The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-04-07
49,
BUSY DAY AT TRENTON.
Numbers of Politicians
Throng the State House
Looking After Pass
ed Bills.
DELAWARE DAM opPoSEd
National Guard and Naval Re-
serve to Parade on Grant Day
in New York.
DELAWARE DAM OPPOSED
Ispecial to ..rhe Jersey CITY Newz.vI

Especial to sThe Jersey City News."J
TRENTON, April q, 1se7.-There ap-
peared to be an unusual amount of bust
ness on hand at the State House yester-
day, judging from the large gathering
which thronged the corridors both the
morning and the afternoon, The Governor
arrived early n was kept busy all day
attending to the many duties pertaining
to his Office. He received several dele
cations who were present in the interest
of measures passed by the Legislature,
and to which they were anxious to Y
the Governors signature or veto affixed;
as the case might be.
President Williams of the Senate and
Speaker Macpherson of the House We're
on hand and they cleared up the calen-
dars so far as the bills passed by those
bodies were concerned. All the bills are
now in the hands of the Governor for
his consideration. Nearly 200 were sent
in yesterday, but the Governor was so
busy that nothing was done with them
yesterday, and only four signed bills
We're sent in, none of them being of an
important nature.
When the Governor arrived he found
that a delegation of the Pennsylvania
Fish Commission, headed by w. r.
phia Ledger" had taken possession of
the executive chamber. The delegation
against signing the bill providing for the
damming of the Delaware River. These
were based chiefly upon the destruction
dam will work to the fisheries of the
Delaware. The Governor courteously
listened to all that the gentleman had
any action an opportunity will be given
to the local Board of Trade to present its
side of the case in favor of the bill.
The most elaborate speech was made
by Mr.. Meehan, who represented, be-
sides the Pennsylvania Commission, the
United States Commission of Fisheries
phia. He objected to the bill on W
gr-ounds-irst. that it would be injur-
Ious to fisheries, and, second, that it
would confer franchises of the greatest
value without any return for the fran
chise or any payment for the damage to
and manufacturers directly interested
be more than offset by the losses, fnan-
cial and otherwise, of four States that
would be affected.
proof could be had that the erection of
the dam would ruin the shad industry.
This was not a mere guess, but had been
shown by past experiences in other
rivers. 1t has been conclusively demon
strated, said Mr.. Meehan, that 1shways
will not be used by shad to any great
extent. He cited as an example the case
of the -Susquehanna River, the had fish
cries of which, he said, were once more
valuable than those of the Delaware, but
Where, after a dam was erected. not more
h 5000 were ever caught in one year
while the dam was entire.
Mr.. Meehan said that the Pennsyl-
wanna Commissioners hatch annually
about 100000 fish at Bristol and the
United States about 10000. 900 at Chou
eester, both of which would eventually
be abandoned If the dam were erected.
He said that last year the value of the
Delaware fisheries was enormous and of
the total catch over 10000 We're taken
above h Trenton Falls.
1t was further argued that the dam
would ruin the salmon industry, which
Is at present in its infancy, but which it
was held would become extremely val
liable in time. In support of this a let
ter was read from United States Commits
sioner Brice.. saying that if the dam were
built the salmon work in the Delaware
would be stopped.
Another speaker against the signing of
the bill was Marion G. Sellers, counsel
Tor the Pennsylvania Fish Commission.
He based his argument on the injustice
70 the fisheries. and said the passage of
treaty. of 1888. which held h it was
more important to preserve the fisheries
than to build a dam.
A delegation of Grand Army men also
waited on the Governor and urged the
signing of Assembly bill No. 297, which
prevents the deduction of any moneys
pension when he is an inmate 81 the
Veterans Home, in this State. AS the
irc.if&iS now operated 81 is deducted from
the pensions of the inmates who receive
$12 or over. This money goes to the State
treasurer, and as a large number of the
soldiers have families dependent upon
upon as unjust. During the past four
years, more h a $4,000 has been placed
in the treasury of the State from this
ated for the home but only a trifie over
$1,000 was expended and the remainder
returned.
Annlno 4ha1of ~ for.z-.1 -
Of the bill were Senator Skirm, Colonel
e. f. Stahl, Andrew Cahill and Justice
Louis Coulter; General Donnelly, who
reepresented the management. opposed the
The Court of Pardons met in the after
n n;, those present being Governor
Bogert, Dayton, Hendrickson and Nixon.
the cases of the two Somerset murderers
Jacob s. Johnson n Elmer Clawson,
considered. The application to nave
their sentences committed to imprison-
ment for life was refused in each in
mute the sentence in Clawson's case and
two in Johnson's. Both men will nave
There were several other cases to come
before the Court of Pardons, notably
tnose Of Edith Behr, the Elizabeth girl
convicted Of assaulting two men. and
round guilty of criminal libel and sem
fenced to three months Imprisonment.
IMsSe were not reached, however, but
Will probably come up on Thursday. to
which date the court adjourned.
There was no stated meeting of the
Military Board yesterday, but. a confer
General Donne1ly and General Plume,who
afterward consulted with the Governor
relative to having. the New Jersey Ma
tionai Guard participate in the demon
stration in New York on Tuesday, April
"a, at the dedication of the Grant monu-
ment- It is probable. that the entire
National Guard, including the Naval Re-
serves, will go to New York. The Gov
ernor Is heartily in favor Of this, and so
Just at present, however, the question
Of securing transportation confronts the
officials, and if this can be satisfactorily
called out. The railroads in the north
ern part of the State have agreed to
furnish free transportation, but the rail-
-