The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-12-27
PROSPECTIVE
LEGISLATION.
Important Measures That
Will Come Up at the
Approaching Session
LOOKS LIKE LONG SEASON
Military, Jury Commission,
Franchises and Work
house Wage Bills to Be
Discussed.
Especial 10 .srhe Jersey city News..o

Especial TO .sThe Jersey city News.'o
TRENTON, Dec. 27, 1904-The legis-
latiye session approaches and already peo-
pie are speculating on the probable length
of the season.
Many persons think that if the commit
tees could be induced to do their duty
and report early to each chamber, some
of the bills which are dumped in the Leg
islature in shoals, in the first days OF
the session, there would be marked i'm
provement in this respect.
Others think that the remedy lies in
having the Legislature meet more days
in the week instead Of coming together on
Monday night. holding short session on
Tuesday and then adjourning to the fol-
lowing Monday. Those who trust for
better things in this particular see a ray
of hope in Governor Stokes.
The incoming Governor, they say, has
as pronounced views on this matter as
he has on the question of economy and
reform in the running expenses of the
Legislature, and remembering the sue
cess he had in bringing the Assemblymen
to his way of thinking on that question,
they hope that he may be equally as sue
cessful in inducing the lawmakers to take
his view of the subject of economy and
reform in their use of the time Of the
session.
If the coming Legislature is to main
tain the average in the length of the ses-
sion Of the last twenty years and give
the many important measures which are
slated to come before it the consideration
they deserve, there is no doubt that it
will have to improve its time better than
its immediate predecessors have done.
Each week the number Of bills of more
than ordinary Importance which are to be
In his annual report handed to the
Governor this week, Adjutant-General
r. Heber Breintnall strongly recommend
ed the passage of the bill revising the
statutes relating to the State militia for
the purpose of making them conform
with the Dick law and placing the State
military establishment in position to
obtain government aid.
This bill, it will be remembered, caused
one of the bitterest fights in the Assem-
bly, of last year. Its opponents, led by
the intrepid Swackhamer, of Somerset,
made a successful onslaught upon the
measure in which it is claimed some of
them resorted ito misrepresentation and
equivocation. In fact it was whispered
about the corridors that the champion of
the opposition was posted by a former
officer of the National Guard, who had a
grudge against some members of the
military board, and stroye to defeat the
measure because he Thought its defeat
would annoy those officers. It is under
stood that the bill will be introduced
again this winter, and the indications are
that it will provoke another fight.
The recent remarks Of Justice Dixon, of
the Supreme Court, on the character of
petit jurors has revived the talk of a
commission for the drawing of jurors.
The Bar Association of Hudson is pre-
pairing for a special meeting at which
steps will be taken for the preparation
of bill to be introduced IN the Legisla-.
ture, providing for such body.
This State had such a commission for
just one year, and great many people
thought it was good institutions 1t
was back in 1888.
( The experience which Orange has just
passed through in the matter of granting
permanent franchise for trolley line
through Central avenue has given rise
to some talk of legislation on the subject.
Some persons have advocated the pas
sage of a bill prohibiting a municipality
from granting a perpetual franchise,
while others talk of q State board which