The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-01-11

| accidents at railway crossings while trav-
cling in railway trains and trolley cars, :
| recommend to the last Legislature tnat
they should deal by specinc ieglsiallon
| with this subject. The present laws seem
to be inadequate and inef1clent. l r.,
| s%pectfully refer you to what ! said upon
this subject in my last annual message.
| REVISION OF STATUTES.
BY Chapter So, Laws OF 1871, tne GoVelr
more commissions to revise ana coulLy eme
| general statutes of the State, or sucn paTl
or parts thereof as the Governor Snou az
rected to submit the bill or bllis prepdleu
by them, together with such Suggestions
as they might deem expedlent' 70 ~
| Legislature on the first day OF It's next
session. =
I did not deem it wise to undertake at
one session of the Legislature the IesiS-
ion of all the statutes which need revlsioni
l consider thai those which | nave nalneu
above would produce a sufhcienl Voiunie
OF work TO engage me aleenlioVV o1 will
in dealing with the bills reported by these
| commissions, be able to judge of the value
Of the work performed r. ed n IN TINS Wiser or
| better could be done for the improvement
OF the voiuminous and iH-arrangeo gen,
eral statutes OF our state; l Tee ernnr nv
the act referred to, be extended duTlhs tHe
current year, so that all the SUBJECTS Meet
ing revision may be dealt WIN n,r ~
1t is to be noted that the gentlemen
| serving on these commissions has not
asked and do not expect eSI the, TO s fecflee C re
tainly the thanks OF the people are uue
to them for their very valuable ana EN-
Gent services 50 patriotleaiiy ! reh fbe snh-
ject of the government of cities revised
and changed in a manner that VIII piaGe
the cities of the State under a more slfaple
/ and uniform system of government. The
greatest difficulty in leglSlatlng Tor cllles
in Il uniform and general manner mas
been found in the fact that al lne CUES
of the State were Incorporated BY speelai
charters giving them varying forms OF
I government and different powers. II VIII
be necessary for the LEGISLATURE, IN re
ducing these city governments to a uni
form system, to cut away many OF tne
special provisions found in the respective
charters of the municipalitles aifecte9. l
/ believe, however, that this could be done
with no injury, but with great penenl TO
all the cities of the State. Much uncer-
tainty, litigation and expense would pc
avoided, and our statute books would pc
free from a great mass of conflicting en-
4 actments which now embarrasS every one
who has to deal with them.
Public charges nave been recently mace
by responsible journals against officers OF
the law in the county of Hudson, lnvoiv-
ing, if true, gross corruption and the per
version of the machinery of pubic Justlce:
1t is alleged that the present Sherlff OF
that county, in order to protect criminals
from Indictment and just punishment, Will
+ fully and deliberately returns grand JurleS
composed as to the major part OF friends,
co-partners and protectors of habitual
law-breakers; that this is done with the
object of preventing the indictment ana
i punishment of persons who are engaged
in criminal practices within the county,
against whom the specific denunclatlons
of the judges of the courts of the county
have been frequently directed; that in
( spite of the most clear and convincing
proof of guilt laid before such grand Jur-
les, and under the most positive direction
from the courts to indict, the offenders
are shielded by grand juries, and are not
presented for trial; that u grand ]urles
are not exceptional, but are hab1tuaHy SO
made up by the sheriff. /,
1t is further charged that the office OF
the prosecutor of the pleas has also been
used extensively to shield criminals; that
hundreds of indictments found by former
grand juries have been suppressed without
/ the knowledge or consent of the judges,
and for the purpose OF shielding me ae.
have been lost to the county by reason OF
the failure, either wilful or negligent, OF
the prosecutor to take proper steps Tor
the collection of money due on forfeited
recognizances of bail. Direct charges OF
official corruption have been openly pre-.
ferred against the assistant prosecutor OF
the pleas. and he is now under Indictment
for conspiracy to hinder and prevent the
administration of justice in the very court
of which he has been an officer.
The administration of the criminal law
is committed to certain officers and agen-
| cies in the several counties of the State.
operating through the courts of criminal
| tQIlSQlCllOi. use - ol1S PoctA
prosecutors, ~constables, police officers, are
all supposed to work together, each in
their allotted sphere, to see that the dig
nifty of tie law is upheld, and that crime
is detected and punished. There is no sal
sly for the citizen, no security for his
person or property, when criminals can
justice combine to screen them from pun.
ishment. The judges of the courts IN
Hudson county have done their duty.
With great holiness, which could only be
only justified by unusual necessity, they
have urged the grand juries to the full
performance of their sworn duties. They
have time and time again uttered public
ly their opinion that officials about the
Court House were acting as aids and spies
for accused persons. They have main
a approv aflaf Of ai law anp T loving sne CITIZENS, the
| dignity and reputation of New Jersey
courts of justice.
If it be true that the sheriff OF the coun.
ty, or any other officers of justice holding
commissions from the State, are engaged
in a conspiracy to shield criminals; IT 1t
be true that the sheriff, instead of re,
turning for grand jurors good men and
true. does wilfully make up his juries of
! persons who will protect criminals, dis
regard their oaths and bring to naught
the efforts of the courts, then The admin
istration of justice and the execution OF
+, the laws have failed by reason of the cor
ruption of officers of the State, and there
remains so far as / know, but one rem
edy, and that is the high and extraordin-
airy power of impeachment which is
lodged in the Legislature. This is a
power which ought never to be resorted to
except in cases of great.public Importance.
The General Assembly has the power, un-
der the Constitution, to investigate and
inquire in the fullest possible manner into
| the charges to which / have referred.
They may present articles of impeachment
against the sheriff or any other officer
bearing a State commission. Such i'm
parchment. when found, is triable by the
Senate, and if the accused be convicted he
may be sentenced to removal from his
! Office.
Nothing is more vital than to preserve
the efficiency of our courts Of justice. OF
nothing are JerSeymen more justly proud
tina of the high reputation so long borne
by their courts. If it be true that sworn
and trusted agents of the law are engaged
In the perversion and defiance of the law,
in the interest of law breakers, then there
should be no delay, no hesitation, in APP
plying all the remedies which the people
under the Constitution have placed in
your hands.
This is no partisan matter. The admin
istration of justice has nothing to do with
party affairs. 1t is worthy of note that
the sheriff who is accused and the judges
who have tried to secure the full enforce
ment of the law are of the same political
party. 1t is not to be credited that any
member of any party would wish, even
for policy, to shield one of his own or
ganization who had cast discredit upon his
political associates by perverting his office
to hamper the administration of justice.
1t is, 1t seems to me-, necessary that
these charges should be investigated I'M
der your authority. If they are unfound-
ed, it will be a welcome relief to the peo-
pie of the State, as well as the implicat-
on the contrary, the charges should unfor-
tunately prove to be true, you can render