The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1900-02-09
Especial Correspondence. J

machinery OF U16 Legislature moving
with any degree of regularity or GER
tainty. This was the fifth week of the
session and the actual time spent in
deliberation was about three hours.
Speaker Jones, however, promises bet
ter results next week and has ordered
all the committees to get to work and
the Supervisor of Printed Bills, to
rush the printed bills through. Up to
date there has been introduced in the
House 1874 bills and in the Senate 65
This is low average and it looks
now as if there would not be as large
number of bills to consider as in
previous years.
1t is the old story about the impor-
tant bills of the session, track eleya-
tion, river pollution and the five per
cent interest bills are all pending in the
committees, as is the Morristown Ex-
else Bill. As slight as are the correc-
tions which this bill seeks to secure
for the laws now in the Statute Book,
it is doubtful whether that bill will
go through When the billS was first
introduced some of the correspondents
of the larger papers jumped9on it as a
bran new excise measure intended to
relieve Trenton and Camden, who
have been having some trouble with
their excise commissions. The writers
fancied all kinds of conditions as the
outcome of such a law, and the result
is that everybody is afraid of Senator
Pitney's excise bill. The Senator
himself has explained, until he has
grown weary of making explanations.
He will make an effort next week tC
get it out of the committee, so that
he can discuss the bill on the floor.
It is not often that so trifiing a mea-
sure stirs up so much opposition.
FISH AND GAME DINNER.
The principal event of the week was
the dinner given by Howard p.
rockingham, the president, secretary
and treasurer of the Board OF Fish
| and Game Commissioners. The lively
little mayor of Mt Arlington did MOI
announce that he was going to give 6
spread. - He made one of his usual
visits to the Legislature. He had thC
other commissioners meet him and
they had sitting with the Fish anC
| Game Committees of the two branches
in the interest of new game bill,
which is practically a coditication O.
the fish and game lawsof the State. HI
then invited the committees ''to breal
bread'' with him at mine Host Hide
brechts. He entertained about sixty
guests and it was not by any means
| a slow affair. The dinner was giveI
personally by Mr.. rockingham an6
not the Commission. He was invited
to make his visits to Trenton very
frequent Morris County was vel
represented at the dinner and Senator
Pitney made the speech of the evening.
DELEGATES TO NATIONAL CON
VENTION.
Up to this time there has been little
or no talk about the delegates at large,
and nobody seems to have any definite
information as to who will go to the
National Convention. 1t is settled
that the two United States Senators
will go, and there is some slight talk
about Attorney General Griggs. Gen
eral Sewell is kept busy in Washing
ton and has not been to Trenton since
the night before organization. 1t is
expected that he will put in one Mon
day night there before adjournment,
when he will suggest the date of the
convention. This of course would be
with the consent of the State Com
mittee This one thing is certain, there
has been no chalking of the slate as
yet.
The convention will be held about
the first week i'll May So far, New
Jerseys politicians have made no ar
rangements for a State headquarters
in Philadelphia during the week of
the convention. If the friends of At
torney General Griggs keep booming
him for President, it will be
necessary for the Statesmen to spread
themselves. Many of the politicians
think that Philadelphia is so close
that permanent headquarters will
hardly be necessary.
There is one thing that can be said
of the members of the House. They
are chivalrous. Assemblyman Groves
the baby of the House, asked that
the redistricting bill of New Bruins
wick be made caucus measure and
speedily passed.
He was too modest to make known
his reasons for the haste. 1t leaked
out that he was going to get married
and would be away ON his wedding
trip two weeks and when the boys"
heard that, they decided they would
relieve his mind of all troubles and
let the wedding bells ring. The eau
Gus was held and the bill went through
the house with bells on.
NO CONVICT GARB.
One of the most interesting bills
that has yet made it's appearance is
the Prison Reform Bill There was a
rumor that it was to relieve the bank
wrecker Valentine, of Perth Amboy,
but proved to be canard. Senator
McCarter, who introduced the bill,
says it is genuine prison reform
measure and comes from persons who
are interested in that work. If the
bill should become law it would
make some radical changes in the dis
cipline of the State Prison and the
Essex Penitentiary.
1t provides that after July 1st next
striped clothing shall not be worn by
the prisoners confined in the State
Prison, or any reformatory, county
penitentiary or other penal institu-
rion, except when such dress is order
ed to be worn by particular prisoner
as punishment. The lock step is also
abo lished Punishments under the
proposed law shall not be inflicted
upon a person for an offense commit