The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-07
PEOPLES PALACE BILL.
Measure Exempting It From
Water Tax Passes the
Senate Unanimously.
special to .oThe Jersey city News."l

~ Especial 10 III Jersey lily NEWS. 2
TRENTON. March Z, 1S99.-The Peoples
Palace scored-a victory, last night, in the
Senate and secured the passage of the
bill which exempts the Palace from pay
ing taxes on the water which 1t uses in
it's swimming tank. 1t was explained by
Mr.. McDermott as emanating from a rev.
erend gentleman who sometimes made a
nuisance of himself, especially in the pub
lie prints, but who at times was well en-
gagged as at present.
This bill should be entitled An Act for
the encouragement of cleanliness in Jer-
sey City," said President Reed, while
every one laughed.
THAT is its purpose replied Mr.. Nc
Dermott, "and in furtherance thereof we
have a large Republican delegation here
urging its passage"
Mr.. Pitney thought the bill came under
| the clause of the Constitution prohibiting
the special grant of land, etc, to re-
| ligious institutions, but Mr.. McDermott
persuaded him that it did not, and the
measure passed unanimously.
Mr.. w. M. Johnson submitted the mi
nority report of the River Pollution Com
missioners, signed by Mayor Hinchliffe,
of Paterson. While agreeing that legis-
| lative action should be taken as to the
| Passaic River, the report says that no
| law governing this question should be
| adopted as to the Passaic River until 1t
| is clearly demonstrated what the evil is
| that is to be remedied and that the plan
to be adopted will prove efficient. The
| conditions of the lower Passaic are not
such as to require immediate legislative
| action for publication; no reason exists
why all the waters of the State should
be protected from pollution, present and
| future, as a public measure for such leg
islation might work unnecessary hard
ship. Mr.. Hinchliffe is opposed to any
| act this winter imposing o. the cities OF
the lower Passaic an expenditure of s12.-
600, 900 or more for a trunk sewer. He
| favors further legislative investigation,
with a report at the next session.
The report was ordered to be printed.
Mr.. McDermott offered a resolution that
| Senate bill No. 70 be recalled from the
House. This bill, which passed last week
provides that the dedication Of streets,
| alleys, ETC., shall be declared void in cities,
if they a not been used for twenty
years. Mr.. McDermott regretted that ne
was detained in court when the bill was
under consideration, and he felt that II
| had passed without an understanding OF
its provisions. 1t seemed to be a very
sweeping measure. Perhaps some such
legislation was needed in Atlanti county.
but it reached man other sections and
conveyed dangerous powers. MT. NC
| Dermot made quite an attack on the bill
| and pointed out that there was no stipu-
| lation for damages to persons who might
be injuriously affected.
Mr.. Pitney called attention to Section s
which limits the operation of the act to
cities whose charters do not provide diff
ferently.
know of a single city whose charter had
anything to say about the streets referred
to in the bill.
Mr.. W. NJ. Johnson said he was pre-
pared to vote for the resolution If there
were not some satisfactory explanation
of the bill, but its introducer was absent
and it was only fair to await his return
He moved to lay the resolution over til
Tuesday.
The motion prevailed, 10 to Z democratic
in the negative)-
municipal property lying outside the
bounds of the county, gave rise to a dis
sension. After it had been explained by
its introducer M. " N. Johnson It. was
one sided legislation, and should be made
to apply to all kinds of county n city
property. If it did, Newark could in
crease its revenue materially by taxing
county property. AS it is drafted, tbs
bill will subject Newark property to taxes
in other counties, but does not help New
ark.
Mr.. McDermott said the bill would ado
some to Jersey City's burdens but ht
would vote for it rather than to violate
his principles in favor of equal taxation
The bill approached equal taxation, Blu
it would not go far enough till 1t taxet
all kinds of property, except churches
and schools, weherever found He re
ferred to the present heavy exemptions
aying that there were $19, 000,0 c0 worth o.
property IN Hudson county that didn'
pay a penny towards the support of HON,
government. He and Mr.. w. M. John
son then became involved in a discus
sion on the constitutionalty of the bill
which finally passed by a vote Of II to 7.