, 1906-01-31
Especial Correspondence

Trenton, Jan. 25.-The third week of
the legislative session teemed with
matters of vital interest to the people
of the state. Equal taxation, anti-lob-
by. ballot reform and tax rate prob
lens were the most important of the
matters under consideration. \ great
deal of time was given by the house
judiciary committee to Il hearing Tues
day and Wednesday on the equal taxa
ton bill recently introduced, and the
report of the committee appointed last
winter by Governor Stokes to investi-
gate lobby methods proved fully as
sensational as was expected.
Both houses after busy sessions Mon
day evening and Tuesday morning ad-
journed at noon Tuesday until Mon
day night to clear the way for the i'm
portant public hearings which had been
announced.
The professional lobbyist is a gentle
man of the past If the recommended
tons of the anti-lobby committee are
passed in the shape Of a bill by the
present legislature, and it is extremely
probable that such legislation will be
enacted. The report provides for the
registration of representatives of cor
po%rations appearing before committees
and interesting themselves in legisla-
ton. 1t also provides certain restric-
tons as to lobbyists appearing on the
floor of either house impOrtuning MEM
bers. Other provisions are as follows:
That persons found guilty of attempting
to influence legislation on the floor of Ell
Their house shall be publicly reprimanded
and denied the floor privileges; that news
paper correspondents found guilty of SIM
liar offense shall be deprived of their
desks; that necessary counsel and agents
shall be docketed in both houses and the
list made public by the attorney general;
that no agent Shall be employed condi-
toned on the passage or defeat of any
bill; that no work be done for or against
bills except before committees; that an
agent who does not sign the roll and pro-
duce written authority from his company
within ten days shall be subject to a fine
of 81 900; that the legislature may disbar
agents at its will; that at the close of the
session the lobby dockets shall be deposit
ed with the secretary of state, together
with a report of work of each agent; that
violations be punishable by disbarment
for not more than three years or by fines
not exceeding $1,000.
That the judiciary committees of both
the senate and the house shall have charge
of all taxation and corporation bills; that
the judiciary committees have charge of
all banking and insurance bills and all
franchise bills; that at least two hearings
be had on each bill and that all further
attempts by agents to influence legislation
shall make them subject to penalties; that
Tho n,,hIi, ho aIpaittaI IN a II hoo inuC. that
notice of hearings be published in news
papers; that persons refusing to disclose
interest in hearings may be excluded; that
the introducer be required to state the au-
thor and purpose of his bill; that lobby
lists under suspicion must account for
themselves to the governor and if unable
to do so shall be excluded from the state
house; hat witnesses may be required to
testify in all Investigations.
Robbins Files Minority Report.
Speaker Robbins, as "A member of the
commission, filed a minority report de-
claring that he cannot concur in all of
Mr.. Colby's recommendations. He is
in favor of excluding lobbyists and
says he has met few of them in his leg
islative experience, especially asserting
that there is no need to reflect on the
newspaper correspondents.
Governor Stokes on Monday night
sent the following nominations to the
senate: William L. Lewis, district court
judge in Paterson (reappointed); George
X. Large to succeed A. Burdette Herr
as prosecutor of Hunterdon county, Eu-
gene Finley to be prosecutor of Passaic
county G~eappointed).
uu,o ao,.,tc - Avao,1fsxo .a-s@.
firmed these appointments: James B.
Dill, judge of the court of errors and
appeals; Jay Ten Eyck, judge of the
court of common pleas for Essex coun-
ty; Robert II. Ingersoll, judge of the
district court of Atlantic City; Clement
Sinnickson, judge of the court of com
mon pleas of Salem county; Lewis II.
Starr, prosecutor of the pleas for
Gloucester county; George B.. Wright,
state commissioner of charities and
correction.
There was some opposition to the
confirmation of Judge Dill, but the
senate ratified the nomination by the
governor.
There was a flood of bills in the as
sembly Monday night. The most i'm
portant among them was the Morris
canal bill, which came from MI. Mills
Of Morris county. 1t is almost a com
plete duplicate of the bill which was
passed by the house last winter, but
which was stopped in the senate by
charges of bribery.
To Abolish the GaIIows.
Annfhn.. affOI.t to QhnIioh tho ,oIIaxxyo