about a speedy solution. As pointed
out in THE JERSEY CITY NEWS last week,
even if the court should decide that it has
jurisdiction, it will be a long time before the
matter could be settled.
The Republicans nave discovered a Law
which, they say, will enable the deadlock to
be taken into the courts and speedily dis
posed of; but, as the scheme involves a tenn
porary recognition at least of the
eleven Republicans as the Sem
ate, it is not likely that the Democrats
will sanction the plan. This sanction or con-
sent. however, will not be necessary if the
Governor will only recognize the Republican
Senate far enough to veto one OF their bills,
so that it can be gotten into the Office of Sec
Rotary OF State.
THE LAW OF 1878.
This law was passed in 1878, and the Gov
ernor, if he nave reason to believe hat any
law or joint resolution was not duly passed
by both Houses of the Legislature, or duly
approved, as required by the Constitution of
the State, can "direct the Attorney General
to present a petition to the Supreme Court
of the State setting forth the facts and cir
cumstances. and praying that the said law
or joint resolution may be decreed null n
voidn; and it is made the duty of the Attor-
ney General to prepare such a petition n
prosecute it. Jurisdiction is given to the
court to proceed in a summary way and in
quire into the facts, and either to dismiss the
petitioner declare void the law.
MODE OF PROCEDURE.
The hearing must be before the Chief JUS
tice and at least three of the Associate JUS
tees of the Supreme Court, and at least three
of the Justices must concur in a decision an
nulling the law. The same law gives two or
more citizens the same power to bring pro-
ceedings, in which case the Attorney Gen
eral must defend the law attacked.
Ii the Republicans can get the Governor
to veto the race track repeater OF some one
of their alleged reform measures, which they
propose to pass, on the ground that 1T was
not passed by the regularly constituted Sen
ate, they will Immediately pass it over his
veto. The Secretary of State will then file
it, and it will become a part of the law of
the land. Under the act Of 1873 the Gov
ernor can attack the law onthe ground that
it was not duly passed, and thus the entire
matter can be brought before the Supreme
Court.
RESPONSIBILITY FOL HI DEADLOCK.
1t is now said that the Duke of Gloucester
and the race track men were the o~riginators
of the plan which has brought about the
deadlock, and that Bob Adrain and Allan
McDermott worked out its details.
The race track people propose to resume
operations on March l, SO as to improve the
general condition of business. This will be
the end of the three months when racing is
prohibited by the anti-w1nter race track
law. The race tracks still live up to the
letter of the law, because they have in mind
to appeal the decision of the Supreme Court,
unconstitutional. This will keep the law
active until the Court Of Errors is heard
from. 1t is stated authoritatively that
Gloucester and Gutenberg are to resume in
another month.
ELPED BY OFFICE HOLDERS.
The prevention of the passage of the race
track r~epealers is not the only thing that is
at stake. There can be no partisan legisla-
ton if there is a lead lock. That would
save perhaps 1000 State and municipal
office holders. There is a wide feeling of |
all over the State among these
office holders about being turned out of a
job in these hard times. It is expected that
Ill these office holders will be willing to
do anything for the men that save them.
They are all to turn in and start Bob
Abrams boom for Governor on its way and
give 20 per cent. of their salary to the Demo- |
cause. Added to the Immense fund
that the race track people are willing to put
lp, there will be some sinews of war at the
command of the Democrats next fall that |
will stir up covetousness in many bosonls.
In this way the Democratic machine, which
Allan McDerInott and the race track people
litched last fan, is to be lifted up and started
N motion.
ABRAMS RESPECT FOR LAW.
1t is not that deep reverence for law and
that inspires these ten Demo-
,ratic Senators to stand in the way of the
,leven Republican Senators doing the duty
to them by the people.
It must be said to the credit of that dis
inguished statesman, Robert Adrain, the
PRESIDENT of the Democratic Senate, that he
tands out on the cold facts. When the Re-
Senate Committee accorded the
Democratic Committee the honor of a con-
he showed his cloven foot. When
senator Rogers asked him what he would do