The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-03-24
Assemblyma IN Everett Of Es,
sex Introduces a Bill to
Prohibit Companies From
Giving Campaign Funds
ONLY ONE WAY TO CONTRIBUTE
PENALTY on THOSE DETECTED
is FIVE YEARS INELIGIBiLdTY
TO OFFICE IN ANY CORPORA
TION ORGANIZED IN THIS
STATE

Assenbfyman Everett has introduced
a measure to prohibit corporations from
contributing to political parties.
The bill is as follows:
Be It enacted by the Senate and Gem
eral Assembly of the State Of New Jer-
sey:
l. No corporation now or hereafter or
ganized under the laws Of this State, or
otherwise. solely or partially for pecuni-
airy profit, shall contribute or spend, da-
rectly or indirectly. any money or thing
of value to aid or promote the nomina-
ton of any person as candidate for anx
public office. whether such nomination IS
by caucus, convention, nomination paper,
direct primary or by any other means or
process, or aid or promote the election Of
any person to be delegate to any con-
yention or to any public office; or to aid
or promote the adoption or rejection Of
any proposition that may be submitted
to the people at any election CT to the
Congress of the United States or to the
Legislature of this or any other State
or to any legislative or administrative e
body of any municipality. county or other
governmental subdivision in this or any
other State
2. Any person, being entitled either as
shareholder. policy yholder. creditor, or in
any other way, to share in the profits OF
assets of any such corporation, may ihsti-
tute, at any time within two years after
the discovery of any contribution or ez-
penditure by any corporation in violation
of the preceding section of this act, an
action at law on contract in the name Of
such corporation against such of its Off
GERS, directors on employees as may have
been eognizant of any such contribution
or expenditure hereafter made by any
such cooperation at ths, time when such
contribution or expenditure was so made,
to recover from such officer. director or
employees to and for the benefit Of such
corporation the fun amount of any such
contribution or expenditure so made. If
in any such action so brought under the
prov.s ons of this section. a judgmenS
shall be recovered against such officer,
director or employee the court before
which such action shall have been tried
shall allow to the plaintiff therein such
amount for counsel fees as IN its judg-
ment may be proper to be taxed as part
of the costs of such action. In any such
action so brought, any officer, director or
employee Of any such corporation, cogni-
zant of any such contribution or expendi
turc, shall be subject to appear and tes-
tify under oath in such action, subpoe~
naed for that purpose by the plaintiff
therein, and shall bring such books Of
account or record of such corporation as
he may be directed by such subpoena
to produce; provided, however. that any
such witness so testifying in response to
a subpoena served on behalf of such
plaintiff. shall thereafter not be Liable I'M
der the provisions of this act for any
contribution about which he shall so tes-
tify.
). Nothing in this act contained shall
be construed to prohibit a contribution
or contributions, an expenditure or ex~
penditures on the part of any corpora
ton. for any purpose heretofore or here
after lawful. provided that at regular
or special meeting of such corporation
| called and held in accordance with itS
charter. notice of such meeting being
givel to all persons who would be enti-
tied to vote in such corporation for de
rectors or other persons entitled to be
present and vote at such meeting, shall
! have voted sum certain and shall have
defined the purposes for which said SUN
shall be expended; and provided, further.
that such sum SO voted and the purpose
or purposes for which it is to be expend-
ed shall be advertised at least once in 3
newspaper circulating in the county
wherein is located the principal office Of
such co1.porat ton within ten days after
nd pr0vifhcf1 fVTrfhor "a
such corporation shall file with the Sec
retary of State as part of its annual
statement next after such appropriation
may be voted, the name or names of the
rerson or persons, corporation or corpora
tons to whom or which said money OF
any part thereof may have been paid,
and the service or services in considers
tion of which such payment may have
been made.
4. Nothing in this act contained shall
be construed to change or affect The LA.
! bility of any director, officer or employees
/ of any corporation for any contribution
heretofore made.
5. In case any director, officer or en-
ployee of any corporation, against whom
an acton may be brought under the pro-
visions of this act. shall be nonresident
the action may be brought against him
/ by proceedings in attachment. Any such
attachment may be served upon the rqteis
tered agent of any corporation ef tbs
State against any stock or other interess
in sueh corporation held or owned by ans
such nGn-res dent. and if any such attach
ment be so served, it shall thereup0n he
and become the duty of such registered
agent to notify such person SO served. by
letter addressed to has pOst-offiee AL.
dress as it shall appear upon tile books
of said corporation In case any such
action shall be so begun by attachment
the procedure thereafter shall be that Sc;
forth in the act entitled IAN act fof tie
relief Of creditors against absent and abb
seonding debtors trevision Of one thcat
sand nne hundred and one}, approved
March 90 1901.
G. No person against whom any judg.
nSnt may hereafter be recovered under
the provisions of this act shall fhereaftei
for a period Of Eve years be eligible a
act as officer. director or employee Of any
corporation organized under the laws II
this State.
Z. All acts and parts of acts iIlconsist
ent herewith are hereby repealed ana
| this act shall take effect immediate5