The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-01-18
BILLS IN the SENATE
Mr.. johnson Reintroduees His
Railway Commission Meas
ure-Taxation Reform.

Especial to s'The Jersey City News.']
TRENTON, Jan. Is, 1S9S.-Nothing much
was done in the Senate except the intro
duction of bills. Those that were PUT in
were:-
Mr.. Ketcham-Provides for lay rep
~resentation in certain orgahlZations
which assist aged ministers and their
Mr.. Braun-Allowing Common Councils
to issue bonds with a view 10 laylls
Belgium block pavements, the sum not
to exceed $40 per capita OF the lnnaplt-
ants. and not more than one-tenth TO
be raised in one year.
Mr.. H.. w. Johnson-Fixing the fees
of township assessors and collectors as
follows:-l2 cents per name; also IL per
| cent. of the amount Of taxes, except
when the amount exceeds 100000, in which
case the fee shall be ~ per cent; on the
first so, coo, and three quarters OIL d cent
on the excess.
Mr.. w. NJ. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. gov
erning bodies in cities, towns and villages
to have grade railroad crossings protect
ed by gates. flagmen, ETC., fine of 800 a
day upon any railroad neglecting the
Mr.. w. M. Johnson-Empowering
executors and trustees to improve ana
develop unimproved land.
Mr.. w. NJ Johnson-Railroad commits
sion bill, providing for a board OF
three persons to be named by ine Soy
to be a counsellor and another a civil
engineer, and not more than Two to be
LOT the same political faith. The term IS
to be five years, and the salary S5,000 a
year. A clerk is to be appointed at a
reasonable salary. The bill is almost en-
tirely a reprint of last years Dill py
the same Senator, giving the board VIDE
| powers in the matter of altering ran
| road grades and adjusting other mat
tiers of frequent dispute which arise pc
| tween railroads municipalities one
section of the old bill. No. 20, is stricken
| out. which authorized the board to begin
| proceedings to compel the change Oh
| grade, the appointment of a 1agman etc,
of its own v%olition, without apphcatioh
| from a municipality. Street ailway are
| also excluded from the provisions of the
act.
Mr.. Reed-Provlding that when any
county in the State shall complain OF IN
| justice in the apportionment, of state
school monies, by which it is paying
| more than it is necessary, the State. board
of Taxation shall cause an investigation
| to be made of the assessments in such
county or counties complained against;
if it shall appear that any county is not
s stsessi Beard of Of Education must not pay
to said county more of the reserve fund
than it raised.
Mr.. Stokes-Amending the act autheriz-
| ing the issue of bonds to provide monies
for the erection of county lunatic asy-
lumS.
MT. stokes-Another act on the same
subject.
President Voorhees, presented from the
| State Board of Taxation, with their rec
o-mmendation, a batch of six tax bills;
bank and State bank shall be assessed IN
the ward or township where the bank
| is located; to all stockholders thereof and
the bank shall retain out of the dividends
the full amount and pay it to the axing
district; requiring the completion OF as
sessments by July l annually, and the
books to remain open for inspection till
August /; an act to provide for the re-
moval from office Of tax assessors VINO
wilfully violate the law in the discharge
| of their duties; limiting the time within
which tax appeals shall be heard and pro-
viding for interest on the amount of the
taxes meanwhile; requiring bank officials
to furnish the State Board of Taxation
with d list of the names and residences
of stockholders and the number of shares
being provided for failure so to do; pro-
viding for q poll tax of 81 on every male
inhabitant over q years of age. and that
all real and personal estate. shall be tax
| ed according to its true value. excepting
national and State property, county and
municipal property used for public pur-
poses, buildings used for educational pur-
poses where there is. no tuition, also
| churches, libraries and charity inStitu-
tons, together with the land on which
such buildings stand, and cemeteries and
gr~aveyards not held for dealing in sue
| lands.
President Voorhees, submitted a report
from the Commission appointed Novem-
Der u last to revise the statutes relating
to juries. It's chief feature is a bill.
which is largely a restatement of the
present law, but relieved of redundancy.
The provision for the summoning of jul
rogs to serve for limited terms is retain
ed.N The principal new provisions are
Six peremptory challenges instead of
three in civil cases; providing for a com
mission of two in each county to pre-
pare a list of persons liable to jury duty
and to revise the list every three years;
compensation of commissioners not to ex-
coed $500 a year.; the amount to be fixed
by the Supreme Court Justice, who also
appoints them; the State to pay the com
missioners. The report is signed by Frank
G. Black.
Messrs Charles L. Corbin, Benjamin
A. Vail and Edw. NJ. Collie, another com
mission, reported an act to regulate the
ascertainment and payment of compen-
sation for property condemned or taken
for public use. The bill defines the pro-
cedure by appointment of commissioners,
etc.
An executive session was held, at which
the nominations made by the Governor
last week were reported.