The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-05-21
GAME LAWS And LIBBLS
Governor Griggs Tells Why He
Did Not Sign Two Bills
Texts Of Two Vetoes.

TRENTON, May q, 1S97.-Governor
Griggs' reasons for not signing Assem-
bly, bill No. 1853, which is the general
game and fish bill introduced by Mr..
hutchinson and passed by the last Leg
islature, will prove interesting to sports
men. The Governor is an enthusiastic
sportsman himself, and in the veto att
tached to the bill he tells clearly his
views of the bad effect of frequent
changes and revisions OF the game laws.
The Governor says
mis- bill makes important changes in
the season for killing game. 1t applies
to quail, rabbits, ruffed grouse. wood
cock, rail squirrels and some other var
ieties Of game. 1t contains a repeating
clause which woul probably destroy
whatever legal protection is now thrown
around the killing of English pheasant,
no close seasons for them being provided
by the bill.
A general revision of the game season
was made by the Legislature of 1896.
which I approved. In examining the
statute laws for the last nine years, I
find that ~innumerable changes have been
made in the game seasons. The open
season for quail and bbit has been
changed six times in the last nine years;
that Tor woodcock has been changed five
times; the season for squirrels has been
changed six times; the season for ruffed
grouse has been changed five times; the
season for deer has been changed four
times. 1t is hardly possible that these
frequent alterations are demanded by the
general sentiment of the people inter-
ested. 1t is more likely they are pro-
cured by the special activity of a few,
people who have special views of their
avn which disagree with existing law.
Such frequent changes of the seasons for
killing. game tend to bring the game laws
INTO ridicule and to make it difficult for
persons to know from one year to another
what the laws require on this subject.
inaSmuch as the law passed in 1895 has
mad but one seasons trial, I think if
ought to be Above to stand for at least
tried and intellgently Understood before
it is radically altered.
TO illustrate the frequent changes of
the State was divided into two game sec
tons. This division was repealed in
1889. Again in 1895 two sections were
created and that in turn was abolished in
1896: Now this bill again creates two
sections with different laws applicable
thereto. | do not object to this division.
ana pelieve 1t Is the proper solution of
the diverse views on this subject, hut
there should be some stability about such
laws when they are passed: and the
present bill I firmly believe, if approved.
Woubu pc repeated next year. For that
reason l shall not sign it.
Another vetoed bill is Assembly No.
n, which provides that any person send
ing a libelous communication to a news
paper. which is published, shall be
equally guilty with the newspaper. The
Governor says that the most important
provision of the bill is absurd. The veto
attached to the bill is as follows:
Il cannot sign this bill In the form in
which 1t passed the Legislature, for the
reason that the second section, which is
the important section of the act. is in
efficient and absurd. 1t provides that In
every civil action for libel against any
newspaper, magazine, publication or
serial, the defendant may give proof of
prove either malice in fact or that the
defendant, after having been requested BY
MIN IN writing to retract the libelous
charge in as public q manner as that it
was made, failed to do so within a rea-
sonable time, he shall recover only his
actual damage proved and specially
alleged in the declaration
1t will be perceived, continues the
Governor, that this refers only to actions
against newspapers, magazines, publica-
lions, periodicals or serials. Now. ac-
tions are not brought against newspapers,
magazines, &c, but against persons
either natural persons or corporations. A
newspaper, magazine, periodical or serial
IS not such a thing as can be sued; for
this reason, as said before, the act is
inefficient and absurd. In its original
form, as introduced, his section read
In every action for libel the defendant
may give proof of intention" &c. The
words against any newspaper, maya
zine, &c." were introduced by amend
ments after the bill was printed. This
amendment has destroyed the value of the
bill.