The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-02-15
Committee On Railroads
Gave the First Hearing on
the Question Of Abandon
ment Yesterday
TWO MEASURES UNDER FIRE.
PROVISIONS OF THE BILL
DRAWN BY coURTLAND PAR
KER AND INTRODUCED BY AS
sEMBLYMAN PRINCE AND
THAT OFFERED BY ASSEMBLY
MAN MILLS.
Especial to ..The Jersey city News. y,


TRENTON, Feb. 10. 19O5.The fight
on the Morris Canal Abandonment me..s-
ure is now on in the Assembly, and as
in former years when this troublesome
problem was before the Legislature. it is
likely to provoke lively fight. The
Committee on Railroads and Canals gave
a public hearing yesterday afternoon on
the two measures which were introduced
for the purpose of settling the abandon
ment question to the satisfaction of all
interests.
The one bill was offered by Assembly
man Miller, OF Morris County, who last
year opposed the abandonment schelue.
He presented the bill drawn in the IN
terests of the Lehigh Valley kalroad
Company. lessees Of the canal. 1t is al
most similar in its provisions to the bill
which passed the House last year, but.
was buried in the Senate, owing to the
public charges of bribery which followed
its passage in the Assembly 1t provides
ris Canal and Banking Company. The
Lehigh Valley Railroad Company must
for the repeal of the charter of the Nor
accept the act and deposit $25,0O0 with
the State to pay all the expenses con-
nected with the act. The Governor then
shall appoint three Commissioners, con-
firmed by the Senate. who shall appraise
the value of all the Morris Canal Com
pany and its stockholders shall receive
from the sale of the property such ap-
praised value. Upon such payment the
State shall be deemed to have taken the
rights of the stockholders for the State.
The second bill was drafted by Court
land Parker, the dean of the New Jersey
bar, and was presented by AsseqnblymaD
Prince. of Paterson. It is directly oppo-
site to the Mills bill It provides that
the Acknowledgement be directed to IN
stitute proceedings in the Court Of Chan
Gerry against the Morris Canal and Bank
ing Company seeking thy forfeiture of
its charter for failure ty maintain the
canal in navigable condition. The al
tentative is given the company to repair
the canal and operate it. otherwise pro-
ceedings will be taken to withdraw rs
charter.
The Assembly Chamber was crowded
during the hearing. a large deiegaition
from Essex, Passaic and Morris counties
was present and advocated the adoption
Of the Prince bill. Counsellor William
H. Corbin, Of Jersey City. and James e
schaperkctter. of New York. Looked af-
ter the interests of the Lehigh Valley
Railroad
The Prince or Parker bill was first
taken up by the committee. F'reder elk
w. Kelsey, of Orange, was the frs
speaker, but when he learned that he
would be limited TO ten minutes in pre-
senting his argument he refused 4, taS
and gave wav to 6. s. Richardson who
presented netitions signed bv IA COO citi-
zens Of every county exceut Atlantic
asking the Legislature to adopt the Par
ker bin
Mrs R;cba ra,son tben went - n +all
Of : Journey he ,took along tbe tovnatb
Of the canal from philtpsbura 10 Jersey
i dilanidatea CONDITION II which ha
fopna fbe cana sfotynatb rbo ;nnar ia.
IL S the con,n,, !; :, . ssc+;on = Haelz
apslack - sa;d seemed u 10 d,,,nn-