The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-02-15
THINK IT A JOKE
Republican Leaders Ex-
cuse for Blocking I'm
portant Measures.
ASSEMBLYMEN WAKELEE CORHERED
Four Bills the Legislatures
Record in Six
Weeks.
ASSEMBLYMEN WAKELEE CORHERED

TfbBNION, FeD. 40, I5VV-AhoeHSI "ceh
of the Legislature has come and gone and
the Republican majority has made some
little progress toward doing that to 90
which the people sent it here. Yesterday
afternoons session was short but several
bills mainly of local interest were passed.
The session was somewhat entiyened py
tilt between Mr.. Wakelee, the Repulpl-
can leader and Mr.. Benny, who walks at
the head of the Democratic procession.
The controversy arose over the manner IN
which the Republicans smother objection
able measures and resolutions in the COM
mittees
! Mr. Albeit in accordance with his notice
| of the day before called up his resolu-
! ton recommending the election of United
| States Senators by direct vote of the peo7
| pie. Mr.. Wakelee moved at once to table
| the resolution and on an aye and nay
vote his motion prevailed. Mr.. Benny
voted with the prevailing party and when
| the result was announced moved to recon-
| slider. Then obtaining the floor he said
| II would like to call the attention of
| the leader of the majority to the fact
| that when the introducer of the resolution
| called for it last week he received from
| the leader of the majority his distinct
| promise made before all the members of
| this House. that the resolution would be
acted upon at an early date. The good
! faith of the leader of the majority is in
| volved. I am member of the Judiciary
committee, and so far as 1 am concerned,
| l can say that the matter has come
| up but once and that was when the in
| troducer was present and had word to
| say Since that time there has been no
| action and it is time the leader of the
| majority carried out what he agreed to-"
| The blood sprang to Mr.. Wakelees face
| and quickly jumping to his feet he ex-
| claimed. IT thought this whole matter
was joke" Then recovering himself he
went on:-'We have now arrived at the
point where we must decide whether we
are to stand by the committees or nor
The gentleman from Hudson (Mr. Benny
knows very well that the time of the Ju-
/ dietary Committee has been occupied to
the limit The introducer of the resolution
| (Mr AbbetD has taken up. more time of
| the committee than any other member of
| this House."
This caused Mr.. Albeit to take the
floor with something more than his usual
/ alacrity, and he said:-
/
tees time, because / have in the commit
tees hands bills of vital interest to the
people of the State. had so many un-
| pleasant experiences with my pliis iast
vear-some of the bills introduced by me
| in the last Legislature have not been re-
ported yet-that l intend to keep gong
! before the committees until | get some
/ satisfaction this year. Already piils IN
| the interests of private corporations
private institutions and for special pur-
! poses have passed the House. They were
nearly all introduced after my bill mad
been in the committees hands for severai
| weeks. don't want my bills strangled
| by committees. Let them be reported ad-
versely if the committees don't want to
/ endorse them. We can fight 1t out on the
floor. But it is not fair that three men
should determine what bills are to be con-
sidered by the f1fty-nine members OF the
House."
| while Mr.. Abbett was talking mem
ber from Union named Charles seward
Foote was printing himself to deliver MS
maiden speech. He had been heraldeo
/ at the opening of the session as one OF
the .star orators on the Republican side
of the House. If his effort yesterday
was one Of the best he is not likely to re-
main longer in the stellar class His
/ talk was a defense of what he chose to
regard as an outrageous attack on the
"good faith of the leader. Mr.. Benny
| explained that he meant to in no way cast
any reflection upon the character OF INT.
Wakelee but that the leader had made
| the promise and should live up to it.
..It is time" observed Mr.. Benny, that
we get down to business and stopped
| looking upon matters of grave Importance
| as Jokes. We have been here six weeks
now and practically nothing has been
| done. The people don't send us here to
spend our time in joking while they pay
/ the freight. We are here for business
and not school boy games"
Upon the Judiciary Committee agreeing
| TO Law the resolution before the House
/ early next week Mr.. Benny withdrew his
motion and the incident ended.
! The first measure taken up when this
| ripple had died out was Senator Hutchin-
sons measure to pay a pension of 500
a month to Walter B. English, the young
1 naval reserve, who had both his hands
blown off by the premature discharge OF
a cannon with which a salute was being
4 f1reQ IN QOQ0T OIL fAuiillIdi sodAipoOAis "AiSti
i the State presented him with a sword of
! honor last fall Assemblyman Wood, of
| Mercer made an earnest plea in English S
j behalf. He told of the sad accident and
then related the fact that the unfortunate
victim had depending upon him wife
and two small children. There was not
a dissenting vote upon the bill and it will
be sent to the Governor at an early date.
His Excellency has already expressed
himself as favorable to the measure.
The other bills passed by the House
! ere:-Senate 81, reDeals act of last year
authorizing the Governor to appoint a
supervisor of bills for the Legislature;
! House 95, provides that the bakers shall
not be employed over 60 hours week
House ~, provides that assessment life in1
surance companies may have securities re-
turned to them by certifying that all
obligations for insurance have been fulfill
ed; House S. requires a certificate from
the President or Treasurer Of every cor
poration to be filed with the Secretary OF
State whenever the capital stock is fully
paid up.
Mr. Edward G. salter. of Passalc,
one of the youngest members Of the
House. was of more Importance a little
4 while yesterday than he will probably be
again in some time.
Prior to and during the session Of the