The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-23
CITIZENS PROTEST
Harrison Kearny Annexa-
tion Scheme Denounced
in Strong Language.
HUDSON COUNTY SEEKS JUSTICE.
Senators Urged to Refuse to Be a
Party TO This Official
Trickery.
HUDSON COUNTY SEEKS JUSTICE,

AAAOnS W. ~ N2c SNO
were:-Mayor Wanser, Mayor Pagan of
Hoboken, Dr.. L. ]. Gordon, Judge McGrath,
Mesrrs. G.. L. Record, James Fiemming,
W. j. TAFT, Major q. L. Pangborn, J. A.
Dear. A, j. Corcoran, Commissioner Lahey,
c. c.. Jewell. Il. H. Carr, P. J..
Campbell, [. B. Ward, Alderman
R. Simpson, J.. Hewitt, DR.. Watson,
j. Ringie, Alderman a. t. Witter, Alder
man Dusenbery, w. A. Corcoran, County
Collector Dugan, Spencer Weart, John J.
Nevin, James p. Hall, IT. Davidson, e.
| Hoos, Justice OiDonneH E Manners, As
semblynan Harding. i. Packers, James An
| derson. Senator ~. D. DAILY, j .Pe Feeney, As
| semblyman Salinger, Jacob Weart, Assembly
man McEwan. s. E. Harvey, Assemolyman
II. Kelly, William A.. Lewis, j. Muivaney,
! O.. Anderson. Robert A. Simpson, A. Lob
son, Colonel G. w. Fuller, j. L. Cone, DR..
| Quimby and ex-Justice Birdsal.
Mayor Wanser took the chair by unani-
\ nous consent.
RESOLUTIONS INTRODUCED.
Mr.. James Flelnming opened the proceed
ings by presenting the following resolu-
| tiens;-
whereas, A bin to dismember Hudson County and
sdd two townships TO the County Of Essex has been
vetoed by the Governor, and is now before ths Sen
Resolved. That weearnestIy ask the Senators to
| allow said bill to fail by not passing 1t over the veto
| The said secession scheme is obnoxious TO a large
nnmber OF inhabitants OF Harrison and kearny. ana
is opposed almost unanimously by residents in the
| other parts of Hudson County.
A large tract and population are taken from the
smallest county in the state and annexed to the
most p%opulous, ifnot the largest with expensive
| and valuable improvements heretofore paid for by
Hudson county witheur thanks or compensation to
the eouHty despoiled.
ships, and the plan for Acknowledgement has been
gotten up, fostered and encouraged for the benefit
It is of vital importance thai the jurisdiction aud
! control over the land lying between the Hackensack
and PaSsaic Rivers. between Jersey City and New
| ark, should remain In Hudson county to prevent OBJ
noxious huisances destructive OF the comfort and
dangerous 10 the health of the residents of Jersey
No ADEQUATE reason has been or can be given for
breaking up the County Of Hudson. and if this
action De right and lawful. at other times other
/ the peopie pay for their own ruin.
Again, we earnestly ask our Senators not to per
NIT this useless and odious measure to become a
Mr.. FlemmiGg explained what had been
done hY the special committee appointed at
the isst EeetlIg.
senator ". d. Daily being called upon
said that be had taken a great interest ia the
! opposition 80 the annexation scheme. He
SAT- thai at 5irsr there was a great feeling of
| indifference about the plan because it had
been presented so many times. The sup
| porters of tae movement to take away these
townships stole q march. They represented
that the ma iorlty OF the people wished the
annexation. in the Senate reason was APP
! parentiy oxerthrcwn and Notwithstanding
! the ouposItiCu ot the representatives from
| Hudson county the bill passed. When the
! bill reached the Governors hands a feeling
was haroused and citizens represented
! to the Senats and the House that
no good reason : existed for this
annexation. This county has cared
| for these townships more than any other
| portion of the territory by financial aid.
/ And for the painstaking effort on the part of
the people of the county to benefit these
1 townships they desire to leave the county
/ which advanced them.
Il feel" said the Senator, amid cheers,
shat the people viii gain their end to pre-
| vent this annexation chelme.n
Continuing the speaker said that the ma
4 iority of the Senators have realized that a
great calamity would overtake this State
Il such a gigantic steal was permitted.
He counselled the citizens interested in the
opposition to continue their activity during
the remaining days OF the Legislature. As
for himself, he would contin ne doing his
duty in maintaining the present condition of
the county. [Cheers.]
INFORMATION.
Mr.. Jacob Weart, who had made some in
vestigations in the matter at tie request of
the special Trenton committee, gave a his
tory of the townships and the start of the
4 4ltOtC ~ LCbttCa AACAA ~ atA1O
County. Going back to 1880 he cited the
passing of a bill in the Legislature to con-
struct bridges over the Hackensack and
| Passaic Rivers. Even with such a grant
money could not be raised to build the
BRIDGES. The scheme was put forward BY
lotteries raised IN New York and Philadel-
phia. The result was that in 1896 the bridges
were built and exercised a monopoly until
1871. when the bridges were made free by an
act authorizing the Freeholders to purchase
the bridges, and in order that the bridge
people should not lose by the deal they were
bought out by counties of Hudson and Essex
for people of Harrison. The two counties
paid 81, 600 for franchises. Then in 1872 the
bridge at Belleville was purchased for
$4,000. Hudson County paid one quarter Of
the sum. At the anne session an act was
passed authorizing the purchase of the New
ark Plank road, which was chartered IN lS47,
In 1872 the Essex people desired TO purchase
the road and all the bridges, and by unani
NOUS consent the speaker was brought IN to
defeat the purchase of the road, valuedAby
the COMPANY at S40D.0UO-
Mr.. Weart said that he put a man to
count the trains and found that over .a4U0
trains passed overafroni Newark to Jersey
City, and from 20 trains daily from Jersey
City to Newark. r.
In 1874 the bridge over the Passaic was SO
out Of repair that Hudson built an iron and
stone bridge at Bridge street. Essex wouldn't
build any bridge and Hudson did the work.
1t 1881 the two counties joined, and a
centre pier was put i'll, and that cost $4,000
Then another bridge was put in at Clay
street which cost 1900.
Some time after, Kearny wanted Hudson
County to keep and repair the Belleville
Turnpike, but the county wouldn't maintain
the turnpike abandoned by the Turnpike
Company.
In 1883 an act was passed by which the
Newark Turnpike and bridge over the
Hackensack were purchased by Hudson for
81.
The road was put in shape and since thai
time SIS, 900 has been spent in stone alone fol
the road.
Last year a new bridge, costing $50, 600
has been built by Hudson across the Eacken
sack. 4he san
Summing up, Mr.. Wearb saidthab the ex-
uenditure and cost of the two bridges built
by Hudson county since 1871 has. already
amounted to over S200,Doq The turnpike
and repairs alone mean an annual cost Of
SI2. 126 simply for the benefit OF Harrison
and Kearny. Then turning TO the share
borne by the townships towards the county
tax. Mr.. Weart showed that Hudson county
maid back to them all the taxes they had
naid in 1885. In years since they had borne
4 very small fraction for county expenses.
ssIn nine years their contribution to oul
taxes have gone up from $4,000 to abou1
S3I 900 and the only inference any sensible
man can arrive at is that they having found
they can't live rent free in Hundson they
Finally MIR. Weart said that for sanitary
reasons the territory to be removed ought *