The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-01-10
RW&f%AEst
The CAPITOL READY.
Senate and Assembly Cham
beTs Have Been Burnish-
ed Up for the Circus.
PREPARATIONS FOR YHE INAUGURAL
Elaborate Decorations and Simple
Democratic Ceremonies at the
State House.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE INAUGURAL
Specie, to the jersey City Ners.

gNE4Erk
Specie, to the Jersey City Nears.
TRENTON. Jan. 10. 1895.-This has been
a busy week at the State House, owing
to the opening of the Legislature next
tuesday. While the members are making
their preparations. gathering every Tues
day. to push forward the candidacy of
their favorites for presiding and other
officers, another set of men are also made
busy. They are the men under charge
OF Custodian John Bonnell.
There is more getting ready for the
state House Custodian and his assistants
to DO than, perhaps. is generally supposed.
Inc Senate and Assembly Chambers both
stand idle all the summer. and although
care is taken of them. they are naturally
not so clean as to be desired. The time of
the approach of a session is consequent
~ always taken for housekeeping. The
rooms are both large. the ceiling high
and the hard wood and brass work ex-
tensive. SO that 1t takes some time to go
over them.
The Senate Chamber has been given a
general cleaning. and the Assembly Cham
Der has been furnished with a new set of
shades. and the members desks and other
wood work polished. The radiators all
through both chambers and the corridors
nave peeH TGSllUeQ.
There is another matter in connection
with the opening of the session which
takes time and is bound to cause some
friction. This is the seating of the mem
bers. 1t is only human nature for each
budding statesman to want the best seat.
AS this BEST seat won't go all round,
many are bound to be disappointed. The
CUSTODIAN tries his best to do the right
thing for all, and gives the old members
the preference of seats. assigning the
counties as they nave been in the past.
Then comes the distribution of stationery
and the placing the names of members
and correspondents on their desks.
The Governors private room, it is now
expected, will be finished with the week.
The hard wood floor is down and var
nished. The varnish will be dry today,
and the new shades, which have arrived,
will be placed and the radiators gilded.
The rooms will then be ready for rugs and
furniture. The effect produced by the
renovation of the room is wonderful, al
though the amount Of money expended is
moderate. There will be few handsomer
rooms Of the kline anywhere.
TIL decorations Of the main audience
room and the ante-rooms arebeginning
to look shabby. but they will have to wait
until another time to be renewed, as
4 SuStOQldt OilllC - 0OLoCA Fol oiiSi
economical in his management, and does
not ask the State House Commission Tor
any e~xtrayagant amount in one year. o,,
replaced on the walls of the %rotunda; 1t
was AIKEN down and the frame regilded.
Mr.. Bonnell is hard at work complet-
ing the details for the Inauguration of
Governor-elect Griggs, which takes place
here a week from Tuesday. The State
Bonnet the task of making the prelimi-
nary arrangements, and he Is doing the
work in that excellent manner which
characteristics all he does. He has COM
pleted a PLAN for the elaborate decora-
ton of the State House for the occasion.
Bunting in the national colors will mark
tall, growing palms will be placed in the
corridors, making a lane of yerdure from
the entrance to the Executive depart
while the electric light fixtures will be
entwined with smilax.
There will be an elaborate floral dis
The big manrel will be banked with
roses, and the large mirror Mirror vii have asen, a
and ex Of sm, VIII a stand ief IN the Mh doo pNiays
The Governor, surrounded by his staff,
in all the glory of gold lace and sigui-
room. and shake the hands of his con-
stituents as they rapidly file by him
after the inaugural exercises. These will
Where ns'e every Governor has been inaug-
urated for almost thirty years. These
ceremonies are democratic IN their sim
The Senators, Assemblgmen, and State
go in carriages to the Opera House.
hitting them to the stage. Only 300 of
these tickets will be issued. The gen
eral public will be admitted to the body
lieved there will be over 10000 visitors in
| the city to see the Inauguration, and
more than half will be unable to enter
'n Th beuo chieS Justice will administer E
oath of office to Governor Griggs. This
will be the ninth time that Chief Justice
ggsasley has administered the oath 9ta o Fl
law of 1886 a member of the senate ad-
fpa prsssnc the II oa the & Senate tns d4 Whan th in
committee was arranging for the in
auguration Of Governor Randolph in 1859
proceeding, and . bill was rushed through
during. the opening week of the session
by which 1t was provided that the Chief
of the Senate should administer the oath
In the presence of the Senate and Gem
eral Assembly, at any place they, might
monies in the Senate Chamber. Ever
since then the Governors have taken the
oath of office outside Of the State House.
After the oath is administered Cover
nor Werts will present the new Governor
to the Senate and Assembly, and Gov
ernor Grigga will deliver his inaugural
After a few minutes given to receiving
congratulations, the Governor and others
will go in carriages to the State House
feet wide will be erected on the side
walk in front OF the State House. from
which the Governor. State officers and
legislators will review the procession.
This win seat about ESQ persons. and a
squad of special policemen. about forty
in number, will guard it and preserve or
der. These special officers will probably
be appointed by Custodian Bonnell The
reviewing stand will be neatly decorated
with flags.
No definite arrangements win be made
about the details of the inauguration
ceremonies until the Joint committee is
appointed by the Legislature. The Pre-
sident and Speaker will appoint these
committees nex Tuesday, and they will
meet in the afternoon to make arrange
ments. Colonel Skirm will be chairman
of the Joint committee, in accordance
with CUSTOM. which gives the position to
the Senator from Mercer.