The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-12-23

SENATORS CONFER.
They Encounter the Same
Republican Greed for
Office That Wor-
ries the House.
BIGGEST CROWD OF THE SEASON
A Score of Candidates for Every
Place However Small
Corridor Gossip
CROWD OF TIE SEASON
Special to tbs Jersey Cstu Neacs.

which thronged the State House corri-
doris yesterday was the largest which
has visited the Capitol since election day
and Notwithstanding the fact Hudson was
represented by only one man. and that
was A~ssemblyman Wildman, of Harrison.
For he first time this fall Senator Voor-
bees and a large number of the members
of the upper chamber were on and.
There were Senators Skirm, Stokes, Fran
els, Reid, Packer, johnson of Camden
and Johnson of Bergen, Engle, Miller and
Williams. 1t was rumored around that
the Senators were to hold a conference.
and great was the subdued excitement
which the announcement caused. The
Senators themselves added to the state
of agitation by gathering in small
groups IN out of the way corners and
talking together in mysterious whispers.
Then finally about noon they solemnly
went down to one of the committee
rooms and remained behind closed doors
for an III or more while the crowd
wondered what would BIZ the momentous
result.
1t was another case of the la
boring. When the conference was over
1t was discovered that the august Sena-
tors had done nothing but CHAT zach
other" as one of the Senator's expressed
1t. Thu Senators really did nothing ex-
cept to practically choose Senator yoor-
hees as leader. They concluded that it
would moi be courteous to those who
were absent to take any formal action
on any of the offices. and so after author
lzing Mr.. Voorhees, to call a caucus the
conference adjourned. AS the chairman of
the caucus is the one authorized to call
eaucuses. and as the chairman has al
ways been the leader of his party. on the
floor it is accepted that Mr.. Voorhees,
will lead the Senate.
Ihere appears to be little change in the
slate already oun with the excep-
ton of the Assistant Engrossing Clerk
and Sergeant-at-Arms. 1t is said that
at the conference yesterday Senator Mil
Ter, who has been backing Richard Starr
OF salem for Sergeant-at-Arms, calmly
suggested Starr for Sergeant-at-Arms
ana benjamin Patterson, the veteran edi-
tor OF the National Standard" of Salem
Tor Assistant Clerk in the place of Ed
ward Fielder of Monmouth. The nerve
OF the Salem man In claiming these two
Ial POSITIONS completely took the Sena-
tors breath away, and when h recov-
ereo little Asa Francis pluckily sprang to
the rescue of his man Fielder. He spoke
of Mr.. FEEDERS good service last wear
ana insisted that he be fenominated Mil
Ter was not abashed at all, and gave a
magnIhcent exhibition of South Jersey
places and the controversy between him
ana Mr.. Francis became SO warm that
senator Skirm came in with a COM
promllse candidate will Samuel Atchley
OF TGnT0n & Tho 17rchnF re ~ = ~
probably be that Salem will nave to be
satisfied with the office of Assistant Ser
gsant-at-Arms Tt may be that Mr..
Miller is a believer in the adage thar nhe
VINO aims at the stars will hin somefhing
higher than he who aims at the steeple.3
Inc senators also talked over the mat
Yer Of the constitutional amendments,
and 1t became evident that thew were ali
down on the constitutional amendment
providing for biennia sessions. and If Is
almost certain that the poor thing will
nave hardly a friend in the next Legs
1t was understood that Senator Her.
bert would insist that his man Andrew S..
Shurch should again be Assistant Jour
arose Editor Joseph Kingdom Of cum
perland, who was Private Secretary to
Senator Stokes, put in a claim for the
Secrstaryship to the next President.
man, who held the position
last year, was around seeking another
term. Mr.; Kingdom was a candidate
iast year when Mr.. Thompson was elected
President, but Mr.. Thompson insisted up-
on the right to name his own Secretary.
claiming that that was a preroeative Of
the President of the Senator for many
years, and it was accorded him. In view
Of the fight which Mr., Thompson made
for him last year people were wandering
at the nerve displayed by Mr.
Mr.. Williams of Passaic, who
Is conceded. viii be the President of
the next Senate, insists that he will ap-
point his Secretary himself, and has chos-
en- a Paterson newspaper man for the
Senator voorhees, when spoken toa a ho,,4
the length of the session said
y believe the session viii be a short
one, ne said, mot only ten weeks, and
volume of legislation small. Much
Of 1t will depend on the report of tha
commissioners of Equalization of Taxa
ton to codsfy the borough laws, and
purify me Passaic. Track elevation may
tional amendments of last. session win
be approved. 1t is certainly the hest we
get, and further delay means no
convention viii not be permitted by the
smaiier counties, which would lose con-
troll of the Senate by such a move: and
aItnough that is what we should have. I
can get now han nothing at all.
'The only logical excuse for delav
would be to provide for district repre-
Scistdtiol III the House, but that was de-
by the larger counties last wear
! suppose the usual flood of special meas
ures will appear, with Essex and Hudson
in the van. but I do not think thew will
much delay.
Bills looking for appropriations for
arn1eries and the like might as well he
kept at home, for while we have an os~
treasury surplus of 81. 000. 0O0. If
only enough for a working fund.-
In conclusion the Senator added HAT
from what he could learn the Senate In
Committee would be contin-
ued, and that 1t would probably find more
work than 1t had last year.
Governor Griggs did not agree with the
Senator from Union. He hoped Mr.. yoor-
bees was right in his prediction. but he
afraid the session would be a long
one.
There was no change in the House stu
alton. It Is generally understood that
the nat has gone forth all the old House
officers shall be elected. There are two
offices, however, over which there IS q
controversy: the Journal CIerkship and
the Assistant Clerksbip. The former is
vacant on account of the death of Alex-
ander Hunt, who died shortly after the
adjournment of the las. session. The
the Reading Clerkship,n was occupied
by Samuel 8. Lyons Of Morris. There
was a defect In his speech which made
him all but incapable OF properly dIIIne