The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-05-03
KELSEY PROTESTS.
Secretary of State Resents
the Voorhees, Committees
Way Of Investigation.
CONSTRUED LAWS IN HIS OWN FAVOR
Mr.. Corbin Tried to Show That
More Money Was Drawn for
Clerk Hire Than Was Paid.
CONSTRUED LAWS IN HIS OWN FAVOR
Special to the Jersey city Nsrs.

Special to the Jersey City Nsws.
TRENTON. May 8. 1896 .-Comparet
with the mornings session Of yester
days proceeding of the Voorhees, In
ve~stigating Committee. the work of ths
afternoon was rather dull. and was onl,
frightened up by a show Of resentment
upon Mr.. Kelsey's part at the close Of
the sitting. While loking over the
Secretary of States check books in the
morning, Mr.. VOORHEES, thought he made
q discovery. The law. which was stated
in last evenings addition of THE Jer-
sey City News provides that Mr.. KeI-
sey shall receive $4,000 a year for the
| payment Of clerks in his office. The
Legislature directed the Secretary OF
State to have prepared each year a
compilation of the corporations created
under the law of the State. For this
work he was authorized to draw from
the State zone for extra clerks to be
employed upon that work. Mr.. Corbin
thought he discovered that Mr.. Kelsey
had been drawing from the State for
Clerk hire more money h a he paid out
and the greater part of the afternoon
session was taken up by Mr.. Kelsey in
going through his books to show how
NtAA~AA ~ paw CdCA Ia n1S \
fee during the years 1884.
While this was going on Mr.. Corbin
stepped to one side to open the volumin-
Gus mail which was handed to him by
Captain Graham. Among the letters
was q small package which had such a
suspicious look that Mr.. Corbin handed
it over to Captain Jack" to open.
There was such suggestion of dynamite
~ nthnr noa = L-..L "A
that drew back while Graham
tore off the wrapper. Soon an innocent
looking cigarette box was disclosed
wrapped in a letter in the handwriting
of a woman. which informed Mr.. corbin
that at last Jack" the writer. had been
able to discover ~undubitable evidence
of the destroyers of Major Hurley's
books. The box disclosed two newly
born mice. i
A FINE DISTINCTION.
AT the opening of the afternoon ses-
sion. Mr.. Corbin began to question Mr..
Kelsey concerning the fees which he had
taken for his WI use a. Clerk of the
Prerogattve Court.
Mr.. Kelsey said that after 1891 Gen.
H-eppenheimer objected to paying the
P~rerogative Court fees. and held that,
under the law passed hat year, the
Secretary of State was not entitled to
them.
Have you ever retained fees as Clerk
of the P~rerogative Court?" asked Mr..
corbin,
mot that l know of. / never made
distinctions between the positions Of
Clerk and Register"
From what date did you begin to re-
tain these fees?"
From the last quarter of 1881"
They were entered under the head Of
Hs sEssss
Mr.. .CorbIn showed by figures taken
from, Mr.. Kelsey's books that. notwith-
standing the fact that the Law, says he
vices and no other compensation, he de-
rived on an average $4,000 per annum from
the ~Prerogative Court fees which. it is
claimed, should be paid into the State
Treasury for the use of the State.
THOUGHT THEY BELONGED TO HIM
In the law enacted in 1891 1t was pro-
r S9asa sna aho rass % ppes To ahs g seer "a Su 81
State. Mr.. Kelsey claimed that this
meant. the money should. go, to him for
his d RFdiv aot g esinI nj this co was t aseia intsn tho ct
the law. Mr.. Kelsey declared he had
retained them. however. on the .assump-
ton that they BELONGED to him: The
1894. So, 453. %: 1896, 81. a2S 20.
In pursuing his investigation Mr.. Cor
bin brought, out the fact that Secretary
Kelsey had been paying exorbitant prices
sfor printing in connection with the cor
poration business. but did not pursue
the inquiry in that direction, as 1t is to
be taken up later. The expense was in
1889 requiring the Secretary OF State to
compile and publish lists of the corpora
stions.
The amount paid to Mar, Day & Naar
for printing the compilation in 1887 and
supplementary lists in 1890 and 1891. a
revised list in 1892 and supplementary
lists in 1888 and 1894 was shown. For
for in 1881 and supposed to be. the 1889
"a two-page insert: For 1000 copies Of
the 6s-page oB gamps1hlsssat Of 1850, s52S SO was vas
printing. In 1888. $l,os4.5 was charged
FOR q 6S-page pamphlet, and in 1894,
1857. Sc was paid for 1850 copies of a So
page pamphlet. and s12s.5O for small
Under the same law Mr.. Kelsey had
deducted from the amount of the fees
received in corporation matters the
following sums for clerical work In con-
ii 1883. s2.07s; in 1890, g s5s; 50; in 1891.
s2,562; in 1892, $2,575; IN 1898. ss.l45. and in
With only one OF. two exceptions the
n nama5 signed she re 70 tae az f0a tSese ea aeeo@-
lures to the State Treasurer were clerks
WALKED INTO THE TRAP.
spend s. 1850 to print the pamphlet con-