The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-03-13
Assemblyman ScoVel Last
Night Reported the Nor
gan Bill Which Is Very
Similar to the Defeated
Miller Bill
RENEWAL OF FIGHT EXPECTED
THE BILL PROVIDES FOR A Pop
ULAR VOTE TO DECIDE THE III
cENsE QUESTION AND WILL
PROBABLY BE DEFEATED.
Special to .The Jersey city News.'o

Special to 'The Jersey city News.'0
TRENTON, Mar 13, 1906 Sma1tng
under the Overwhelming defeat which the
Miller local option bill received at tie
hands of the House last Monday even
ing, and which measure he, as chairman
Of the Municipal Corporations Committee
had reported. Assemblyman Harry SEQ
vel. of Camden, last night reported the
Morgan bill from the same committee.
The Morgan bill is almost similar to
the Miller local option measure in its
provisions. except that it makes no pro-
vision for local option. but provides that
municipality so petition there shall be
when 30 per cent. of the legal voters Of
submitted to popular vote the question
of fixing liquor license fees at an amount
named in the petition.
When the Miller local option bill was
under consideration by the House last
Monday evening Mr.. Morgan sought to
prevail upon the House to adopt his bill,
first as a substitute for the Miller bill
and then as an amendment, but both
propositions We're voted down. Assem-
blymen Martin, Colgate, Scribe and sey-
eral other Essex members expoused the
provisions of the Morgan bill and claim
ed it went further and was more satis-
factory than any local option measure
that could be presented 1t did not de-
prive any man of his God inherited
rights. Mr.. Martin, the Colby leader. in
his argument. claimed, and gave the speo-
pie the right to fix the license fee from
81 to $5, 600 or more, if the majority fa-
yored it, which was eminenfly more sat-
isfaetory to temperance people than local
option.
While Mr.. Martin and the Essex dele
CATION voted for the Morgan amendment
they vot ed against the Miller bill This
caused stir among the administration
forces, as it was thought that when the
Morgan amendment was defeated the
Colbyites would do the next best thing
and to be consistent vote for the Miller
bill.
While Mr.. Scovel gave no reason for
reporting the Morgan bill last night when
he refused to do so while the Miller bill
was pending, it was generally thought
that he did so for the purpose of getting
back at the Colbyites, and forcing them
to go on record. He was much disap-
pointed, it is said, that they did not vote
for local option when the Morgan amend
ment was voted down. With their sap
port local option ought to have carried
the House.
In reporting the Morgan bill Mr..
Scovel proposed committee amendment
at the request of Assemblyman Miller
and the advocates of local option, which
win practically renew the fight on the
local option lines. The amendment pro-
yides that local option may also be con-
sidered by any municipality at the same
time that the question of fixing the
amount of license fees is to be decided
by the voters. Thus local option has am
other chance in a disguised form. The
municipalities which vote on the question
may decide on local option or high Ii
cense.
1t is expected that the Morgan bill viii
be taken lip for final passage this after
noon or tomorrow, when the fight on local
option will be renewed. There are few
legislators other than Assemblyman
Scovel and few others who believe that
it has any chance to be passed by the
House. 1t is generally believed that it
will receive the same crushing defeat
that tie Miller bill received.