The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-21
ADJOURNMENT
NEAR.
Republican Legislature Tired
Of Itself, to Commit Hari
Kari This Week.
MONSTROUS CLIFFORD BILL
Death Penalty Attacked Mere
ly to Save One Cold Blood
ed Assassin.
MONSTROUS CLIFFORD BILL

rSpecial to 1.-The Jersey City News.'l
TRENTON. March q, 1S9S.-Final ad-
iournment is the one topic OF conversa-
ton here this morning and there is much
speculation as to when it will take place.
Governor Voorhees,, Speaker Watkins,
President Reed and the leaders OF both
Houses declare that the session will end
this week, even if the Legislature has to
sit every evening and on Saturday IN
fact. the Republican Assemblymen held
caucus this morning and resolved upon
such a course.
The caucus also resolved to allow Mr..
Bennys bill, providing for the protection
of railroad employees, over which there
was such fight last night and on ac-
count of which Mr.. Benny accused Leader
Mckee of bad faith, to come out This
is a great victory for Mr.. Benny and also
for the people Mr.. Benny made such a
vigorous fight and so plainly exposed the
hypocrisy of the Republicans that some
of the less hardened became frightened.
new member who had shown signs OF
weakness and an old hardened Repub-
lican were talking over the fight last
night after adjournment, when the Old
member began to take the new man TO
task for his course.
"But the Democrats are trying to legis-
late in the interests of the people ana we
are not,' replied the new man.
"Ouestion their motives! Question
their motiyesi', exclaimed the old man.
"Don't let the Democrats get credit Tor
anything"
There were, however, too many new
men for the old leaders and Mr.. Benny,s
bill will be reported. Whether 1t Will De
passed is another thing
The House passed Mr.. Murphy's Dill
authorizing the Boulevard Commissioners
of Hudson county to pass ordinances and
make rules and regulations to regulate the
travel thereon by heavy trucks, the rate
of speed thereon, the use of the boulevard
and manner thereof, declare what shall
be nuisances in abutting lots, to prevent
cattle. ETC., from running at large there
on, etc.
Mr. Benny's bill abolishing capital pun
ishment and making the law retroactive,
came up this morning. Mr.. Benny ex-
planned that it was to meet the case of
Clifford, the slayer of Superintendent
Watson. He told how the jury in their
verdict recommended the murderer to
mercy and read affidavits by Thomas
DAILY. William Clark and Robert Allen,
three of the jury that convicted Clifford,
setting forth that they stood out
for a verdict of murder in the
second degree and only consented to
the verdict rendered when the re-
commentator to mercy was added,
believing that such recommendation
would mean Imprisonment for life. Mr.
Benny made a strong appeal for the bill
and succeeded in getting twenty -eight
votes for the measure to twenty-five
against it, three short of enough to car
ry it.
Mr.. McDermott's bill, authorizing the
changing of the route of the Oakland
avenue sewer SO as not to conflict with
the improvements on the Erie tunnel was
passed by the House
The Senate spent most of the morning
debating the bill limiting the eompensa-
ton of the special judges of the Court of
Errors and Appeals, outside OF their at
tendance upon court, to six days term.
Mr. stokes said the bill was in the right
line bat was inclined to be parsimonious.
He said he would like to see the time
limited to ten days.
Mr.. W. NJ Johnson the self-appointed
watchdog of the treasury, had no objec-
ton to taking the sense of the Senate on
the number of days to be allowed but
he thought action should be taken at
once on the bill so that the Appropria-
ton Committee could know what appro-
prlation to make. He explained that the
pending bill. which was introduced by