The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1903-07-31
KELLY OBJECTS TO
COMMITTEE.
Accused Building Inspector
Demands Trial by the
Whole Board Of
Aldermen.
TESTIMONY TAKENLAsT NIGHT
It Will Be Decided at Tues
days Board Meeting
Whether the Committee
Has Jurisdiction.
TESTIMONY TAKEN LAST NIGHT

The hearing of charges against Build
ing Inspector Kelly, of enforcing excess
sive fees for building permits preferred
by the manager of the Regal Shoe Com
pany, Henry Rubine and others, took
place before a committee of FIVE Alder
men-three Democrats and two Republi-
cans-and drew quite crowd interested
in politics.
Mr.. Kelly was represented by Senator
| Robert Hudspeth apd the city by Corpo-
ration Attorney Robert Carey.
Through his counsel, Senator Huds-
peth, Mr.. Kelly challenged the jurisdic-,
ton of the special committee to try and
demanded to be tried before the whole
Board. Mr.. Kelly was appointed Build
ing Inspector by the Board of Aldermen
under an act of 1886. No definite term
of office is fixed by that law, but the in
cumbent can be removed upon charges
ideut anu SuSldlHcu. I1e SlS dcCuScu u
charging from So to $75 more than the
regular fee, which is 81 for every thous-
and expended on neutrality-suspicious. in
connection with Alderman Farrell. Com
plants were made to the Mayor. Mr..
Kelly denied the charges against him
and finally three weeks ago a special
session of the Board of Aldermen was
called to consider the alleged charges,
| but found none had been formulated and
that it had none to consider. The meet
ing adjourned without action. It was in
sisted that such charges should be pre-
sented. to the Board. They were subse-
quently presented and special commit
tee appointed to Investigate them. The
committee served notice and copies of
charges on Mr.. Kelly to stand trial be-
fore the committee.
Mr.. Kelly through his counsel, Sena-
tor Hudspeth, last night insisted that the
charges, if any, should be heard by the
full Board of Aldermen in order that his
legal rights might be safeguarded.
The Senator argued that special COM
mittee had no authority under the act of
1886, under which Mr.. Kelly was ap-
pointed to act on the charges and its pro-
ceeding would be entirely useless; that
the Board Of Aldermen as body was
j the only one that could consider the
charges, and dismiss or sustain thems
that. the Board of Aldermen could not
delegate his power to a special committee
i and it was therefore insisted that Mr..
Kelly should be tried before the whole
/ Board. Counsel cited the law bearing on
the subject, but the committee concluded
to proceed with examination of witnesses
and after examining several adjourned
until next Tuesday night, when the full
Board meets, and when the full board
meets, and when it would be determined
whether the committee had jurisdiction
/ or the full Board of Aldermen should
take up the matter.
City Clerk O'Donnell was first exam
ined, ass formality as to ordinances in
connection with building and the Building
Inspector
Counsellor Charles A. Hartshorne tes-
tilted as to the action Of Henry Rubine
and repairs to certain house in connec-
ton with which it was claimed the per-
NIT was being held off.
Several Of the Regal Shoe Company s
/ people and a carpenter testified as TO
some difficulty in getting permit to al
alter the front of their store in Newark
avenue and that they did not get the per-
NIT until $25 was paid for it.
There was general laugh when Regal
Shoe Company's manager in response to
query as to whether he knew Alderman
Farrell he replied that he had ssonly seen
him once,v and when asked if he talked
with the Aldermen, he responded
No, but he was pointed out to me as
1 tba ma Who pafm S25.