Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-03-30
LOOKING BACKW ARD.
What the Legislature Did and
Did Not Do.
WERE FEW PARTISAN MEASURES.
Five Hundred and Forty-nine Bills
Were Introduced, and Two Hum
dred and Thirty-one Became Laws.
some of the Important New Laws.
Especial Correspondence.l

Especial Correspondence
Trenton, March 2S.-The legislature's
work is now before the public, and the
public have been busy discussing il
since final adjournment on Friday nigh
asst. There is comparatively little ever
for a Democrat to find fault with in the
actual accomplishments of the session
the Republicans having taken pains tc
pursue a conservative course, but the
failure to enact certain laws, especially
of an anticorporation character, is made
the occasion for censure in some guar
tiers. As an evidence of the nonpartisar
nature of the legislation it may be re-
marked that the lawmakers persistent
ly refused to lend their assistance te
the efforts made TO give Republicans
control of various lucrative offices II
Jersey City and Newark and also sal
down on the projected measure to ousi
all the Democratic deputy keepers al
the state prison and to turn the institu-
ton over to Republican control. The
backs of the lawmakers were doubtless
stiffened considerably by Governor
Voorhees, firm attitude on the subject
of partisan legislation. The only par
tisan bills that passed were two ena-
bling the Republicans to strengthen
themselves by ward line changes al
New Brunswick and Trenton. 1t was
noticeable that politics played but q
small part in the work of the session
On some of the most important bills
presented during the winter Democrats
and Republicans worked side by side
for and against final passage.
Corporation Matters.
The Democratic members. il is true
made it disagreeable at times for the
Republicans by urging all kinds Of anti
corporation legislation. Bills for equa
taxation of corporations and of individ-
uals, bills aimed at the formation Of
trusts, bills intended for the purpose OF
preventing further sales outright Of
riparian lands. were introduced by the
Hudson county Democrats, and wher
the Republican committees were moi
disposed to report the Democrats made
the welkin ring with denunciatory elo-
quence. In the closing days of the SEES
sion an antitrust bill was sent in by the
attorney general at the request of tht
house of assembly, but it was too i'm
portant measure to be hurried through
The sensation Of the closing days wa:
the passage of a bill favorable to the
amalgamation of the lighting compa-
MES of the state and under which. a:
alleged combinations of various sorts
may he formed in restraint of trade
The bill came from Senator johnson o.
Camden county and was understood t.
be in the interest of some small compa-
ny down in that section of the state
Following is its text:
1. Any corporation of this state except
railroad and canal corporations. may
hereafter, with the assent of two-thirds
in interest of its stockholders, either ii
person or by proxy. lease its property anC
franchises to any corporation. and every
corporation of this state is hereby au-
thorized to take the lease or any assign
ment thereof for such terms and upor
such conditions as may be agreed upon
and that any such lease or assignment. OF
both. heretofore made are hereby yalidat
ed; provided, however, that nothing here
in contained shall be construed to author
ize any corporation which is now spe
officially prohibited by law or by its GER
tificate of Incorporation from leasing it:
property or franchise to do SO, nor to au
thorize the leasing by any corporation
without the consent of the legislator,
when such consent is now specifically re
quired by any law of this state.
Powers of Committees.
A rather interesting feature Of tn
session was the insistence by Presiden
Reed of the senate that there is n,
power to compel the chairman of com
nittee to report bill. The committe,
on revision of laws, of which Senatol
Pitney was chairman, refused to repor
Senator McDermott's bills to proven
the sale of riparian lands and to giv'
the right of condemnation of lands t
Contractor Flynn CT New York, whs
has undertaken to supply Jersey City
with water Senator McDermott made
hard fight for his bills, and when h,
failed to influence Chairman Pitney hi
moved to have the committee discharg
ed from further consideration of this
measures. 1t was here that Presiden
Reed made his ruling. holding that sucl
motion was never in order, and wheI
Senator McDermott challenged the pro
duction of a precedent he was reminded
that Senator Adrain Of Middlesex wheI
president of the senate, made similar
ruling. President Reed remarked tina
this being a Democratic precedent, j
ought to satisfy Senator McDermott
President Adrain used to say that i
was the only logical disposition of III,
matter. as the rules of the senate pro
vide that bills shall be committed to I;
committee but say nothing of taking
them from the committed Presiden
Reed held also that it has been the or
binary practice in the senate to lie
committees hold bills.
In the assembly there is a rule pro
viding that committee may be dis
charged from further consideration 0
a measure if it fails TO report. The ma
jority sustained President Reed In hi
ruling. but there was some feeling tina
the rule is hardly a justifiable one ans
that the president would have made al
excellent innovation If he had departe,
from precedent in the matter. Unde
the rule as interpreted by Presiden
Reed the chairman of a committee i
a law unto himself and can defeat tn
wishes of the other 20 members of tn
senate if he so elect. Once a bill is re
ferred to him there is no power but hi
will to release it. Senator Martin al
luded to bill of his which two mem
bers of a committee Constituting a ma
jority) were willing to report, but the.
could do nothing because the chairman
was not favorably disposed. OF cours
there are different opinions on the sub
iect. Senator Pitney going so far on on
occasion as to say that he considered I
to be a committees duty in all case
to hold a bill unless good reasons wer
assigned for passing it, He though
this was a committees function in or
der to save the main body from TIL
consideration of so many measures.
would appear. however. as If this vfey
Of the case excluded the provision mad
in the rules under which committe
may report a bill adversely The rule
provide that committees may dispose 0
a bill as follows: Either report it ia
vorably, report it without recommends
ton, report it with or without al
amendment or report 1t adversely.
is true that not all bills are reported
hut whether this is in accordance witt
the spirit of parliamentary law or
perversion Of it must remain an opel
question.
President Reed, like Speaker Wat
kins. made fair and popular presid
ing officer Both these gentlemen wer
highly praised by the minority at tn
close OF the session.
Some Defeated Measures.
Five hundred and forty-nine bill
were introduced during the session
s1S in the house and 231 in the senate
Two hundred and thirty-one becam
laws Under the system adopted b
Governor Voorhees, the Legislature wa