Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-03-30
LEGISLATURES
WORK is OVER
Adjourns Until April 10 When
It Meets to Act on
Governors Vetoes.
MANY IMPORTANT BILLS
Closing Scenes Devoid Of
Usual House Play Which
Disgraced Other Sessions.
fFrom the NEWS correspondentJ

from the NEWS Correspondent
Trenton, March 30:-Several bills
of an important political character
were passed by the 136th Legisla-
ture of New Jersey, which took a
recess last night until Wednesday,
April 10, when the lawmakers will
return to act Upon any vetoes of
Governor Wilson, after which final
adjournment will be taken. One of
the important political measures
was the Congressional redistricting
bill The election of congressman
next Fall under this bill Will be
practically certain to give the Re-
publieans eight of the representa-
tives, the two in Hudson county will
go to the Democrats, while the
Third District comprising Ocean,
Middlesex and Monmouth Counties
and the Sixth District comprising
Warren, Sussex, part of Passaic
and Bergen Counties will be close
and may go either way.
One of the features of this bill
is that it places Congressman James
A. Hamill and Eugene F. Kinkead,
both Hudson county Democrats, In
the same district, so that If there
were disposition to return, them
both to the House of Representa-
tives, it will not be possible and one
Tor the other will have to retire.
Bitter Fight Over This Bill.
One of the bitter fights of the ses-
sion was occasioned by this bill, al
though the contest was behind the
scenes, SO to speak, instead of on the
floors of the two Houses. The con-
test was over the disposition of War
rem county. Senators Leavitt and
SmaHey of the Fourth District and
Senator Pierce of the Fifth District
refused to stand for placing Warren
or any portion of it in their respecy-
tive districts as was originally pro-
posed. Finally, the matter was set
tied by placing Warren in the new
Sixth District, but the action was
against the strenuous opposition of
Bergen county.
Another election bill passed
changes the presidential primary
election from the Fourth Tuesday In
May to the second Tuesday In May,
or from May 28 to May IA, so as
not to conflict with the rules of the
Republican Majority Committee.
Comparison bills were passed for the
earlier filing of nominating petitions
for delegates to the National coHven-
lion.
In the face of Democratic opposi-
tion the Legislature passed the Lea
witt bill permitting volunteers with
out compensation to transport vot-
ers to and from the polls md 1t was
Immediately vetoed by Governor
Wilson on the ground that 1t would
open the way to fraud. Another
election bill passed provides for the
election Of presidential electors at
the state conventions of the two par
ties in September. This bill as pass
ed does not require the presidential
electors to file any statement of
campaign expenses, and as 1t has
long been the custom to require each
elector to contribute $1,000 to the
fund, there will be no ac-
counting of how this money is spent
Personal Registration Measure.
The senate passed the Leayitt bill
providing that personal registration
shall not be required in munieipali-
ties OF less than 0,000 population.
The Geran law, which the Leayitt
bill attacks required personal regis
tration in all places of population
of over 5000. Under the old cleo
ton law no personal registration
was required anywhere in the state.
The object of the notable fight last
year for the registration provision
in the Geran law was to prevent the
many registration frauds. When
the Leavitt bill came up In the AS
sembly yesterday afternoon it was
defeated. Had it
passed, 1t surely would have been
vetoed by the governor.
Senator Leavitt's other election
bill striking at independent voting
by placing party column on the
Geran act blanket bollot was not
pushed for passage in the senate.
public opinion being SO strongly op-
Continued on page 81