The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-01-29
Prosecutor Erwin's ReVolu'
tionary Struck Grand
Jury Scheme.
LEGISLATORS AGAINST |
Governor Murphy Thinks the
Constitutional Amend
ments Are Dead.

Especial to 1.-THE Jersey City News. j
TRENTON Jan. 20, 19O2.-Prosecutor
James J. Erwin of Hudson county appar-
emily is still thinking OF the Eugene Sui
livan case and does not propose to face
another proposition of that nature If ne
can help it. He therefore persuaded his
friend, Judge Hoffman, who site in the
House for a Monmouth county constltu-
ency, to introduce measure which pro-
vides that when one hundred citizens
present petition to the court for a
struck Grand Jury the court may order
such a proceeding.
The bill meets with considerable op-
position, and the indications are that it
will never emerge from the Judiciary
Committee to which it was referred. The
argument of Mr. Erwin that sheriffs
draw juries which can be made suscepti-
Bile to political '.pulr' and consequently
fragrant miscarriage of justice ensue,
does not receive any serious attention.
Many members of the House who were
spoken to on the subject said that it was
very serious matter to interfere with
the old established law of the land. That
law, they said, had survived many as
sauits and had stood the test of time SO
effectusliy that there wa no reason why
| they should be set aside.
Mr. Hoffman also introduced bill al-
thorizing the destruction of slot machines
captured in raids. The present law places
the entire responsibility on the Prosecutor
OF the Pleas without and method OF oD
tanning a judgment or giving any noti5e
to the owner of the machines and in the
opinion of the Prosecutor is therefore
questionable Mr.. Erwin has frequently
beLe sued by owners of machines which
he has destroyed and he wants some legal
protection.
Another of Mr.. Erwin's bills, introduced
by Mr. Hoffman, was suggested by the
Dale case. 1t seeks to prevent the erl-
baln1ing or interfering with. the bodies
of persons whose death is suspicious
Still another of Mr.. Erwin's bills pro-
vide for an increase of detectives in his
office.
To both Houses of the Legislature Gov
ernor Murphy this morning sent special
| message in reference to the constitutional
amendments, which bears out the con-
tention of "The Jersey City News that
the advertisement of the amendments was
defective and the amendments themselves
in danger.
This is the message::-
Gentlemen have requested the At
torney-General to make an examina-
ton of the circumstances connected
with the publication of the proposed
amendments to the Constitution. Tne
time which has elapsed since made
the request has been so short that he
| has been unable to make thorough
| examination into the matter. But he
| predicated upon somewhat imperfect
1.~o f.,o4 44rt4 frf.y. n rfnh
that errors have crept into the publi-
cation of a material character and
that the publication was not made
| for three months preceding the gen.
eral election, as it should have been.
| The importance of closely observing
the constitutional rule, in suggesting
amendments to the organic law, need
not be enlarged upon and | venture to
/ express the hope that your honorable
/ body will promptly take such action
in this matter as will result in dis
| closing all the facts necessary to de-
termine whether the publica ions made
| have been in accordance with the Con-
stitution.
The matter was referred to the Judici-
| ary committee and a concurrent resolu-
tion was adopted requesting the Governor
be requested to send to the Legislature q
| copy of the Attorney Generals opinion.
In the House Mr.. Fallon offered a
lengthy resolution calling for an investi-
cation of certain associations operating
under the law governing building and
loan associations. The resolution calls
tor a committee of five, which is empow-
cred to hold sessions wherever necessary,
to employ counsel, stenographer and ex-
pert accountant and to send for papers
! and persons.
Mr. Fallon, also introduced a bill pro-
! viding for the repeal Of the charter OF
the Metropolitan Savings and Loan Asso-
| citation Of America. whose main office Is
| in Newark. Mr.. Fallon Gains that this
association is doing a quest 'ona bic busi-
ness among the very poor, and it is that
association that his guns are trained
4 upon.
A bill was introduced in the Senate ap.
propriating 100000 for. a new Senat:
Chamber,