The Penn's Grove record., 1912-10-04
PUTS MANY LAWS
IN DISCREDIT
Decisions in Grade Crossing
Bill Might NulIify Others
REEVES AN OLD QUESTION
Many important Measures Vetoed by
Governor and Passed Over Veto
No Act Valid After an Ad-
journment of Five Days.

journment OF FiVe Days.
Especial Trenton Correspondence
Trenton.-The probable invalidation
of every bill passed by the legislature
over the veto of Governor Wilson after
it's return from it's recess last April is
likely to cause no end of turmoil and
very much of a tangle under the de-
cision of the Supreme Court in the
Pierce grade crossing bill. The court
has by this decision laid down the
principle, long under dispute through
varying constructions Of the exact Ian
guage of the state constitution, that
an adjournment of the legislature for
more than five days invalidates any of
its measures becoming laws automati-
cally. In the case of the Pierce bill
there was the additional tangle due to
the question as to which house of the
legislature gave it real origin, and this
involved the return of the measure
with the governors veto message. AS
it finally passed it was not the Pierce
measure at all, but a substitute by the
house for the senate committee substi-
tute for the Pierce bill, and it was
upon this hypothesis that Speaker Nc
Gran took the ground that the veto,
having gone to the senate, did not
reach the house, in which the bill
Originated" within the time specified
by the constitution. The supreme
court, however, decides that the legis-
lature by it's adjournment for a period
of twelve days prevented the return
of the measure by veto, and that thus
the measure becomes nullifed.
Other Measures Affected.
Under this ruling some very impor-
tant measures may also fall by the
way, among them the following, which
had been passed over the governors
vetoes at the session to which the leg
islature returned: Grade crossings,
chapter 412; congressional reappor-
tionment, chap. All; 50-year franchise,
chapter BIT; Morris canal investigat-
ing commission joint resolution No.
10; allowance by courts of 81 a day to
indigents, chapter 3S1; new Camden
charter, chapter 405; salary increase
of $1,000 to secretary Of civil service
commission, chapter 1888; state prison
parole bill, chapter 1884; appropriation
bill for incidental expenses of the leg
i~slature this year, chapter 389; am
nesty for election candidates who did
not file election expense bills last
year, chapter 403; election bill, author
izing nomination petitions to be signed
by twenty-five voters of a ward, town
ship or borough, chapter 1888; election
bill, requiring Congressional petitions
to be filed thirty days before election
with county clerks, and twenty-five
days before with secretary of state,
chapter 1882; election bill, volunteer
transportation of voters, chapter 401;
rope fire escape, chapter 379; author
izing widening and Strengthening of
roads, chapter $50; permitting grand
jury stenographer, chapter 400; turn
pike, auto toll, chapter 410; toll bridge
companies, chapter 1856; authorizing
process server for sheriffs, chapter
1856; B%ridgeton Council, chapter 404;
new prison labor commission, chapter
402
General Modification.
Some of these bills, as well as the
Pierce bill, were regarded as among the
most important and vital matters of
the whole legislative session Indeed,
they constituted the greater part of
the program of the session, the po-
litical division striking it's contests
sharply over their passage In most
of the cases the bills had been passed
finally by the Republican majority,
some of them having the continued
opposition of the Democrats during
investigation measure, for instance,
came as a compromise in the last
hours of the final session, after efforts
to pass an abandonment bill had
caused the expenditure of much time
and oratory in both houses The so
year franchise bill caused another
long and bitter fight, as it was aimed
at the complete upset of the limited
franchise idea, for which the rogres-
sives of the state had fought for years
and finally managed to push through a
reluctant legislature 1t is probable
hat these measures, now under sus-
picion, will stand as they are and will
be regarded as law unless attacked as
was the grade-crossing measure in the
Supreme Court 1t is not looked upon
as likely that any such sweeping de-
cision as would be necessary to null
lily them all will be forthcoming; but
the best observers at the State House
are inclined to think that such an at
tack would have but Z result, and
that the notification of the measures.