Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-02-20
THE LEGISLATURE.
ISnacia1 Enrrnr,,.,,s.


legislative session have passed into
history, and the lawmakers have Just
begun TO show an inclination to hurry
things along. \ surprise was sprung
on Monday night by Senator Hand of
cape May, who presented a resolution
nxing the time for the final adjourn
ment for Friday, March Ii. at 3 p. m.
rms matter is usually regulated by the
leaders of the two houses along to-
ward the close of the session and a
resolution introduced in the house by
the majority leader, where it remains
until day or two before adjournment.
when the senate takes ii up and passes
it.
1t is somewhat unusual to have the
sine die resolution introduced in the
senate, but Mr.. Hand acted in good
faith and of his own accord. simply
because he thought the session should
not extend beyond that time. The res
olution seems TO be satisfactory to the
other members, and unless there is
some unforeseen delay the legislature
NAi OH tllstl
Another surprise was sprung this
week in the shape of the supposedly
dead constitutional amendment pro
viding for biennial sessions of the leg
islature which was introduced on Mon
day night by Senator Johnson of Cam
den. The amendment is similar TO the
one presented last year. 1t provides
that the legislature shall meet only
every other year, extending the term
of the aSsemblymen to two years and
that of the senators to four years. be-
ginning in 1904. The term of the gov
ernor elected in 1904 and thereafter
shall be extended from three to four
years. No change is made in the COM
pensation to be received by the law
makers, and they are to be paid the
same amount as they now receive for
the year no session is held as well as
for the year they actually serve.
Senator Johnson anticipates a bitter
fight and proposes to exert every pos
sible effort to have the amendment
passed. He claims that there is wide
public sentiment in favor of this propo-
sition and that the people are camor-
ing for it. He points to the fact that
it will save the state from 100000 to
$4,000 a year and that the pubiic's i'll
terests will not be interfered with by
having biennial sessions.
State Comptroller Chosen.
On Tuesday at noon the legislature
met in joint session and elected j. vii
lard Morgan of Camden as state comp
troller for term of three years to sue
coed William S. Hancock of Trenton
who recently resigned and whose resis-
nation takes effect today.
Mr. Morgan was selected by the Re
publicans in joint caucus on Monoay
night, and his name was placed il
nomination by Senator johnson OF
Camden. The nomination was second
ed by Assemblyman Horner Of Bur
lington.
The state game and fish commission
is shortly to ask the legislature to Ell
act law requiring nonresidents of the
state to take out Incense for cunning
within the borders of New Jersey
The commission in the past has OPP
posed this proposition, but it has finally
become converted. New Jersey spends
thousands of dollars yearly in the prop
agation of game and its protection, and
those interested in the sport claim that
it is grossly unfair to the taxpayers
and citizens for nonresidents to be per
mitted to gun here without paying for
their fun Other states have laws re-
quiring nonresident gunners to have a
license, and the commission feels that
it is about time some steps were taken
to prevent the wholesale influx into
this state of foreign" gunners. An.
other feature of the proposed bill will
be clause imposing license fee upon
those men of wealth who have private
game preserves along the seacoast and
elsewhere for wild fowl shooting, the
claim being made that these meI
should be made to make up for what
they deprive Jerseymen of by contrib
uting to the fund used to stock the field
and woods with game.
The Morris canal abandonment AND
the plank road bills have not as yet
made their appearance. These will
be about the most important measures
to be considered. and it may be that
they will be held until within a week
or so of the legislatures close, when
they will be passed without creating
much of a stir.
Anent the Appointments.
The Union County Teachers assOcia
ton has Endorsed Charles J. Baxter fol
reappointment as state superintendent
of public instruction, and there is every
likelihood that he will be named by
Governor Murphy for another term.
The contest for the state prison keep
ership wakes warmer as the end OF
Keeper S. S. Moore's term is neared
Two new candidates entered the race
and others may be heard from before
,ong. The candidates in the race are
MI. Moore, the present incumbent
Prison inspectors William H. Carter Of
Burlington and Lysander Watson OF
Monmouth, Prison Center Keeper JohI
Fitzgerald of MiddleseX, Prison Dep
MY Jonathan Goble of Ocean and War
den of Paterson. The situation is bad
w mixed. and it would be hazardous a
this time to pick a winner.
The projectors of the plan to per
petuate the memory of the late Senator
william ]. Sewell by the erection
an equestrian statue on the state cap
itoI grounds seem to be losing heart,
and it may be that the project will be
abandoned. The chief objection to the
nroposition is that such move would
establish precedent that would
eventually cause trouble. Shortly after
the death of Vice President Hobart
there was a widespread sentiment III
favor of having a bronze bust of that
statesman placed in the statehouse ro-
tunda. but the movement was dropped
for the very same reason that threat
ems the Sewell statue plan.
Monument For Princeton.
If the scheme to have the legislature
set aside an appropriation of $4,000
for the erection of a monument on the
Princeton battlefield goes through and
congress can be induced TO appropriate
like sum for the project, magnifi-
cent shaft will rise in Princeton IN
honor of the heroes who fell there.
Bills are now before the congress and
state legislature.
=. -.-..4 ;.-oIx- faxxy IF tho apficinat-