Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-02-26
GOVERNOR AWAY;
ADJOURNMENT ON
TIME IMPROBABLE
Legislative Session May Be Pro-
Nnged as Wilson Builds
Presidential Fences.
DISREGARDS PRECEDENTS
OF FORMER EXECUTIVES
Many Important Matters OF
State Still Remain to
Be Settled.
From a star Correspondent.

TRENTON, Feb. 28.--The Eftzherhert
case, together with the indication that
Governor Wilson does not intend to
dispose of all bills passed by the Leg
islature before the time set for adj
journment by the Republican major
ity. which is March %, win likely take
the lawmakers back to Trenton after
thai date. The. Republicans bad
planned to adjourn sine die then II
the Governor had acted on all legisla-
tive measures. If he had not acted it
was planned to take a short recess
When the Legislature has not ad~
journed sine die the Chief Executive
must, under the Constitution, sign or
veto ali bills within five days after
receiving them. Former Governor Fort
and some other predecessors of Govern
or Wilson Interpreted that section OF the
Constitution to mean that bills must
be acted upon within five days whether
the Legislature had adjourned or not,
but Governor Wilson established a
precedent for himself last year when
he held some bills until far into the
summer.
Netoes MA, Cause Delay.
Ii the Governor writes no veto mes
sages the return of the lawmakers to
Trenton after a brief recess would be
for the perfunctory purpose of effect
ing sine die adjournment. But the
probabilities are that there will, as
usual, be veto messages and that some
measures earnestly desired by the
majority may fall under executive dis
, approval and be returned with criti-
cism. A majority vote of the Legis-
lature is sufficient to override a veto
and there is no doubt that the over
riding process will be resorted to.
The Governor may have his at
tention called to the fact that
he spent last week in Kentucky
and Tennessee-he spoke in Nashville
last night: that the previous week he
was in Kansas and New Hampshire:
the week before that i'll Virginia; an
other week since the Legislature con-
Vened in Michigan, which is only part
of the record, and that, in a word, he
has been absent from the executive
chamber on campaigning tours almost
steadily since the Legislature OF 1912
opened.
Departs From Custom.
1t was the custom of former Gov-
ernors to keep up with the course OF
pending legislation by having all bills
placed before them as soon as they had
reached the second reading stage. In
this manner they were able to act in
diligently upon all measures almost
as soon as they had passed both
houses. SO that even IL the Fitzher-
bert case had not arisen there is little
prospect of sine die Adjournment on
March @.
The attitude toward Fitzherbert
has been tempered within the last
few days. and the Democrats in the
senate are now determined that he
shall get every possible opportunity
10 clear himself of the accusations of
the manager of the Commercial Acety.
lene Gas Company.
It would require the vote Of fourteen
senator's to expel Fitzherbert, and
there are only eleven Republicans in
the upper House.
Important Measures This Week.
The present week will witness the
consideration of some important meas
ures in both branches. The amended
Pierce grade crossing bill is a special
order of business in the Senate for
Tuesday.
The Morris Canal bill will probably
be advanced despite the fact that the
amendments which provide that the
canal may be purchased in sections by
the municipalities through which 1t
runs are not satisfactory to all the In
terests considered. The Lake Hopat-
cong Protective Association Is dissat-
isfied with the provision that allows
the water of the lake TO be drawn four
feet lower by the State Water Supply
Commission than the law now allows
and adopted resolutions against that
feature at a meeting yesterday. The
association will have no objection to
the measure il that provision is cut
out.
The reapportionment bill, ii is said,
will appear this week.
It is likely that the sessions this
week will run into Thursday. House
Majority Leader Whyte said last week
that he preferred that plan to sessions
on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
The clerical force of the House Is serl-
ously handicapped by night sessions
n some of the legislators are much
opposed to them.