The Penn's Grove record., 1904-01-15
JERSEY LEGISLATURE
Organization Effected Accord
ing to Schedule.
NEW SENATE CHAMBER OCCUPIED
Improvement Calls Forth Much
Prafse = Floral Display In Both
Houses observation-disclosures Likely
to Command Attention of Lawmak-
era.


Houses Observation-Disclosures Likely
to Command Attention of Lawmak-
ers.
Especial Correspondence
Trenton, Jan. 14.-It was not many
minutes after 3 o'clock on Tuesday
afternoon when the two branches of
the legislature were called together
and the organization Of the one hun
dred and twenty-eighth session of the
states lawmaking body was effected
according to schedule.
The two houses were scenes of pretty
floral ornamentation, the desks OF
many Of the lawmakers being piled
high with floral ,remembrances OF
friends. There were crowds in the gal
leries to see the exercises Of the or
%ganization of the legislature, and the
millinery display in the ladies' gallery
as well as the parade of the dress
makers art was second not even to the
floral exhibition on the floors of the
two houses. The new senate chamber
was ready for occupancy, and the few
details about the construction that re-
NAMED uncompleted were not noticed.
New Senate Chamber Admirable.
The new chamber brought forth
many words Of praise and admlra-
ton, and it is well worthy OF all
that was said about ii. 1t is as near.
ly a miniature of the United States
senate chamber as it could be made to
meet the requirements and is finished
in decorative panels, holdings of plas-
ter of paris, scagliola and imitation
marble. 1t measures 40 by go, and the
central part is about t~hirty-six feet to
the dome. There is a seating capacity
in the public galleries of 200.
In the senate Senator Edmund. w.
Wakelee of Bergen was selected as
president. In assuming the Office he
made a few remarks, thanking his col
leagues for the honor they had con-
ferred upon him and asking them for
a continuance of the friendly relations
that had characterized the upper body
since he had been a member of it.
Senator Joseph Cross of Union, the
leader of the majority in the senate,
made the nominations for his party,
and the slate went through without a
hitch. Walter e. Edge was reelected
secretary. The other officers selected
were as follows: Assistant secretary,
Howard L. Tyler, Cumberland; super
visor of bills, Isaac R. Pierson, Morris;
journal clerk, Merchant Meeker, Union;
assistant journal clerk, J. Howard
Sprague, Ocean; calendar clerk, Robert
r. Bastard, Passaic; bill clerk, David
A. MacIntyre, Essex; sergeant at arms,
D. Hart Cunningham, Mercer; assist
ant sergeant at arms, George w.
Mount, Burlington; assistant bill clerk,
Joshua D. Watson, Camden.
The following officers were chosen in
the house, the majority nominations
being made by Leader Everett Colby:
Speaker, j. Boyd Avis, Gloucester;
clerk. James B. Parker, Passaic, as
sistant clerk, Upton S. Jefferys, Cam
den; journal clerk, Robert S. Terhune,
Essex; supervisor of bills, George A.
Grover, Essex; sergeant at arms, Will
liam B.. Lutts, Atlantic; first assistant
sergeant at arms, William S. Dey, Mid
dlesex; bill clerk, Edward Totten, Nor
riS.
William H. Albright of Woodbury.
has been named as Speaker Avis pri-
vate secretary.
Political Divisions Unchanged.
There is no change in the political
--.z.1-4o4s~- - Tho Two h0f7cpG this
year. The Republicans will have a
majority on joint ballot Of twenty
three. In the senate there are fourteen
Republicans and seven Democrats,
while the house has thirty-eight Re-
publicans and twenty-five Democrats.
1t is expected that the commission
consisting of three former governors,
appointed to investigate the matter of
the Morris canal abandonment propo-
sition will have its report ready to
submit to the legislature within a few
weeks. The commission has been busy
gathering data and hearing arguments
for several weeks past and is now busy
on it's report. It is said that a bill will
accompany the report to the legisla-
ture, but all that can be learned about
this bill is that 1t will provide for the
abandonment of the canal along lines
that will amply protect all the rights
and interests involved.
The National Guard.
The legislature is likely to be called
upon before the session proceeds very
far to take some action in the matter
of the states national guard. There is
a question in the minds of many per-
sons throughout the state whether it is
for the legislature to accept
the conditions of the new act of con-
gress governing the militia Of the sew
eral states and generally known as the
Dick bill before it is in effect in this
state. The claim is raised that the
Dick bill regulations and not state reg
ulations now govern the states militia
and that as the men were sworn in to
protect the interests of the state and
nothing was said in their oath about
serving the United States they can now
drop out of the guard at will, mas
much as the state law is no longer in
force and they have not been required
to take the new oath of office prescribed
by the Dick bill. While military Off
GERS profess that no action by the state
is necessary and that congress has the
right to legislate directly for the mill
tia of the several states, there is a wide
difference of opinion, and the legisla-
ture will probably be asked to straight
en- it out.
The matter of affording ample fire
protection in theaters throughout the