Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-02-24

IT is nKery Inar rne principal spraKri >
to appear before the committee this
week will be those representing the
state game commission, who viii advo-
cate the general act which Senator En-
gle has introduced for them. Senator
Stokes will represent South Jerseys in
terests before the committee. The game
commission in its annual reports re-
fers to the conflict of interests and the
wisdom of compromise.
Revision of the Statutes.
The really important feature Of this
winters legislation ought to be it's dis
position of the reports from the COM
missions appointed by Governor Griggs
to revise and codify the general stat
utes of the state The statutes covered
by these several commissions are as
follows:
The statutes concerning crimes and
criminal procedure.
The statutes relating to district courts
and mechanics liens.
The statutes relating to corporations
organized for beneficiary, charitable,
athletic, fraternal and educational pur-
poses.
The statutes relating to townships.
The statutes relating to the orphans
court and kindred subjects.
The general statutes relating to juries
The general statutes relating to ''elec-
TONS"
The statutes concerning conveyances,
the sale and partition of lands, ETC.
The statutes relating to the organiza-
ton and government of the national
guard and naval reserve.
Certain statutes for the relief of cred
itors against absconding debtors, re-
specting executions, etc.
To Governor Griggs belongs the credit
of setting afioat this movement for a
codif1cation of the voluminous statutes
which have grown up within the state
and which in various instances con-
fuse even expert lawyers. It will be
necessary to have some further COM
missions appointed to reach all the
subjects that need revision, but the
present legislature has enough reports
on it's hands to keep it busy few
weeks if it proposes to give them any
extended consideration.
To give an idea of the work accom-
plished by some of these commissions,
it is only necessary to refer to the re-
port made last week by the commission
first named in the foregoing list. The
new act for the punishment of crimes
contains 224 sections, and an act regu-
lating proceedings has 181 sections. Sew
eral hundred acts have been investi-
gated by the commission and reported
for repeal, to make way for the new
series of acts.
Various Matters.
The senate committee on revision of
laws is to give hearing this week on
the proposed new legislation with re-
spect to homeless children. A commits
sion gave this subject close study dur
ing the past year and reported bill
which it was thought would be great
Improvement over present methods, be-
ing intended to facilitate the transfer
of homeless children from public insti-
tutions to private families. The meas
ure has incurred the displeasure of sew
eral religious bodies, Protestant and
Catholic, who fear that too much
power will be given to the estate
board of guardians" in withdrawing the
orphans from institutions and sending
them to families where they will be lost
sight of by their original protectors.
The new committee to investigate the
operations of the loan societies is said
to be waiting for an appropriation from
the legislature.
The Hudson county investigating
committee is still tanning the air.
The result of the Noonan-Simpson trial
has discouraged the members some
what, but they promise to begin an in
vestigation late this week. They may
be empowered to sit after final adjourn
ment of the legislature to investigate
other counties as well as Hudson.
The attempt to provide an assistant
prosecutor for Monmouth county fell
through in the assembly.
The f1remen are seeking legislation
for the establishment of a state home
for their disabled brethren 1t is not to
cost the state anything.
Governor Voorhees, most troublesome
problem now is to select a Republican
chief of the labor bureau. The candi-
dates are numerous, including William
S. Sharp of Trenton and ex-senator
Nichols of Cumberland