The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-23
SENATE WORKS HARD.
Republicans Pretend 10 Make ne
form IN County Fee system.

TRENTON, March %, 1S9S.-The Senate
worked hard yesterday afternoon. Tit
Senate bill providing that the County
Clerks, Registers and Surrogates In Hud-
son and Essex counties shall receive a
salary of $500 a year in lieu of all fees
came up on third reading and was advo-
Gated by Senator Ketcham. He spoke Of
the original draft applying to all coun-
ties and of his wish that it could have
gone through, but in view of the objec-
lions urged it seemed wise to confine the
act for the present to the larger counties
rather than to have the whole scheme
defeated. Under the act all fees will go
into the county treasury. The bill is a
good one for frst-class counties, and he
believed it would lead to general adoption
in all the counties.
Senator DAILY objected to combining a
good thing to,two counties. He said both
political parties nave declared against the
fee system. He also questioned the con-
s~titutionality of the bill. believing it to
be open to the same objection as the Nc
Arthur act, which applied to only Newark
and Jersey City.
Senator Ketcham said that he had made
a careful study of the Macarthur decision
in company with other Senators and their
Judgment was that it did not affect the
pending bill. As to the bill not being gen.
eral he had already stated the reasons
for this. 1t seemed as If a great reform
could not be inaugurated as a whole, but
must come OF by stages. Besides, the
abuse of the present law was more glar-
ing inNthe large counties, where the Off
cials enjoying fees were expected to get
rich in one term. Last fall from fifty to
one hundred men lined up in Essex county
anxious for a nomination, showing the
value of the places. He referred to the
| abolition of the fee system for the clerks
of Chancery and Supreme Court, indicat-
| ing the growing sentiment on the subject.
Senator Reed also favored the bill, say
ing that the only way nowadays to know
whether a measure was constitutional
was to let the Supreme Court pass on it.
No one could predict how that body
| would act. He thought the bill was in the
line of reform and should pass.
The bill passed. with only Senators
Barber and DAILY in the negative.
Senator Foster, who is suspected of hav-
ing Populistic 1eanings, introduced a bill
| early in the session making the legal rate
| of interest five per cent. The bill went
to the judiciary Committee and never
| came back. Yesterday Mr.. Foster tried
to get it back with a motion to relieve
the committee of its further considera-
| ton. Now that is just the one thing
| which the Senate will never do, is to re-
lieve a committee of a bill. They do it in
the House once in a while, but never in
the Senate, and Mr.. Fosters motion, on
motion of Mr.. johnson, went on the
| table.
Among the many bills passed by the
Senat were:-
Senate 221-Amendatory to the act to
| secure to creditors ar equal division OF
the estates of debtors.
Senate 2-2S-Legalizing indictments of
| Grand Juries presented on oath or aft1r-
| nation of embers
Senate 2lS-Requiring oyster boats in
| Delaware Bay and Maurice River Cove to
be licensed under penalty of seizure.
Senate 240-EmpoWering guardians 10
| mortgage real estate in certain cases.
Senate 249-Providing for the purchase
| of sewers in cities.
Senate 252-Empowering the State Blu
reau of Labor Statistics to collect figures
| from manufacturers. etc.
Senate 25S-Empowering railroad cor
porations to acquire certain branch lines
House 170AThe Baumann cattle act.
House 56-The Palisades bill. Favored
by Senators DAILY. Francis and Reed and
opposed by Senator w. M. Johnson.)
House s~e-Reauiring seats to be pro-
vided for the use of working women
House 1S4-Amending the practise act.
House 41-Valfdates deed and mortgages
mado by corporations whose charters
have become void.
House 2s2-one of the corporation bills,
was amended by Senator Vreeland. Sen
| atOr Daily moved TO nave II reprinted.
Lost.
Senator w. NJ. Johnson presented a re-
port from the commission to codify the
Naws relating to townships. with a state
merit that a bill was ready, but the COM
mission was reluctant to report it at this
late day without giving an opportunity
for the many communities interested to
discuss it.
Senator Johnson accompanied the re-
port with a concurrent resolution that so
many of the codifying commissioners as
nave not yet reported or whose bills re-
main Enacted upon, shall be continued in
existence till the next Legislative session.
and that meanwhile they shall have their
bills printed and circulated in pamphlet
form for general consideration and dis
cussion. Adopted.
Among the important bills introduced
in the Senate yesterday were:-
Mr.. city cOuHcliS 70 APP
propriate $50, 900 by bonds for additional
school accommodations.
Mr.. H. w. Johnson-Adnftting children
from four to seven years old to kinder
garten school in cities, but the school
census only to include those between five
and eighteen years.
Mr.. Daly-Enabling water boards in
cities to supply water free to charitable
institutions and remit past charges.
The bill was accompanied with a petit
ton from the Peoples Palace of Jersey
City, which has been furnishing baths
free to II, 900 boys annually with the I'M
Outstanding that the city donated the
water. The city authorities are willing
to remit charges, but under their present
charter cannot without legislative aid.
HOUSE WORKS HARD.