The Penn's Grove record., 1907-01-11
STATE LEGISLATURE
Assembly and Senate Organize
Amid Many Floral Tributes.
CONFLICTS IN BOTH HOUSES.

emocrat Demand Provision Be
Made In Rules by Which All Meas
ures Must Be Reported by Commit
tees-No More "KiIIing" of Bills
Final Action Later.
Especial Correspondence
Trenton, Jan. 10.-Amid scenes Of
activity that have been seldom wit
messed at the state capitol the one hun
dred and thirty-first session of the
New Jersey legislature convened
Tuesday afternoon. Each house was
organized, committees were named
and Governor Stokes annual message
was received and adjournment was
taken until next Monday night. Both
the upper and lower houses were con-
verified into veritable flower gardens,
the desks Of the legislators being al
most hidden by masses Of flowers of
every description and design sent by
admiring friends. The fact that the
house this year is Democratic by a
majority of two votes, while the SEN
ate remains Republican, added interest
to the proceedings and attracted a
large number Of visitors.
The senate was organized by the
election of Bloomfield II. Minch of
Cumberland as president, the re-elec-
ton of Howard L. Tyler Of Cumber-
land as secretary and the naming of
these other officers: Assistant secre-
tary, William H. Albright, Gloucester;
journal clerk, John w. Cliff, Union; as
sistant journal clerk, U. S. Grant,
Ocean; sergeant-at-arms, John F. Low
EFT, Mercer; assistant sergeant-at-arms,
George f. Streeker, Burlington; bill
clerk, Harry G. Walter, Essex; as
sistant bill clerk, William N. Conkling,
Somerset; supervisor of bills, Edward
A. Sexsmith, Monmouth; clerk to COM
mittee on printed bills, Howard Keas-
by, Salem; doorkeepers, G. Clay Lewis,
Atlantic; Edward Lyons, Bergen; J..
L.. Fisher, Essex, and w. w. French,
Somerset.
William G. Murphy of Camden was
named as private secretary to the pres
ident. He served in the same capacity
last year during the term of President
Bradley.
New Senator's Sworn In.
The senators elected last fall were
sworn into office, the oath being adj
ministered by Senator johnson o. Cor
nish of Warren, the temporary presi-
dent. These members are Jacob G..
Price, Sussex, reelected; Samuel K.
Robbins, Burlington, who was speaker
of the 1906 house Of assembly; Rob
ert e. Hand, Cape May; William G..
Gebhardt, Hunterdon; George S. Silzer,
Middlesex, and John Hinchliffe, Passaic.
Senators Hand, Gebhardt and Hinchliffe
were former members of the body.
Senator Hillery, the Republican leader,
in his speech nominating President
Minch spoke of the need of open SEN
ate consideration Of every bill If its
i%ntroducer desired to have it brought
before the senate. When the adoption
of the rules was under consideration
Senator Minturn offered an amend
ment fixing a limit of ten days as the
time bills should be in committee and
requiring that they be reported to the
senate at the end of that time unless
an extension should be granted by a
three-fourths vote. This amendment
was supported in speeches by Senator
Colby of Essex, the new idea Repub-
lican exponent; Senator Minturn, the
Democratic leader; Senator Gebhardt
and Senator Silzer. Senator HilIery
stated that he favored open considera-
ton of all measures, but that he felt
the amendment was too radical. In
this view he was sustained by Sem
ators Lee, Avis and Wakelee.
HilIery Resolution Adopted.
After considerable debate the amend
ment was lost and the original resolu-
ton of Senator Hillery, embodying the
adoption of the 1906 rules, was passed.
Senator Colby suggested that the COM
mittee limit be made three weeks in
stead of ten days. Senator Avis was
of the opinion that the necessary vote
for extension of time should be chang
ed from three-fourths to two-thirds,
and Senator Wakelee gave due, solemn
and formal notice as he smilingly said
"in keeping with the rules just adopt
ed" that he would later move an
amendment to the rules contain
ing the composite ideas adduced by
the interchange of thought upon this
important topic of free and unrestrict-
ed consideration of all bills. This was
a most important feature of the ses-
sion and will have an influence upon
all matters to come before the body
during the life of this legislature of
1907. 1t means, if faithfully carried
out, an end to the killing" Of bills in
committee; it also NEAR that every
bill will be debated upon the floor on
its merits and that both majority and
minority will go on record before the
people as to their absolute attitude Oh
the respective measures. Senator Hill
lery struck the keynote of this new era
in legislation in an address in which
he stated that the time had come when
every public man must stand upon his
own record and that he can no longer
hide himself behind mandate Of party
or shield himself from criticism by set
ting up p~artisanship above fealty to
his constituents and duty to the state.
AID Interim Appointments.
Governor Stokes sent to the senate
the following ad interim appoint
ments: Benjamin A. Vail, circuit court
Judge; Henry S. Scovel, prosecutor Of
the pleas Of Camden county; John G..
Horner, president judge of the Burling-
ton county courts; Frank G. Lloyd,
circuit court judge; Theodore Sense
man and John H. Moore, to the board
of managers of the S~anitarium For
Tuberculous Diseases; Thomas w.
Trenchard, justice of the supreme
court. The appointments of Judges
Vail and Homer were Immediately
confirmed, as they were former SEN
ators. The others took the usual
course of reference.
The hOuSa took cOnsidnrah 1a time t0