The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-01-21

to give to each matter your Independent
deliberate judgment. and to share with
responsibility.
II is scarcely my proper function al
this time to call your, attention to par,
aeslfable. II | deem it necessary | WI!
hereafter, by special message, commpni:
eaae to you 81 such n, matters as may need
consider 1t most important, however,
tnat you should at once take into consid-
Volume Of of egisation sIat n TfsiG The mass s. @ oi
Statute law has now become so immense
that 1t may be said to be almost beyond
the power of the legal mind to acquire it,
or the judicial mind to Interpret it. It
was intended by the amendments to the
Constitution adopted in 1875. to decrease
the quantity of statute law by the aholi-
ton of special legislation upon several
subjects, notably. the government of coun-
ties and municipal corporations. Such de-
gradually. aided by experience and q
sharpened ingenuity. the draughtsmen OF
statutes came to know how to draw up
generality required by the. Constitution,
had all the substance of special application
he desred 81 9GaIIfYl without
was the undoubted object of the consutu-
tional amendments referred to. to provide
uniform \. system Of laws for al tiilie
tical subdivisions of the State; system
not merely applicable to all, but to be
81
cities all counties. all townships, of -
same class, should be governed by the
same uniform systems. unfortunately our
requirement is satisfied in a statute when
by its terms it Is applicable to all the
members of class. although as a matter
only one of the class. In other words,
the courts hold that it is only necessary
that all members of a class may take the
benefit of statute. but that the law need
not be compulsory on ALL
So it has become easy. by means of diff
ferent forms of local option. such as popu-
lar elections for Or against the adopt10n
of any act to pass laws in form of the
most perfect universality. which in effect
are special charters for a single city, On On
Iof the constitutional intent the so-called
general laws relative to cities have become
multitudinous. They fill over. $50 pages
in the new volume of General Statutes,
and the laws under the title of Municipal
Corporations will fill as many more. This
nop hape 4 een 0 IN SeW q e
fact that when the constitutional amend
ments requiring general legislation were
passed all the cities of the State were al,
ready existence under different special
charters sa&*
But more string instance Of manifold
boroughs These forms of local govern
ment did not exist until recently. They
were all created under so-called general
stitution required that they should be
governed by a uniform system. Yet we
find three different general acts now IN
force regulating the creation and govern
ment of boroughs At each session OF
the Legislature numerous amendments to
each Of the three systems are passed. s,s IN
til this one title in the General Statutes
consistent and confused are these acts
that no legal adviser or judicial + interpreter m
subjects relating to boroughs. Eesldes
boroughs, we have separate systems re-
towns. for villages, for. seaside resorts
and for townships, each possessing IN
dieriminately similar powers, ana dlffer-
ing only in name and arrangement;
For some years past the annual volume
of the laws has been growing in thick
ness. AS an example, let me refer te
the most that hat ct 9f 1Ss5
relating to cities, forty-three relating tc
boroughs. thrty-three relating. to town,
ships, thirteen relating to villages. Il
Take some other subjects. There. ars
nine separate amendments to the schoo
of sidewalks, eight relating to the State
House, five relating. to swamps anc
marshes. Similar variety and multiplicity
statutes for the last six or seven years.
When we. consider that the power OF
legislation is is the greatest that can ~ b
every law changes the rights and modi-
| fes the duties of a greater or less num-
ber Of citizens. it Is 81 proper to inauir5t i
considered before they are adopted. The
same tendency to multitudinous and
slipshod legislation prevails in Other
the attention of many thoughtful per-
sons. zssssssi 8fsssssS
| Besides the uncertainty and confusior
| manye separate statutes, the easy change
| Of existing law tends to create popular
disrespect for the sanctity of the law
| What can be so readily made and SC
easily altered, can fairly be considered
as of small Importance.
| The general statutes of the State now
| in press will comprise three large vol
| umes of over 1000 pages each and ir
| bulk will be about twice as large as the
general statutes of the United States
must find method of remedying this
excess. 1t is not yet too late to pass
for the government of municipalities
which should be compulsory upon all
| SO that the uniformity of local govern
ment contemplated by the Constitution
This increase of laws, affecting almost
every interest in life cannot continue
without involving many important sub
iects in serious confusion and difficulty
Many of the acts relating to one or an.
other kind of municipal bodies affect the
levying and collection of taxes and tht
i
only the public but many private per.
| sons are financially interested. / shall
offer some suggestions which, if adopted
| will, in my opinion, mitigate, even ii
they do not entirely remove. the diff.
No law should be passed unless there
is some public necessity demanding it
| The fact that a proposed law is, as is
often said, unobjectionable in itself, is
no reason for it's enactment There
ing, not negative ones Satflad r11es
should not be easily disturbed. It i
not enough to say of bill that it does
no harm; it should be one conferrins
positive benefits and demanded by
pubic necessity or convenience, te
Legislature and the G---r~,or. Every Bill
should be. carefully considered In com.
mfttee before submission to the proper
House for passage. Its verbiage should
be tested to see If tt is accurate anG
expresses only what it is Intended te
existing law on the same subject. te
ascertain if 1t harmonizes or IS incon.
| sistent Herewith 1t would save much
trouble and confusion if, where there are
several amendments proposed to the same
law, they should be Consolidated into one
| act.
| And let it be remembered that in the
discharge of the duty of legislator there
| can be no consideration for such things
as courtesy to fellow member or t
tne lntrouucer OF bill, when the rights
| OF the people of the State are to be af.
| fected.
/ In accordance with these views. I shall
| consider it my duty to withhold executive
| approval from all bills that have nc
positive advantages to the public, or are
| believe it is better to bear some incon.
| Ven1ence than to be constantly altering