The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-02-05

HEARINGS COMING
Legislative Committees Will
Listen to Talk for and
Against Bills.
VOORHEES, DUAL OFFICE
Acting Governor Will Appear in
the Chamber Just to Show
He Is Still Senator
Ispeclal TO .srhe Jersey city News."l

the session of the New Jersey Legislature
nave come and gone and, as is usual with
the Republicans, little or nothing has
been accomplished. One hundred and sew
enty-nine bills have made their appear
ance in the two Houses, but only two
have become laws, and it is doubtful If
these would have been made laws were
they not necessary because of the change
of Governors. So far none of the com
mittees have got down TO work., but a
number of hearings are scheduled for
next week.
ON Monday afternoon the Senate Corpo-
ration Committee will give a hearing on
the several bills introduced for the State
Board OF Taxation; Monday evening the
House on Militia will give a
hearing on the bill to change the Board
of Managers at the Kearny Soldiers
Home. Or Tuesday the Senate Commit
tie on Railroads and Canals will give a
hearing on Senator Johnson's Railroad
Commission bill, and the bill, also, intro
duced by Senator johnson and providing
for the establishing of gates, fagmen,
ETC.. at grade crossings. The House Com
mittee on Railroads and Canals will also
give a hearing on Tuesday on the bills
Introduced ny EoSCAlRiy lhOAA
Hudson county, and which provide for
transfer station, fve-cent fares and heat
ed cars on the North Hudson Railway
Company's line.
Newspapers and lawyers are INDUCING
in a very interesting discussion relative
to the dual office held by Governor Voor-
hees. He is the Acting Governor of New
Jersey; he is also the President of the
Senate. AS the first named office ac-
crues to him by virtue of his holding the
second, he cannot r~elinquish the Presi-
dency without losing at once the offlce
of Acting Governor. He is entitled, there
fore, to his S666 salary as President and
also $40, 900 as Governor, the largest sal
airy ever paid the States Chief Executive
The discussion referred to relates not to
the salaries, but to the dual duties that
may arise.
To maintain his standing as President
of the Senate the Acting Governor has
decided to appear in the Senate Chamber
occasionally, answer to the roll call, and
then retire to the Executive Chamber,
without taking any further part in the
Senate proceedings.
1t will be seen, however, that while Gov
ernor VOORHEES, performs none of the
duties of a Senator, he does not r~elinquish
the right to do so should the necessity
arise. He is not deprived of any of the
o~rerogatives of the lesser office; he merely
attends to the duties of chief executive,
abstaining from his Senatorial functions.
Governor Voorhees, will have to nomi-
nate a chief of the Bureau of Labor and
Statistics to succeed Charles H. Simmer
man, and five member of the Board OF
Arbitration, as the full membership is to
be renewed. In speaking about these ap-
pointments this week, Governor voorhees,
said=.I have not made up my mind
about these appointments, but I~have a
very pronounced opinion about the
offices. These positions were created to
benefit organized labor, and I think that
men should be selected from the leaders
Of organized labor to perform the duties.
1t seems to me that they will understand
the matter better han any outsider can.
1t has always seemed to me that an III
teiligent mechanic who has worked in a
factory would make a better factory in
spector than a man who is not familiar
with machinery or factory work. A man
who is selected for an official position
should have knowledge and experience
that will fit him for the duties he is to
perform"
1t was expected that when the COM
mission appointed by Governor Griggs to
revise the jury laws made its report nc
opposition would come from either party
to their recommendations. The commits
sion in their report suggest that an act
shall be passed providing for a jury COM
mission and in prescribing the manner in
which jurors shall be drawn, provides
that the Justice of the Supreme Court
presiding in each county shall, on or be-
fore June l next, appoint two persons,
resident in the county where appointed,
and not of the same political party, who
shall prepare a complete list of all per-
sons in such county liable to jury duty.
which list shall be arranged alphabetical
iy, shall state the respective cities, town
ships, towns. b%oroughs and wards where
they reside, and be certified to be correct
so far as can be ascertained."
The act provides for a salary not ex-
ceeding $500 per year each for he COM
missioners, who shall serve for three
years.
The summoning and attendance of jul.
fors provides that every grand or petit
Juror shall be summoned by the Sheriff
or his deputies, by notice in writing, UNI
der his or their hands, and served ethel
personally or by leaving the same at the
dwelling house of such juror five days
at least, before the day on which he is
required to appear; such officers shall re-
ceive the sum of 81 for summoning each
Juror"
Tn latter clause is inserted to protect
the Sheriff from p~ecuniary loss through
the change. 1t was upon this line tina
Sheriffs have heretofore opposed any leg
islation to remedy the Grand Jury evils
and for this reason the clause was in
serted.
So now the sherifs will nave to sail tln
Newark leader. who succeeded in lobbyins
the %iniquitous anti-spring election bill
through last winter. is said to have as hi
special missj on this winter the defeat o
The jury cor lmission bill. The sheriffs ar
putting forth the claim that in removing
from their offices the authority to selec
Jurors they are deprived of just SO mucl
patronage and influence.
From tn. S it will be seen that the sher
ifs are To- ath to let go of such a bonanZ;
as empap cling jurors. Jury flxing ma
come TO be an art in some countless; il
fact, it s said to be successfully carried
On in m any counties. In spite of it all
however it. is said hat five Republical
Senator's are prepared to vote against tn
gill. :.
A neag libel bill has been introduced Il
the LIE g~islature. 1t reads as
AIRY person who willfully states, de-
lives or transmits by any means
whftever, to the owner, manager, ed
ito1-, publisher or reporter Of any
newspaper, magazine. publication, pc
riUdical or serial for publication there
irs any libelous statement. untrue, in
fact concerning any person or corpor-
alton, and thereby secures the actual
publication of the same, is hereby de-
clared guilty of a misdemanor, and
j1non conviction shall be punished by