Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-01-22
THE LEGISLATURE.
Correspondence.

the lawmakers this week The house
of assembly held twenty-five minute
session on Monday night and adjourned
for the week, while the senate finished
up its work on Tuesday morning.
Thirty-four bills were presented in
the house on Monday night and TWEEN
ty-eight in the senate. Several bills
made their appearance in the senate
on Tuesday morning, but this lead will
be covered and passed by the house
next Monday night, when a batch Of
thirty or more is expected to be sent in.
The senate on Tuesday confirmed the
following nominations:
Justice of the supreme court to sue
coed himself, Jonathan Dixon.
Justice of the supreme court to sue
coed Gilbert Collins, resigned, Francis
]. Swayze.
Justice of the circuit court to sue
coed Judge Swayze, Frederic Adams.
Next to Justice Van Syckel, Judge
Dixon is the senior member of the SUI
preme court in age and service He is
sixty-four years old and is an English
man by birth. He was graduated from
Rutgers college in 1859 and was ad-
mitted as an attorney at law in Novem-
Der, 1862. Three years later he became
a counselor. In 1876 he was appointed
justice of the supreme court by Gov
ernOr Bedle. He is a Republican and
was defeated for governor in 1888 by
the late Leon Albeit. His circuit COM
prises Passaic and Bergen counties,
but it is likely that he will be given
Hudson county and Justice Swayze as
signed to the circuit now covered by
this venerable jurist.
Justice Swayze is a native of Sus-
sex. He was graduated from Harvard
in 1879 and admitted to the bar of this
state in 1882. He is forty-one years
old and a stalwart Republican. He was
named as circuit court judge by Gov
ernor voorhees, in 1900 for a term of
seven years His salary will now be
$4,000, instead of 1900 as circuit court
Judge.
Judge Adams is a resident of Sum-
NIT and was graduated from Yale. He
has practiced law in this state since
1868. He was nominated by Governor
Griggs in 1897 as judge of the court
of errors and appeals He is Repub-
ican.
As to Sessions Length.
Because of the fact that there is no
governors Inauguration and no cleo
ton of United States senator or other
state officers there is little else for the
legislators to do but to get down to
ov,I of Er1ic
up all the work before them this ses-
sion. When the legislature does get
under way, it is promised that there
will be q revelation in the way in which
the business will be disposed of and
matters hurried along with all reason
able speed. In his address to the sena-
tors in assuming the chair as presiding
officer of the upper branch of the leg
islature President Hutchinson last
week said he hoped the present session
would be remarkable for its brevity.
This is regarded by some as hint of
the position of the leading politicians
and state officers toward making this
session one of the shortest on record.
1t is claimed by those who profess to
be on the inside of things political that
the shorter the session the better every
body will be satisfied. The average
length of the session in recent years
has been twelve weeks.
Taking President Hutchinson's hint
regarding the brevity of the session as
a basis, it is contended that the law
makers will begin early in March to
clean up the business before them and
will depart by the middle of the month,
thus making the session nine weeks
long. Nine weeks have been the short
est legislative term since 1870, and it
is possible that the lawmakers may
get their work in shape to bring about
an adjournment before the 18th of
March. In view of the fact that there
are comparatively few weighty mat
tiers to come up for the consideration
of the legislative branches, it seems
quite reasonable that this could be
brought about, and there is said to be
an inclination on the part of the ma
jority members to try the experiment
and adjourn within nine weeks
To Abolish All Fees.
There is likely to be lively fight
over the first bill of the session intro
duced last week by Senator Strong of
Middlesex, which provides for the
abolition of all fees of county officers.
The measure is in line with the recon-
mendations in the governors message,
but there is every prospect that 1t will
be seriously eombated by the men
whom it affects and their friends. The
bill places all sheriffs, county clerks
and surrogates on salary basis as fol-
lows: In counties of over 100000 popu-
lation, $500; between 100000 and
100000, $4,000; between $4,000 and
100000, 5000; between 10000 and 3d.
900, $4,000; between $4,000 and 10000,
$500; between $4,000 and $4,000, ST.
800; between 10000 and $4,000, $1,000;
less than 10000, $500. While it
is generally conceded that such legisla-
ton is wise and its wisdom has been
proved by the scheme by which all
state officers were placed on a salary
basis, yet there is a decided effort Oh
the part of those interested to have the
bill defeated, Notwithstanding the fact
that It's provisions cannot affect the
present county Office holders But with
their expectation to continue in office
1t can be readily understood why they
are opposed to the measure.
The only other bill introduced on the
opening day of the session creates a
state board to have supervision over all
penal and charitable institutions of the
state and to replace the several boards
now acting independently of one anoth-
er. This idea is borrowed from the
New York state government where
charitable and penal institutions are
SO governed and, from all reports, to
far greater satisfaction than seems to
prevail In this state. The board is to
be composed of four members. This
measure promises to be an important
one and will doubtless provoke unlim-
tied discussion, there being ample ar
gument on both sides of the question.
To Regulate Automobiles.
An important bill introduced was pre-
scented by Assemblyman Scovel of Cam
den on Monday night and pertains to
the regulation Of automobiles. This is
In line with the Recommendation of
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