The Jersey City news., 1906-04-06
By a Unanimous Vote the
Liquor Measure With the
Avis Amendments Goes
Through
FIGHT EXPECTED IN THE HOUSE
BREWERS WILL SEEK IN THE
ASSEMBLY TO HAVE ALL THE
DRASTIC FEATURES ELIMINAT-
mn
Especial to 'srhe Jersey city News.'o

o. Il 10 the senate yesteruay altci7
noon passed the Bishops bill as amended
with the Avis amendments. There We're
two Senators abs4 bs4nt-Cornish and Price.
both Democrats seven Senators,
| all Republicans, dsdged the issue by de
clining to vote. a prerogative of which
much advantage is taken in that branch
of the Legislature.
The Bishops bill now goes to the
House of Assembly. whese the brewers
will make the fight of their lives to ac-
complish its defeat or at least have its
provisions so modified that all Of its dras-
tic features will be entirely eliminated.
| Whether they viii succeed or not IS
problematical. but the consensus of opin-
ion is that the. bill will not be amended
to any great extent if at all.
! The House will probably receive the
bill on Monday evening, and if Speaker
| Robbins follows the precedent establish
ed by President Bradley of the Senate
he will refer it to the Judiciary Com
mites Of which Leader Randolph Per-
kins is chairman. That there will be no
public hearings given on the measure to
| either the clergy or brewers is a fcregone
conclusion. The House leaders believe
| that the entire subject has been well
threshed out while pending in the SEN
ate, and that further hearings would not
result in anything but delay.
Before the Bishops bill passed its third
reading and final passage in. Senate
yesterday afternoon, Senator Minturn. of
Hudson, on behalf Of the Jersey City
Liquor Dealers Assoc alton, made an
| Intellectual attempt to have the bill plac-
| ed back on second reading for the pur-
pose of amendment. He wanted to
| amend the bill so as to entirely eliminate
| the fifth section which referred to the
! appointment of excise boards in first
class cities-Je1say City and Newark
by the Judge of the Court of Common
| Pleas. instead of the Mayor of the city,
as at present The Jersey City Liquor
| Dealers were opposed to this proy,s on
of the Bishops bill on the ground that
1 Tbo.-
claimed that there was no public demand
| for such change. except that it was
wanted by the Dickinson wing of the Re-
publican party for the purpose Of depriv-
ing Mayor Fagan of some of his powers.
Fearing that if Senator Minturn's sug-
| gestion to place the bill back on second
reading for amendment were adopted
syeeral other Senators who were known
its present shape would take advantage
of the opportunity to further amend and
hack it to pieces, Senator Avis strongly
/ opposed such action. He said he could
not see any good reason for placing the
bill back on second reading for further
reading as the bill and all the amend
ments were thoroughly threshed out last
Tuesday and that if Senator AIinturn
had any further amendments to offer he
should have presented them at that time.
Replying, the Hudson Senator said he
had not learned until yesterday that the
Jersey City liquor dealers were opposed
to the appointment of excise boards by
the Judge Of Court of Common Pleas.
The fact that this provision entirely
changed the method Of appointing excise
4 boards escaped his attention at the time.
| For this reason he sought to have it
amended so as to leave the matter in the
hands of the people.
Senator Mnturn made a strong appeal
for support. He said that tbere was no
demand made by either the clergy or the
liquor interests for such a change in the
law and therefore he could not see why It
had been inserted in the bill
"AIy contention is, added the Senator,
"that this provision is unconstitutional
and therefore it possibly destroys the
effect of the, entire bill. AS neither the
clergy nor liquor interests have demand
ed it l cannot see why it was inserted
in the bill. Why not leave the appoiht-
ment Of these excise boards with the
Mayor Of the city. He stands closer to
the people than Common Pleas Judge,
and if it was satisfactory TO the people
heretofore why should It not be~contln-
ued.'
| None Of the Senators undertook to an