New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-09
THE NEWS FROM NEW-JERSEY.
AS A JERSEYMAN SEES III


made for the organization of the Legislature
Tomorrow. and the w-making machinery
will start without any friction. Charles A. Reed
will he President OF the Senate and David o.
Watkins will be reelected Speaker. william
NJ Johnson has been chosen leader of the
Republlcan majority In the Senate, and Wood
Mckee in the House. The Democratic leader IN
the Senate has not yet been named. No matter
who is formally designated. II Is a certainty that
Allan L. McDermott will be the actual leader
whenever any real fighting Is to be done James
J. Murphy has been selected as the Democratic
leader In the House. but when the fun begins
II will be worth while keeping an eye on Ted
dy' Carroll. Allan Benny and young Leon ADJ
bett
As soon as Mr. Watkins Is reelected Speaker
he will renqush the gavel to George A. Squire
and retire to the Executive Chamber to continue
his duties as Acting Governor until Foster NJ
Voorhees, relieves him. Mr.. Watkins's message
TO the Legislature will. under the circumstances,
be brief
Beyond organizing. the Legislature VIII do
little or nothing this week. although there is no
good reason why the committees should not he
appointed. batch Of bills will doubtless be
introduced. Under the House rules the bills
go TO the printer at once. but the Senate bills
are not usually printed until reported by the
committee to which they have been referred.
To adopt the Senate rule in the House would
undoubtedly cause considerable inconvenience.
but II would prevent the introduction Of many
bills not intended for passage. and introduced
simply so that the putatve father may hand
down printed copies family heirlooms.
C,,pr Of
tees Van syckel, Depue and Lippincott, made
short work Of the contention that Speaker David
O. Watkins has no right to act Governor:
that Foster NJ voorhees, is still Acting Governor
and. incidentally that Mr. Voorhees, is debarred
by the Constitution from filing the three years
term Of Governor to which the people Of New
Jersey elected him last November Here are the
facts:
On the last day Of January. 1893. Governor
Griggs resigned to accept the office of Attorney
General Of the United States. and Foster NJ
voorhees,, President of the Senate. became Act
ing Governor by virtue of this clause of the
State Constitution:
I'm case of the death, resignation removal
from office Of the Governor. the powers. duties
and emoluments Of the Office shall devolve upon
the President Of the Senate, and in case of his
death, resignation or removal. then upon the
Speaker Of the House Of Assembly for the time
being until another Governor shall be elected
and qualified"
On October Mr.. Voorhees, resigned as Sena-
tor from Union County. and, as Attorney Gen
eral Grey had advised that this carried with 1t
the Acting Governorship. Speaker Watkins was
sworn In as Acting Governor. Ex-Attorney-Gen-
eral Stockton argued that when Mr. Griggs
IAI thn lou
ernorship. and that he could not be relieved Of
the Office except by death. resignation or re-
moyal" Although not injected into his argu-
ment before the court Mr.. Stockton also held
the opinion that Mr. Voorhees, not eligible
for election as Governor last November by Writ
ue Of that section which says that The Gov
ernor shall hold his office for three years
and he shall be incapable of holding that Office
for three years next after his term of service
shall have expired" The decision of Supreme
Court Justices Van Syckel. Depue and Lippincott
is that Mr. voorhees, was not Governor but that
he performed the Executive duties by virtue OF
being President of the Senate and that when
he ceased TO be President his right to exercise
the Executive functions at end. AS Mr..
Voorhees, was not Governor. he could not be de-
barred from election to that office last Novem-
Der.
At a meeting Of the Paterson Aldermanic
Committee on Public Buildings held last week
the City Fathers were startled TO receive bills
aggregatng $50 for washing the City Hall
towels for one month Why and wherefore this
extravaganza? Well It seems that after the
towels were duly washed and laundered at
cost of SIS tramps stole them and took a bath
In the basement. The tramps were not pro-
had
ercsed the forethought to get snap shot Of
them In the act. Nevertheless. the Aldermen
accepted the explanation unquestioningly. They
did some growing. however. about the ex
pence. and according to The Passaic News"
received to let the woodworking by contract
hereafter Their action may have the effect Of
discouragipg this reform itory movement among
the tramps ard driving the progressive MEM
bers of the fraternity back into the anti-bath-
ing ranks.
While 1t may be strictly true that the North
Jersey Traction Company has not purchased the
North Hudson County trolley lines. 1t is never
theless a fact that the control Of the latter Is
now in the hands OF men heavily interested in
the great North Jersey syndicate. and that the
formal consolidation is only question of time.
All the trolley companies OF Essex. Hudson.
Passaic and Union counties are rapidly passing
into the management Of that syndicate. There
are good and bad points about the massing
OF the trolley interests. Under able and ener-
getic management 1t will be possible to have
vastly improved service and accommodation.
systematic connections aid increased transfer
privileges at reduced cost. On the other hand,
the power Of such a syndicate in promoting or
defeating legislation is not to be highly regarded
Recently THE Camden Courier propounded
this question:
Are the laws OF New-Jersey enacted to pre-
serve the peace to protect property and to pro-
mote the public welfare or are they meant for