The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-08-04
Constitutional Amendments.

The public has but shadowy and in
definite knowledge of the number and
character of the proposed amendments to
the constitution passed by this years
Legislature. There Is no record of their
adoption In the volume of enactments, nor
are they officially on file in the Office of
the Secretary of State But the State De-
partment is, in accordance with law, ad-
vertising them for three months In certain
newspapers of the State prior to the next
election. They are in THE News. The
amendments are among the most import
ant ever made to the New Jersey organic
law.
The first makes radical change In the
terms and election of the Governor, the
Senators and Assemblymen and some
other officials. 1t makes the term of the
Governor and Senators four years; clerks
and surrogates of counties, six years;
sheriffs and coroners, four years. All cleo
lions for Governor and other State and
county officials are to be held every second
year. beginning in 1910. All elections for
justices of the peace and all municipal Of
ficers in cities, boroughs, towns, townships,
ETC., shall also be held every second year,
beginning in 1911. So that elections for
State and county officials will be held In
even~years and municipal officials in odd
at its first session after every federal census,
and not oftener, divide and arrange every
county of this state into Assembly dis
tricts, each district to contain, as nearly as
practicable, an equal number of inhabit-
ants, aud to consist of convenient and
contiguous territory In compact form.
The court of last resort Is clothed with
power to review any such division or ar
rangement made by the Legislature to
ascertain whether 1t is In accordance with
this section, and to declare it null and void
If adjudged to be in conflict Herewith,
when the Legislature shall make a new
division and arrangement, entire or par
tial, as the action of the court may re-
quire. This provision will put an abso-
Lutte end to the gerrymandering evil, that
formerly disgraced the politics of New
Jersey, when the district system of elect
ing Assemblymen was In operation in this
State.
The second amendment relates to the
reorganization of the judiciary, as pre-
pared by the commission appointed under
an act of the Legislature of 1905, composed
of John W. .Griggs, Franklin Murphy,
Bennett Van Syckel. Charles L. Corbin
and John r. Hardin. The principal feature
of this amendment provides for Supreme
Court of three divisions-the Appeals
division, the Court of Last Resort, the
law division and the Chancery division. 1t
will consist of presiding Judge of the
Appeals division, who shall be styled the
Chief Justice, a presiding Judge of the
Chancery division, who shall be styled the
Chancellor, and eighteen associate Judges,
which number may be increased by law
The Appeals division will consist of the
Chief Justice and six other judges. The
other judges shall be assigned to the Law
and Chancery divisions The county
courts shall have and exercise in all cases
within the county such original common
law Jurisdiction. concurrent with the Su-
preme Court, and such other jurisdiction
heretofore exercised by courts inferior to
the Supreme Court and the Prerogative
Court as may be provided by law. All
these judges are to be appointed by the
Governor. with. the advice and consent of
the Senate. This amendment is to take |
effect on the first Monday in February In
the year following its final adoption.
This amendment reorganizing the courts
will do away with absurdities and evils in
the present system which have long been
recognized and deplored by both lawyers
and judges. Under the present system
there is no independent court of last re-
Sort the judges In the Supreme Court,
with the Chancellor, and a half dozen
other judges. sitting In review in the
Court of Errors and Appeals. ON cases
that have already been passed upon by
them In the other courts. The new system
will provide an absolutely independent
court of last resort.
The third amendment provides that
members of the Senate and Assembly |
shall receive annually the sum of $1,000, |
and no other allowance or emolument, |
direct or indirect. for any purpose what |
ever The presiding officers of the two |
houses are to receive an additional COM |
equal to one-third of their al
lowance as members.