Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-03-31
HENNESSY WILL
COMPROMISE ON
CONVENTION BILL
New Measure Likely
by Thursday, 1t
Is Said.
FIELDER THREATENS EXTRA
SESSION FOR JURY BILL
That Is, Unless Act for Judge.
Drawn Juries Is
Passed.
IFrom a stan Correspondent

TRENTON, N. j.. March 31.-All
hope that provision for a constitu-
tional convention Will be made by this
Legislature has not yet been aban-
doned, and it is now regarded as
likely that compromise measure
may be agreed upon before Thursday.
This will perhaps take the form of a
convention composed of eighty-one
delegates, sixty apportioned as are
assemblymen and the remainder elect
ed at large, one from each county.
Assemblyman Hennessy, author of
the defeated conventional bill, said
today that while he would not propose
such a bill himself, he would readily
agree to such compromise. II lie
understood that Majority Leader Da-
Wis, who brought public scorn upon
his party by leading the onslaught in
the Senate on the Hennessy bill. has
a measure of his own under consid-
GRAFTON, which would provide for a
convention composed of one delegate
from each county. Such a bill Is cer-
tain to meet with utter defeat in the
House. and one of its most bitter op-
ponents would be Mr.. Hennessy. He
regards such a bill as direct violation
of the party pledge. A popularity
elected convention 80 constituted, he
says. is inconceivable because II
would be absolutely unprogressive in
dealing with any reforms owing to
the quality of mentality of those who
would represent the small counties
and control the convention.
ITtatdn1 tNaaxt roit ara to,J
his former statements that he would
not sign a bill leaving the power of
jury selection in the sheriff's hands,
and again asserted that If provision
for judge-made juries was not made
by this Legislature he would call II
back for special session later.
He Was inclined to believe that a
| proposal for constitutional conven-
tion composed of zone delegate from
each county would perhaps be
favored, because. he declared there
were many men In the larger counties
who would be willing to lay aside the
question of a change in the basis OF
senatorial representation for the sake
of securing the other reforms which
could be gotten through convention
There would be no special session for
the consideration of a constitutional
convention alone, he said; but this
might be dealt with If there is one
to make changes in the jury law.
Governor Fielder said he had very
strong hopes that the conference COM
mittee this afternoon would agree tc
report judge-made jury bill. 1t Is
commonly believed, however, that the
governor Is destined to disappoint'
ment on this score and that measure
like the Bracken bill safeguarding
the selection of jurors by the sheriffs
will be the outcome of the session.
Governor Fielder further said that
he had heard indirectly that Senator
William Hughes and State Treasurer
Grosseup were using the promise OF
Federal patronage to win over sup
porters to the gubernatorial candi-
dacy of Mayor Wittpenn.
while / have no direct knowledge
that this is true, II 1t is true" said
Governor Fielder, "it is very repre-
hensible and highly improper and
won't result in any good to them, for
people will be disgusted with such
methods"
Governor Fielder stated that he was
waiting for an opinion from Attor-
ney-G General Wilson to inform him
how long he could legally wait after
the adjournment of the Legislature
before signing the bills which will
be pa Sged this week