The Penn's Grove record., 1909-02-26
Especial Correspondence

day the legislature did not meet TINS
week until Tuesday morning. botn
houses met on Wednesday, and the as
| sembly held a session on Iuesuay
night. An effort was made to clear
the calendar of some of the many bills
pending, and progress was made III
| that direction. Still, the result was not
what could be wished by those who
have entertained hopes that this legis-
| lature would be an improvement upon
most of its predecessors, so that the
state could be spared the scandals
which arise each year out OF the IN
seemly haste with which important
measures are jammed through in the
| closing hours of the session. The joint
committee of the two houses winch
was appointed to investigate the imam
cial condition Of the state and devise
means for relieving the state OF its
present monetary conditions finished
its labors late Tuesday night and sub
mitted it's report Wednesday. 1t was
in session most of the day Tuesday,
and it was near midnight of that day
before it had the report in shape for
presentation to both branches of the
legislature. Whether or not it has met
the situation and has discovered the
means whereby the danger of a deficit
in the state treasury may be averted
remains to be seen.
The house received on Tuesday after
noon a reply from the state board OF
assessors to the resolution of Mr.. Mar
tin asking whether sleeping cars, tank
cars, freight cars and the rolling stock
which is leased or sold on the install
ment plan to the railroads of the state
by the so called car trusts paid taxes
in New Jersey. The reply was a
lengthy communication, the purport Of
which was that the board of assessors
has not assessed the character Of roll
ing stock referred to it in the resolu-
ton for the reason that there was
no warrant of law for such assessment,
but, on the contrary, it was expressly
prohibited, and that under an opin-
ion of Chief Justice Beasley such an
assessment would have been in direct
contravention of the constitution of the
United States.
Colby Visits the House.
Former Senator Everett Colby Of
Essex was a visitor to the house Tues
day morning. He is now a practicing
lawyer and had a east in the United
States circuit court, which meets nov
in the statehouse while the federal
building is undergoing repairs. Mr..
Colby was warmly greeted by regulars
and new idea" men alike, and a reso-
luton giving him the privilege of the
floor was adopted unanimously.
One of the more important transac-
tons of the week was the move to rid
the state Of one of the justices of the
peace who, it is claimed, prey on auto
mobilists. The autoists of this and
n%eighboring states, having endured for
the peculiar tactics of Justice of the
Peace Manfred l.. Mar of Trenton,
have finally decided to endure his per-
secutions no longer and have taken
steps to have him impeached. In the
house Tuesday morning Assemblyman
Burpo of Passaic presented on behalf
Of the Automobile Club of America a
petition asking for the impeachment
Of the Mercer justice.
The petition charged that Mr.. Mar
during 1908 had been guilty Of oppres-
sion, extortion, abuse of his office, vio-
lation Of his official oath and other
high crimes and misdemeanors in con-
nection with his prosecution of auto
mobilists for alleged violation of the
auto speed laws. One of the specific
cases cited in the petition was that Of
]. S. Josephs of New York, who claims
Naar extorted $13.75 from him on a
charge Of violation Of the speed laws.
Other similar cases were given also.
The petition went on to charge that
Naar had extorted sums of $4.75 to
$28.75 in some fifty or sixty other
cases. 1t charged also that the action
for the collection of the fines was not
according to law in that no proper
summenses were issued or other due
proceedings taken.
Committee Investigates Charges.
Saying that the petition was a very
important matter, Speaker Prince re-
ferred it to the judiciary committee,
whose duty, he said, it would be tc
investigate the matter and report its
findings to the house. Upon this re-
port of the committee will depend
whether impeachment proceedings are
brought. The Impeachment, which is
practically an Indictment, is made by
the house to the senate. which pro-
ceeds to try the matter much the same
as the court tries an Indictment. Some
member representing the house acts
as prosecuting attorney, and the ac-
cused is allowed counsel. Witnesses
are examined and cross examined as
they are in courts, and the senate
votes on the innocence or guilt Of the
accused, at the same time fixing the
| penalty, which, according to the con,
stitution, shall not extend further than
to removal from Office and to %disquali-
fication to hold and enjoy any office
Of honor, profit or trust in this state.
IL hto h0ppShCu tiat tlio Sitl1C DtI-
atty has not been imposed, a notable
case being hat of the recorder Of
BayOnne, who some years e was
impeached and found guilty. He was
| removed from office, but not disquali-
fed from holding office again, and at
the next election he was elected again
to the office from which he was re-
moved.
1t is charged that Mar made a prac-
tice of picking out cars that he saw
on the road, ascertaining fromfhe mo-
tor vehicle bureau in the statehouse
| who the owner was and then writing
him a letter, saying that he was vio-
lating the speed limit and suggesting
that he save himself the trouble and
expense of coming to Trenton by send
ing the justice the fine and costs,
which he named. One day last fall
Leslie R. Fort, son and secretary of the