The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-16
DUNN REPEATER.
Bill Changing the Mode Of
Admission to the Bar
Passes the Senate.
ONLY CITIZENS NEED APPLY
House Measure Limiting EN-
ployment on Public Work
Goes Through Unani-
mously.
ONLY CITIZENS NEED APPLY
especial to ..rhe Jersey city News."l

TRENTON, March 16, 1S99.-The Senate
Chamber yesterday afternoon ~resounded
| with the e~Ioquence of several Senators
as they spoke for and against various
measures. In fact it was the general
impression that too much time was
wasted in the vocal pyrotechnic display.
The first bill that provoked the oratorical
| risibilities of the Senators vas enator
Van Cleef's measure repeating the Dunn
act. This act, it will be remembered,
permits a man to apply for m
for admission to the bar upon a certificate
that he is a fit and competent person to
become a lawyer, signed by five coun-
sellers, without serving a clerkship in
a lawyers office. The bill came up for
final passage and was opposed by Mr..
Martin, of Sussex, who thought that the
Dunn act, as it now exists, opened the
door for worthy young men to study law,
who could not afford to devote three or
four years Of their time to the study Of
the law as was required by the old prac-
tice. The test of a young mans ability
to practice law should be his capacity to
pass the examination of the Supreme
Court, and not the mere fact that he
had spent three years in a lawyers Off
ice AS a matter of fact young men hi
register in an attorneys office usually
fritter away their time for the first
years of their clerkship and do their
studying the last year or two.
Mr.. Pitney argued in favor of the bill.
The object of spending in a law Office the
three or four years required by the old
rules, he said, was not to demonstrate
the candidates ability. but to give him
from a legal standpoint. The Supreme
Court examination would test a mans
book knowledge, but not his general fit
ness for the general practice of the law.
1t was not the lawyers, who wanted the
bill, he declared, but the people who had
litigation in the courts.
The bill was also favored by Mr.. Nc
Dermott. who thought it a good measure.
Three years, he said, were more than
enough to learn legal definations and draw
up papers, but they are not too long to
absorb the principles of the law and that
was the main point in the consideration
of the whole subject. The Dunn law was
well intended, but it did not operate
satisfactorily. How could a lawyer GER
tify, as was required under the law,
that the candidate was fitted to practice
law?
President Reed called Mr.. Francis to the
chair and spoke in favor of the law. He
said, he understood that the Supreme
Court intended if this act passed, to frame
a rule to meet cases, where young men of
exceptional ability presented themselves
FOR "a Jraiccion fotho hor vvff6oI,t fbrQa or
four years study in a law Office. The
Court had power to pass such a rule.
The bill was advocated at length by
Messrs. Cross n Jackson and Mr.. Nc
Dermott offered ar amendment providing
that the act should not take effect until
July 4, SO that young men now preparing
for admission under the Dunn act might
have an opportunity to be admitted. The
amendment was lost by a vote of 8 to II.
Then Mr.. Martin again attacked the bill
at some length. A vote was taken and
the bill was passed by a vote of IL to 10.
The Senate then took up the House bill,
which provides that only citizens of the
United States shall be employed upon any
public work of county or State. Mr..
Ketcham and Mr.. Johnson of Bergen
spoke in favor of the measure. Mr.. Nc
Dermott said he did not believe in the
measure. nor did he think public contracts
should be governed by such rules. Be
sides, such legislation did no good. 1t
only created a lot of paupers to be sup
ported by those who did work.
Mr.. Pitney aid work should be given 10
all who cams to this country in good
faith and wished to enjoy the privileges
of our institutions and our flag. For
others he had no sympathy.
This view was supported by Mr.. Cross,
who said that if there was work for all
he would not discriminate, but if a choice
was to be made he was for citizens first
every time. The bill finally passed unan-
imously.
The House bill authorizing the merger
of the Northern Railroad into the Erie
was taken up. Mr.. johnson of Bergen
strongly opposed the measure, and said
that his section of the State, was against
the merger of the W roads. He referred
to the ABSORPTION of the Susquehanna and
Western by the Erie last year. and said
that the result was the withdrawal of
trains on the Susquehanna and the dis
charge of many men. While the North
ern was at present practically owned by
the Erie still remembering last years ex-
perience. he did not know but that a mer-
ger might effect more seriously than can
now be carried out.
Public convenience would be promoted
by the merger, Mr.. McDermott declared,
as trunk lines were able to handle traffic
better than branch lines. Previous to 1855
such a merger could be effected outside,
but a law passed that year required the
lease to be approved by the Legislature.
The bill passed by a vote of 10 to 6.
Mr.. w. M. Johnson offered a joint re-
solution authorizing the Governor, Comp
troller and Treasurer to ascertain the
probable cost for certain improvements
at the State House. The purpose is to
provide a suitable Senate Chamber, to-
gether with some other State House i'm
provemcnts, and the committee is to re-
port to the next legislative session.
The object of this resolution is to se-
cure a modern and up-to-date Senate
Chamber, the present hall being in many
respects Anticipated and old fashioned.
Considerable amusement was created in
the Senate when Assenlblyman Whites
bill authorizing the catching of suckers
with hook and line came up. The Presi-
dent asked the usual question, ssWho
speaks for the bil?" There was no re-
Spouse.
Mr.. White, who is a venerable, gray
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