The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-03-01
GOVERNOR SIGNS.
He Consulted Friends and
Decided Not to Keep
State In Doubt.
ASKED GREY's OPINION
But Didn't Wait for Decision
as to Constitutionality of
the Meeker Bill.
ASKED GREY'S OPINION
Especial to "rhe Jersey city News."l


Especial to s'The Jersey City News"1
TRENTON, March /, 19O1.-Late yester-
day afternoon Governor Voorhees, signed
Mr. Meeker's bill doing away with spring
ieiections IN all cities OF the State.
The Governor studied the bill all the
| day, large part of the time being in con-
ference with Attorney General Grey.
4 AS several cities were in a turmoil as 10
the uncertainty, the Governor thought ii
bEsst that his conclusion in the matter
should be determined as quickly as posi-
BILE.
1t had been expected that the Governor
would simply file the bill without his ap-
proval
While studying the measure he said
that he was endeavoring to satisfy him
sell that the law would be constitutional,
as 1t would be a serious matter should
/ the whole scheme be upset by the courts
On technicality in conflict with the Con-
/ stitution.
After seven hours consideration, the
Governor decided that the bill was de-
manded by the Representatives of the
people, and that as he was satisfied of its
constitutionality, he would sign it.
| The bill exempts towns, townships and
boroughs
Terms of office holders are extended to
January / succeeding The date at which
the terms of office holders would other
wise expire.
Just why Governor Voorhees, changed
his position on the matter is not fully
known, but the impression obtains that
the men who lobbied the measure
through the Legislature have in return
f0r 10 Sio i'm of, +bo T.;1I
the Congressional redistricting of the
State put in such shape as will be sat
isfactory to the Governor. This will
mean the knocking out Of the plan of
the Mercer county politicians and the
placing of Congressman Charles N. Fowl
er of Union in a Republican district.
Before signing the bill the Governor
held consultation of more than two
hours duration with Attorney General
Grey. The Attorney General left the
Governor, ostensibly for the purpose Of
preparing an opinion as to the constitu-
tionality Of the measure and spent the
remainder of the day in the State Lii
brary, poring over law books. But the
Governor did not wait for any opinion
from the Attorney General When he
got ready to make for his home in Eliza
beth he simply appended his name to the
bill and left the State House
The new law, unless it is appealed to
the courts and there declared to be uncon-
stitutional will extend the terms of all
the members of the City Hall gang That
is why the gang was so industriously lob
bying for the measure while it was before
the Legislature. Some of the local Re-
nllbiCan Offioa 81
House at all times when the law makers
were in session. The local forces were
led by City Clerk Murray and Tax Re-
ceiver Baker, both of whom are benef-
Charles to the extent of many hundreds of
dollars, as a result of the passage of the
measure.
A somewhat incongruous condition OF
affairs will prevail in almost every county
in the State by reason of the fact tnat
the law will apply to cities only. In Es-
sex, hudson, Camden, Mercer, Union and
Passalc counties this application will af-
fect majority of the voters, but in some
OF the rural counties that are without
Popuious cities a comparatively small
number of citizens will feel the effects of
the measure while in several counties it
will not apply at all.
A>eW Jersey mas many towns, townships
and boroughs that are more populous
than some of the cities, but as thew do
not come within the provisions of the act
their spring elections will not be disturb-
ed Thus the voters oe Brigantine CIV
m Atlantic county which, according 10
me recent federal census boasts a nonu-
latlon of ninety-nine, will have its cleo
tlons combined, while the town of Mont
clair, in Essex county, with its Is. .962 pan-
ulatlon, will go on in the old wav ana
hold spring election
Out of Bergen County's total ponula-
ton of rs, AL only the $3.50 who live in the
city OF Englewood will come within the
purview of the act, but the 9433 who he
side in Hackensack, the County seat win
escape because Hackensack is a town
In Burlington County the city of Beverly
will consolidate its elections. but the
township of Northampton will not. vet
Beverly has but 1880 population, while
Northampton has 5,16S.
Down in Cape May they have two cities
the combined population of which is g..
o64, and they will have to come in line. but
township, whose name is Dennis in the
same County, has 2,77S people,- who win
- - Wins ~ tiIe old way. Cumberland
has two cities, Bridgeton, with 1888 peo-
pie, and Millville with 1858, but Glou-
cester only has one, that being Woodbury.,
with population of 4,0S7.
Hunterdon, with its population of 34,-
os7, also has but one city. Lambertville
in which 4,6S7 persons reside. Over 1900
Of Middlesex County's population live out
side of the cities of New Brunswick and
Perth Amboy, and Monmouth mas S2,G57
population, of which but 4,14S reside in As
bury Park. Morris, with its 65 5,l56 popula-
ton; Somerset, with 80. .94S; Sussex, with
A,134, and Warren, with 37,7S1, are with
out single city among them. so that, all
told, the Meeker bill will affect only about
sixty per cent. of the voters of the State