Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-01-13
LEGISLATURE OPENED.
Organization Effected Without
Difficulty.
PLENTY OF POLITICS IN SIGHT.
Trenton WIN Be Lively Place This
Each Party Looking For Adj
vantage In the Fight For United States
senator-senator voorhees, win Succeed
Griggs.
Especial correspondence

Griggs.
Especial Correspondence.1
Trenton. Jan. 1.-THE opening Of the
legislative session yesterday afternoon
was marked by an unusually large at
tendance on the part of the public and
by the greatest floral display ever seen
within the legislative chambers. The
crowds of ladies and gentlemen were
large both in the senate and assembly
galleries, and both senators and assem-
blymen were well remembered in the
matter of flowers.
A Ripple of Excitement.
The session started off with a politi-
cal maneuver in each house, the occa-
sion being the suggestion in Governor
Griggs' message that there was a COR
rupt administration of justice in Hud-
son county. Senator Daily (Dem.) start
ed the music in the senate by offer-
ing a resolution which supplemented
the governors suggestion by directing
attention to alleged corruption also IN
Mercer and Camden counties and ask
ing that committee of three senators
be appointed to investigate. Senator
DAILY wanted to get vote on the reso-
luton, but President VOORHEES, was too
quick for hlm, and much to the senator's
chagrin promptly referred the resolution
to the committee on judiciary.
In the assembly Leader Gledh1ll
(Rep.) introduced a resolution calling
for a committee of five, to include the
speaker, to investigate alleged malad-
ministration of affairs in Hudson coun-
ty. as recommended by the governor in
his message Mr. Allen (Dem.) submit
ted an amendment. including the coun-
ties of Camden, Passaic, Mercer and
Atlantic. In support of his amendment
he said Hudson county welcomed the
investigation and he hoped that at
least one Republican member would
stand up and demand that those other
counties be also Investigated. If the
house is sincere in it's desire to punish
the guilty ones, he continued, then
the committee should not only go TO
Hudson, but to other counties. IT that
was not done then the resolution for
committee of investigation would be po-
Iitical buncombe. Mr.. Gledhill said he
was in hearty accord with Mr.. Allen.
AS soon as noisome smells come from
other counties, then he would agree to
have them investigated, but all the
smell now comes from Hudson Mr..
Allen asked if the freeholders of Mercer
and the officials of Camden had not re-
ceived as much notoriety as Hudson.
Certainly not" replied Leader Gledhill
holly. The amendment was then de-
feated by a party vote. The original
resolution was adopted. Other amend
ments submitted by Mr.. Allen, one OF
them providing for a nonpartisan COM
mittee, were ruled out of order on tech
nicalities.
The Organization.
Aside from this incident the only fea-
ture that ruffied the opening days bust
ness was a fling at President voorhees,
by Senator DAILY because no Democrat
was named on the standing committee
on appropriations or the committee on
railroads and canals.
In the senate a new rule was adopted
permitting the election of a president
pro tempore to act while the president
was discharging his constitutional duty
of administering the government of the
state The organization, once the six
new senators were installed, proceeded
as follows: President, Foster M. Voor-
bees of Union president pro tempore,
William H. Skirm of Mercer; secretary,
George A. Frey of Camden; assistant
secretary, Joseph c. Kingdom of Bur-
Iington; journal clerk, Walter Edge OF
Atlantic; assistant journal clerk, John
W. Cliff of Union; sergeant alarms
Samuel T. Atchley of Mercer: assistant
sergeant-at-arns, w. w. Binning OF
Bergen; engrossing clerk, Edgar Will
Iiams Of Essex; assistant engrossing
clerk James Shoemaker of Cape May;
bill clerk, George w. Cooper of Somer-
set; calendar clerk, William H. Fischer
of Ocean; doorkeepers, Isaac I. Cow
gill of Gloucester, George r. Hoyt of
Monmouth, Lippincott Coles of Salem,
Frank Brown of Somerset and Jacob
Barnes of Cumberland.
Senator w. M. Johnson of Bergen was
chosen among the Republicans as lead
err, and Senator Daily is to be the Demo-
cratic spokesman.
President Voorhees, made a pleasant
address on taking the chair, calling at
tention to the need of curtailing legisla-
ton of an unnecessary sort.
In the house organization was effected
as follows after quite a squabble for
the minor places:
Speaker, David o. Watkins Glouees-
ter; clerk, Thomas H. Jones, Essex; as
sistant clerk, Charles F. Hopkins, Nor
ris; journal clerk, William H. Huls-
hamper, Union; assistant journal clerk,
Aaron C. Demarest, Bergen; engrossing
clerk, Charles H. Folwell, Burlington;
first assistant engrossing clerk, Theo-
dore Gaddis, Essex; second assistant en-
crossing clerk, Carl A. Weidel, Mercer;
sergeant-at-arms, John R. F'lavel, Es-
sex; first assistant sergeant-a farms,
Horatio e. Havens, Ocean; second as
sistant sergeant alarms, John v. A.
Van Cleef, Somerset; bill clerk, William
H. Loppy, Cumberland; assistant bill
clerk, Joseph Hinger, Camden; assistant
to clerk of house, Herbert H. Mats, Es-
sex. The private secretary of Speaker
Watkins will be George Pierson OF
Woodbury. and the assistant secretary
Edgar Shivers of Swedesboro.
Speaker Watkins made a brief speech
of thanks on taking the chair.
Senate Committees.
President Voorhees, announced the
following standing committees: Judi
ciary-Johnson, W. M; Reed, DAILY
Revision of Laws-Vreeland, Reed, Van
Cleef. Appropriations-Jo Johnson, w. NJ;
Stokes, Skirm. Finance-Johnson, H
W.; Vreeland, Braun. Corporations
Stokes, johnson, H. W.: Van Cleef
Municipal Corporations-Skir Ketch-
am, DAILY. Railroads and Canals-En-
gel, Miller, Vreeland. Banks and In
surance-K etcham, Hoffman Van Cleef
Observation-Disclosures Hand, DAILY. Mi
litia-Ketcham johnson, H. w; Mar
tin. Game and Fisheries-Engel Fran
els, Martin. Riparian Rights Francis
Hoffman, Packer. Miller
stranger. Foster. Miscellaneous Bus1-
ness-Johnson, H. W.; Hand, Foster.
Unfinished Business Miller. Hand, Bar
Der. Engrossed Bills-Stanger Francis,
Daily. Labor and Industries-John-
son, H. W.: Engel, Packer. Boroughs
and Townships Reed, Johnson, w. M. (;
Martin. Elections-Francis, Hoffman,
Braun.
Joint Committees.
Treasurer's Accounts-Reed, Ketch-
am, Foster. State Prison-Ketcham,
Stokes, Braun. State Hospitals-Vree-
land, Johnson, w. M; Van Cleef. State
Library Johnson. w. M; johnson, H.
W.; Barber. Public Grounds and Build
ings-Skirm, Stanger, Braun. Printing
Hand, Johnson, H. W.: Martin Passed
Bills-Hcffman. Stranger, Foster. Com
merce and Navigation-Hand, Vreeland,
Braun. Federal Relations Miller. En-
gel, Packer. Soldiers Homes Stokes,
Ketcham Rarher Refor,7, School For