Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-02-27
BILL
HAS A HEARING
Prohibit Justice of Peace
Performing Ceremony.
fFrom sAs NEWS oorrsspoaasftJ

~ ~
(Erom ms NEWS corrcspou4snsy
Trenton, Feb. e7i-Strong pleas
fer the passage by the Senate of the
Martin bill prohibiting justices OF
the peace from performing the mar
rjags ceremony made yester-
day afternoon at d hearing on the
measure before the Senate Commit
tee on miscellaneous Business, Sem
ator Lewis. of Burlington, chairman.
The principal ones whozmade. the
pleas were Monsignor John II. Fox.
of the Catholic Diocese of Trenton;
Peter Rackes. Of this city, who WAS
counsel for the committee OF clergy
which backed the Bishops liquor
law; John L. O'Toole, of Newark
who spoke for 5000 members OF
the Holy Name Society, which had
the Martin asu introduced; the
Rev, Father MERRIAM, of Jersey
City Owen p. Mann, former City
Clerk, of Elizabeth; Hubert Rowe,
of Newark, and James Butler, OF
Jersey City. The fact that the mea-
sure passed the Assembly by an YER
whelming vote was used as al argu-
ment that the people wanted 1t and
1t should pass the Senate. e
The opponents of the bill were
Lawyer John Bentley, of Jersey
City, who represented several JUS
tees of the peace; Alfred r. r. Sor-
nson, q Jersey City justice of the
peace, and Leo Fisher, a Justice of
the peace OF this city.
Opponents Spesk First.
The opponents spoke first. Mr..
Bentley declared that the old no.
tion that marriages were made in
heaven had long since been explod-
ed. Animal passion, he. claimed, was
the real motive of marriage; that
there was no need of throwing reli-
gion around the ceremony and to de-
prfve justices of the peace of this
right would be putting a premium on
immortality. He declared that minis
tiers In Jersey City had runners"
In the City Hall in Jersey City to.
steer wouEd-be-wedded couples to
them.
Mr.. Sorenson found fault with the
present law and said the remedy was.
to pass this bill. He disputed the
claim that Jersey City justices of the.
peace have runners" His arBu-.
ment was that If Justices of the peace
did wrong In marriages they could
be impeached. The people elect
them, he said, and another remedy
was not to reflect them. He admit
that there was some bad justices
Of the peace, but claimed that also
here were some bad ministers.
MIR. Eisner contened that justices
If the peace have no more oppor-
unity of ''railroading" marriages
han ministers, He thought there
lad been few scandals from justices
# the peace marrying persons.
He argued that there was compe-
ition between ministers to get we'd
ings as there might be between IDS
Ices of the peace. He said 1t had
cen charged thai certain Justices
{ the peace had performed lasty
Marriages and obtafaAd the marriage
afterwa9R. impeachment
.tths~4anasdy he declared. He
aid Only about Is or 20 per cent Of
.he marriages were performed By
Justices OF the peace.
Mgr. Fox Heard In Favor
Monsign0r Fox gave a strong arr
nment In favor Of the passage of
he bill. What had been presented as
by the opponents of the
ill. he commended, we're no argn-t
nents at all. They had claimed that
.he law should be retained as 1t.
made IL easier TORS persons TO get
married. He commended that vas the
best argument why the bill should
be passed. The home, he said, was
the most important, as It was the
OF society, therefore the
home should have every possible
He declared that the IA
cility with which people IN this coun-i
try get married is the cause of so
many divorces. Every divorce" he.
continued, 'sundermines society. !"
He referred TO q certain case in his
need OF taking this power from jus
tices of the peace.
Mr.. O'Toole said there were many
abuses In Newark, Jersey City, Ho-
boken, Camden and other places,
that the Issue was a moral one and
therefore the measure should be
passed.
Scandals In Jersey City.
Fifty thousand people in Jersey
City want this bill, and don't yeu.
IT." declared Father McEr-f
lain. OF that city. He referred to.
funny work around the Jersey City
hall in connection with marriages.
aud claimed that every tom. Dick
and Harry" even some of whom do
not know the English language,
not be permitted to perofrm
the marriage ceremony.
Mr.. Mann, of Elizabeth, said he.
had had experience as q city Judge
and this had shown him that there
were abuses that needed to be cor
That there should be great
or safeguards around marriage WIS
by tthe fact that there were
5000 divorces In this country an
MAKE home more sacred, )"
was his contention.
Peter Backes claimed that the Of
flee OF Justice of the peace has SO
degenerated that nearly all the legal
privileges have been taken away
them. He suggested an amend
ment that the marriage license
be posted several days before
the ceremony is performed. sHel
urged the passage OF the bill.
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