The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-03-27
Opposition to the Abandon
ment Bill Grows on All
Sides and It Is Said
to Be Doomed.
PASshl( DECLARES WAR
Unless A Amendments Protect-
ing All Interests Are Addsd
Legislators Will Not Dare
Support the Bill
Special to 'The Jersey city News.'o

Special to THE Jersey city News'o
TRENTON. March 27, 1905.-The
more the Norris Canal abandonment
measure, which has been made the spe-
cial order IN the Assembly tonight, is
discussed by the people whose interests
are involved, the stronger the opposition
becomes to it. 1tis regarded as almost a
certainty that the bill will not be passed
in its present shape, and that unless it is
amended to satisfy all interests there
will not be dozen legislators who will
vote for it. Thirty-one votes are neces-
sary to pass a bin through the House.
AZ a public meeting held in the City
Hail. Paterson, Saturday night, resolu-
tions were adopted denouneing the canal
grab. and Instructions were given the
Passaie County members TO vote against
It. The reasons given for opposing the
bill were:
First Because so far as the pres
ent bill is concerned. Greenwood Lake
is not CONVEYED to the Freeholders of
Passaie County.
Second Because the right to inn
pound and draw water from Greenwood
Lake into the Waaque River viii be
sold, and it is the sense Of this meeting
thar It should not be.
Third Because the abandonment of
the canal will increase the price Of lie
high coal 70 Paterson.
Fourth-Because such abandonment
win injure property values along the
canal
Because the system of drain
age Of parts Of the City of Paterson
viii be disturbed by such abandonment
.'sixth-B Because the Morris Canal
and Banking Company, as its lessees,
has no property rights in the canal be-
yond the rights Of navigation and if
such navigation is abandoned the canal
property should revert to the State, as
was the original intention and condition
Of the grant to the company. We do
not recognize any property rights in the
company if it ceases navigation. We
want no legislation on the subject what
ever. and if the Canal Company does not
use the canal for navigation the State
should claim the property because Of
non-use.
Assemblyman Wright said he would
present an amendment TO the bin to-
night which would set forth that the
measure gave no additional rights to the
Lehigh Valley RaiIroad and the Morris
Canal Company other than was given
them by the original grant from the
State.
Such amendment, if inserted in the
bill. would still leave the ownership Of
the canal basins in Jersey City still open
for discussion 1t would prevent the Le-
high Valley Railroad from perfecting ITS
title to the basin property which, as told
ii the News Saturday. was the real
object sought by the company in the
abandonment scheme.
The amendment it is alec believed,
would have The effect Of knocking out
TIE intention of the Leliigh Valley com
pany 10 sell to the East Jersey Water
Company and Public Service Corporation
properties which should really revert to
lie State when abandoned for canal pur-
poses.
Counsellor William H corbin, counsel
for Tie Iehigh Valley company, when
asked whether. the company would advo-
cate fhe present abandonment bill, or ac-
cept If. said that he could not answer
sreh question until he had carefciI, ex-
amined the measure From what he had
learned about the bill. be said. he
thought its provisions were little too
severe apon the Morris Canal Company
and enforced Too many restrictions.
EfesiarAi afomas = Meearter Of the
t'lelie Service Corporation, said that be
tAarslF tic bili was severe upon the Lee