Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-03-09

Committees Busy With Hear
ings on Important Measures.
A NEW QUARTERMAsTER GENERAL
c. Edward Murray, Former City Clerk
of Trenton. slated to Succeed the
Late n. a. DonneIIy-RiIls Directed
Against Military .. rd.
Tspecial CORES endence. ]

Especial CORES endence.1
Trenton, March s.. The week has
been an extremely busy one in legisla-
tive circles. From Mon ay afternoon
until this morning the time that was
not actually devoted to the legislative
mills grind was given to hearings by
committees on important measures.
Among these was hearing on the bill
restricting automobiles Tuesday, which
brought hundreds of autoists of the
state about the ears of the legislators;
an airing of the equal taxation meas
ures, in which great interest was mani
tested, and a hearing on the Morris
canal abandonment bill, which is Of
great interest in north Jersey. The
lawmakers paid up this week for much
of the time that was lost early in the
session.
1t is expected that the name of G..
Edward Murray, formerly city clerk of
Trenton will be sent to the senate very
shortly for confirmation as successor to
the late General Richard A. Donnelly,
Quartermaster general of the state.
Military Board Censured.
The slim showing made by the New
Jersey troops at President Roosevelt's
Inauguration at Washington Saturday
because of the difference between the
legislature and the state military board
over the disregarding by the latter of
the formers direction to send a pro-
yisional regiment to Washington led
this week to the Introduction in the
senate of two bills by Senator Homer
of Burlington which are regarded as
retaliat0ry measures directed by the
legislature against the military board.
Tie first bill provides for reorganiza-
ton of the state military board, which
now consists of the major general,
commanding the division; the adjutant
general, the quartermaster general and
the two brigade commanders. In adj
dition to these officers the new bill pro
vides that the state military board
shall include the five regimental conf
manders of the state
By this bill the men Of the different
regiments will be directly represented
on the board through their colonels. 1t
is claimed by some that the trouble
over the raising of a provisional regi-
nent for Washington would not have
occurred had the colonels of the differ
ent regiments been consulted.
Senator Horners second bill provides
for the retirement of all officers Of the
national guard who have reached the
age of sixty years and allows an officer
reaching such age to retire with Il bre-
vet rank one rank above that which he
holds at the time of retirement, provid-
ing he shall have served the state twen-
ty-fiVe years. This measure if passed
will at once retire -Adjutant General
Breintnall and Inspector General Cong
don, with brevet ranks.
Limited Franchise Bill SheIved.
The bill of Assemblyman Colby of
Essex calling for the limiting of all
franchises granted by municipalities to
twenty-five years has been practically
shelyed this session by 4 committee
substitute requiring the appointment of
a commission of five members appoint
ed by the governor to fully investigate
the matter and report TO the next legis-
lature. 1t is reported that a fight is to
he made On the adoption of the commit
tee substitute. and an effort viii be
made to have passed the original Colby
bill, with probable clause lengthening
the limit Of franchises to fifty instead
Of twenty-five years
Bills Passed by the House.
The house after a short debate pass
ed Assemblyman Pennington's bill
creating a board of undertakers and
embalmers. The house passed these
bills:
House 16y, repeating the act of 1904
for the free distribution of antitoxin
senate joint resolution 3, creating q
commission to inquire as to the mum
Der of miles OF toll roads in New Jer
sey with a view to acquiring the samt
as free public roads: house IA, pro
viding for issuing a confrmatory Ii
cense TO any lawyer who may have
legally changed his name: house 199
providing that when the state or any
municipality is the plaintiff or an ap
plying creditor in an attachment sui
ktU j5U1A t1CSQ DC ely CH DS liz q Dlil per
hitting magistrates in cities Of less
than 1900 inhabitants to impose {
penalty Of ninety days Imprisonment
for violation Of city ordinances; house
81 authorizes commissioners Of adjust
ment and taxes TO refund money pait
FOR property under a misapprehensior
or because Of oyervaluation; house 15t
repeals the act Of April Z, 1908, con
cerning the appointment Of collectors
in second class cities having popu
lation not exceeding 25.000.