Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-04-01
TWELVE WEEKS WORK
That's What New Jersey Law
makers Had to Do.
SESSION ENDsIN ORATORICALFIRE

was Preuioteu-lA AsiVely 0oDHte un tus
Constitutional Amendment Marks the
Close of the senate-New York Statesmen
Cheokmated In Corporation Legislation
Especial Correspondence
Trenton, March S1.-The legislature is
scheduled to adjourn sine die at 2o'clock
this afternoon and at this writing, q
few hours before the event. there Is nc
prospect of hitch in the arrangements
This makes a - weeks session. thus
confounding the prophets who predict
ed In January that 1t would be the
briefest legislative sitting on record
Last year the legislature sat II weeks
The shortest session was one OF weeks
q number of years ago. and the longest
extended over 20 weeks in 1894. The
number of new laws enacted last Win
ter was 219. The number thus far this
year is 81, but large number of bills
in the governors hands will also be ap-
proved. There were $50 bills in all in
troduced this winter, 26s in the senate
and 1884 in the house.
The proposed amendments to the
constitution occupied considerable at
tention yesterday. The proposition fol
biennial sessions of the legislature was
the subject of an interesting discussion
in the senate. ending finally in its de-
feat. A feature of the occasion was
that Senator Voorhees,, who introduced
the amendment year ago and cham
pioned it, was on the opposite side this
time. His explanation was that since
last year he had received new light.
The discussion started off with o
speech by Senator W. M. Johnson OF
Bergen fayoring the amendment. He re-
minded the senate that passage by the
legislature was not final action, as the
voters of the state would have to adopt
or reject the proposition before it be-
came binding. He referred to the pop
ularity of biennial sessions in the many
states which had adopted the system
omy to be effected the new policy
would tend to curtail the extravaganza
volume of our statutes, which were the
despair of layman and lawyer. He be-
lieved there was a general demand for
biennial sessions; but, if not, the public
could vote down the amendment.
Senator Voorhees, made a redhot
speech in reply. While paying a trib-
ute to the honesty and disinterestedness
of Senator johnson in advocating the
measure he at the same time declared
that the only demand for biennial ses-
sions had come from corporate inter-
ests, from the bosses and certain po-
litical leaders. 1t had not come from
the rank and file.
AS to the volume of legislation, he
predicted that if we met only every
second year, we should pass twice as
many laws. The fault for excessive
lawmaking was not in annual meetings
but lay with the members who did not
exercise greater scrutiny. AS to the
states which have biennial sessions, are
their legislatures any purer, are their
acts any wiser. is there smaller vol
ume of laws enacted by them? Is it not
a fact that many of their acts are die
tated at the beck and nod of bosses
Is it not fact, too, that in several such
states there is a strong popular desire
to go back to annual sessions?
Senator DAILY spoke in the same vein.
He said the labor organizations of the
state were against the amendment
Senator Parry said the Burlington
county farmers wanted it to ward off
vicious legislation. Senator Kuhl of
Hunterdon reminded the senate that
the governor received $4,000 year be-
ror he hod hut
amendment would give him practically
a years vacation every second year.
How would the farmers like that? The
members of the legislature were also to
have their salaries continued, but would
earn them only biennially Senator
Ketcham of Essex said not a soul
among his big constituency had asked
him to vote for the amendment. The
amendment, after further remarks, was
lost by this vote:
Yeas-Francis, Gould, Herbert, H. w.
Johnson, w. M. Johnson, Miller, Parry,
Ross, Stranger.
Nays-Barber. Daily, Ketcham, Kuhl,
Reed, Skirm. Stokes, Voorhees,, vree-
land, Williams-10.
Absent-Engle, Hoffman.
The assembly spent most of last even
ing debating the constitutional amend
ments which passed the senate some
weeks ago. The judiciary revision was
first considered, the same line of argu-
ments being heard as were presented in
the senate. The Voorhees, plan of reor-
ganizing the courts was finally voted
down. This ends the reconstruction of
our state courts for the present. The
az
ton, the other three amendments pend
ing, as follows: Prohibiting race track
gambling and lotteries, providing for
woman suffrage at school elections and
prohibiting the governor from reap
pointing to office during legislative re-
cess persons already rejected by the SEN
ate. These three amendments, having
passed last winter also, will go to the
voters of the state at the next state
election.
The appropriation bill when first in
troduced footed up 81, $50, 434.32 this be-
ing the budget for 1898, and it compared
very favorably with the budget of the
pending year, which was 1922. 900 high
er. Several items had to be added, how
ever, including $4,000 for the naval re-
serves. At first the committee had been
disposed to ignore the reserves, and a
bill was introduced abolishing the or
ganization as being an expensive, use
less burden on the state. The reserve
showed its strength, however, and
swooped down upon the assembly with
such an effect that the hostile bill was
ANONYMOUSLY defeated. The heaviest
items in the appropriation bill are as
follows: State prison, $197 800; judfci-
airy, S185,475; state hospitals $1S7, 1886;
national guard, $122,O50; county luna
tic asylums. s156,500; public roads, $102,-
5o0 The supplemental bill for 1897 foot
ed up $95, 3027f.
The senate devoted an hour Monday
night to discussion of the bill pro-
viding for separate boards of manage
ment for the two state hospitals for the
insane, and wound it up by passing the
bill IL to 6.
A great food of bills passed either
house this week, but most of them af-
fected special cases. One of general in
terest was the GledhilI bicycle baggage
bill. 1t had been held up in the senate
committee on railroads and canals on
the assumption that it was unconstitu-
tional, but the pressure from the wheel
men was so strong that the Republic
ans decided that it must go through.
1t is now in the governors hands. The
act does not require railroads to carry
bicycles on the same train as the riders,
If they are overcrowded, and has other
restrictive features.
Another important bill passed by the
senate is that extending to boroughs
and towns the provisions of the Martin
act so as to facilitate the collection of
back due taxes. 1t will be taken adj
vantage of in various localities. 1t pro-
vides for summary proceedings ending
in the sale of the indebted property.
The marriage license act has also met