The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-02-01
Two Roman Catholic and
Two Episcopal Dignitaries
Will Advise Ex Judge
Gilbert Collins
MGR. SHEPPARD TOO SEVERE
HIS MEASURE WAS REGARDED
AS OVER RADICAL AND NOT IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRE-
vAILING OPINION OF THE COM
MITTEE.

Sixteen of the foremost clergymen of
New Jersey and of this section of the
United States gathered in Trenton this
week for the purpose of discussing pro-
posed legislative reforms relating to the
liquor traffic The outcome of the con-
ference was the adoption of resolution,
presented by the Rev. DR.. Hugh B. Mac
Cauley, of Trenton, providing for the ap-
pointment Of committee to prepare a
bill to be presented to the Legislature
which shall embody all of the good points
of the existing liquor laws together with
such additional regulations as may be
thought necessary by the interdenomina
tional committee.
The committee named to prepare this
bill is headed by former Judge Gilbert
Collins, of Jersey City. His associates
are Bishop McFaul of the Catholic Dio-
cese, of Trenton; Bishop OsConnor, of the
Catholic Diocese of Newark; Bishop
Scarborough, of the Episcopal Diocese of
New Jersey; the Rev, DR.. Henry Collin
Minton, of Trenton, former Moderator of
the Presby terian General Assembly, of
the United States; the Dey. DIR. George
B. Wight, New Jersey Commission of
Charities and Corrections; the Rev.
Father G. J. Kelly, of Jersey City and
Counselor Peter Backes, Of Trenton.
This committee will meet as soon as pos
sible and prepare draft of a bill which
is to be considered at another meeting of
the interdenominational committee to be
held in the Trenton House, Trenton, on
the afternoon of Wednesday, Febru-
airy IA.
The conference found that the propos-
ed bill prepared under the leadership Of
Monsignor Sheppard, of Jersey City, did
not fully meet the requirements and the
prevailing opinion of the distinguished
committeeman was that the measure sug-
gested might be too radical for practical
purposes.
The bill, as presented by Monsignor
Sheppard, provided among other things
for license of 81, 600 for carrying on the
liquor traffic and that the number of H.
censes issued should be at the rate of one
to ever thousand of population.
One of the most surprising develop
ments of the conference was TIE discov-
cry that the liquor law which are now on
the New Jersey statute books would meet
practically all of the demands of the bill
| of Monsignor Sheppard in the event of
| enforcement of the existing regulations.
It was discovered that about the only
| requirements Of the proposed bill not
covered by the existing laws are those
calling for a high license and a provision
providing that in cases where saloons are
| now within 200 feet of church, school
or armory, that licenses shall not be re-
newed at the vacation of the saloon
premises by the present tenant.
Allssf the liquor laws which are now
| on the books of the State were summar-
| lied for the conference by Peter Backes.
| The efficiency of existing laws was
brought forcibly before the conference
and was probably the sole cause of the
decision to go slow in the drafting Of a
new bill. The resolution of the Rev. DR..
MacCauley was the outcome of it:
The conference was presided over by
Bayard Stockton, lawyer, of Princeton.
Peter Backes, of Trenton, was made sec
retary. AT the outset the objects of the
meeting were explained by Monsignor
Sheppard and then the various positions
Of the North Jersey clergy were set forth
by the Rev. Father Kelly. There was
not hitch in the entire proceedings, and
the only indication of radical action was
the suggestion of Monsignor Sheppard
that the committee appointed under the
MacCauley resolution prepare its report
at once and present it tomorrow. This
/ suggestion was kindly received, but not
considered seriously.
! Father Kelly briefly stated the provis.
ions of the proposed bill. He said that
he had been consulted by brewers of beer
and that this class wanted two classes Of
licenses, one for beer and the other for
spirituous liquors. The reason advanced
by the brewers for this WAS that the beeI
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