The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-02-03
GRIGGS IN TROUBLE.
Putting Off Appointments
is Making New Enemies
for Him Every Day.
TWO LAWS IN FOUR WEEKS
Legislatures Brilliant Record to
Date-More Protest Against
Ramble Armstrong.
WO LAWS in FOUR WEEKS
Specie, to the JERSEY CITY Ncsra.

to occupy his time. About the hrst ne ulu
was to sign two bills, and they became
the first laws of the session. They were
enate No. 2, introduced by Senator Ohm
son. requiring that where notice of in
tention is required, under the conStitu-
ton, of proposed new laws such notice
shall be published at least one week be-
fore the Introduction of the bill (and az
ter January y in at least one paper in
every county likely to be affected Also
Senate 10, introduced by Senator Vree-
land, extending for a period of years the
corporate existence of corporations
formed under special charters which
pre- his year. The companies coming
under the operation of this law forfeit any
special privileges they enjoyed under their
special charter and to continue under the
general corporation law.
This makes the record of the session
two laws in four weeks, or one law in
two weeks. If the Legislature keeps up
this brilliant record the dream of the
Governor that the smallest number of
laws possible be made will be realized.
The Governor was asked about APP
~pointments. and it was seen at once that
the subject is very distasteful to him.
He declared that he would not make any
appointments until about the time the
offices are vacant, and then he would
send them in a bunch. He was reminded
of Justice Bennett Van SICKLE, whose
term expires a week from Monday, and
said that he had almost two weeks to
consider hat case. Many of the Gov
errors friends think that he is making
a great mistake in postponing these APP
pointments so long. They say that the
longer he puts them off the more trouble
arises and the more helpful supporters
are estranged from his Excellency. IF
he would only make the appointments
now and have done with it much friction
similar TO that which has arisen over
the Stokes matter would be avoided.
The Stokes matter is getting worse
than Banquo's ghost. Instead of quiet
ing the agitation caused by the Cover
nor's making known his intention not to
appoint Mr.. Stokes Secretary of State,
the announcement that the Governor ar
rived at that conclusion at the request
OF General Sewell has ended to add
fuel to the flames. Mr.. Stokes frankly
admitted this morning that he had been
put aside at the request of General Sew
ell, who wanted the position of Commits
sioner of Banks and Insurance for Will
lam BEETLE of Camden, and two such
good offices could not be given to South
Jersey. Mr.. Bette has grown gray in
the service of General Sewell and the
corporations which he represents, and the
General is DESTROYS that he should take
things easy in a position the salary of
which is comparatively heavy and the
duties light. Such an office is the Com
-missicnership of Banks and Insurance,
and II is proposed with it to reward Mr..
Bette for his services to the corpora
lions, or in other words, pensioning him
at the expense of the State.
Mr.. Stokes has many friends all
throughout New Jersey, and they are
deeply incensed at General Sewell's ac-
ton. Representatives of them have held
conferences with he anti-Sewell Repub-
leans of North Jersey with a view to eff
fecting an alliance for the purpose of
waging war on the General. They are
very wrathy and the dark oaths of
vengeance which they are swearing upon
all occasions would curdle the blood of
a private. 1t is hard to see what the
can accomplish, as it will not be the first
time that such combinations have declar-
ed war against the General and been an
initiated politically before they knew
The Governor also received a visit
from two large delegations of Camden
citizens, as referred to in these dispatches
yesterday.
One delegation of fifty prominent citi-
zens, representing the Committee of One
Hundred, opposed the appointment of E.
Amble Armstrong as County Judge. The
Governor received them very courteously,
among those who acted as spokes-
men for the delegation We're Louis Nor
man, Rowland Croft, William Kraft,
Joseph Cooper, r. Fl. Reeve, w. J.. Bryce,
J. S. Middleton and Alfred Cramer. Sew.
or1 I of tho crlpnk orc xforx COrr1ru -,
their criticisms Of Mr.. Armstrong. All
of them urged the appointment of Martin
v. Bergen, brother of the e~x-Congress-
man.
Mr.. Middleton spoke at some length. and
assured the Governor with great earnest
ness that Camden county was already
overburdened with politics, and If he was
going to put the courts in the hands Of
the politicians Justice would be strangled.
They wanted a man who was not and
never had been a politician. If they did
not get politics out Of hi courts there
was no hope for the county. Mean, little
politics was sucking the life out of the
county. The speaker considered it would
be a personal benefit to Mr.. Armstrong
If the Governor would not appoint him..
a committee of the delegation went to
the office of the clerk of the Supreme
Court and asked for the papers in the
case of Pennington v. Camden Horse
Railroad Company, in which Mr.. ARM
strong was counsel. The clerk refused to
show the papers unless they had an or
der from Judge Miller. The committee
claimed that Mr.. Armstrong. improperly
placed the name of Judge Miller on one
of the papers in the case, and they want
ed to lay this charge before the Governor
as proof that Mr.. Armstrong should not
be appointed. 1t is said in extenuation
of this act that Judge Miller had decided
to sign the papers,, but failed to get his
name on one of them in his hurry to take
a steamer. Mr.. Armstrong simply placed
the Judges name on this paper and filed
1t with the court.
The delegation left with the Governor
two remonstrances against Mr.. Arm
strong's appointment, one signed by 4.500
names and the other by 1900. ii was
roted, however, that Mr.. Kraft. who
spoke violently against Armstrong. had
signed his name to a previous petition
In favor Of the appointment OF that
gentleman. The Governor said that he
would give the matter proper considera-
ton, and while the man he should ap-
point might not be satisfactory to ali the
delegation, yet he would be a man who
would do them all justice.
The other delegation was in favor ar
Mr.. Armstrong; appointment and de-
clared that the young SewelI LAWYER wa
Just the man for the positfons Thav
spoke Of his standing at the bar and dez
clared that If he was appointed he 4
mar of his standing, could do uofhing
except his duty. The Governor smoke fo
them In about the same strain as he did