The Penn's Grove record., 1913-05-23
SENATOR MUNSON
EXPECTED HOME
Jury Reform Bill Needs One Vote
For a Majority in Senate
NO CONSTITUTIONAL BILL
Bars Let Down for New Business and
Twenty Measures Offered in House
Senate Opposed to Acting on
Miscellaneous Matters.

"iSSSiiSiiOSdo nuailCios
Especial Trenton Correspondence.)
Trenton.-The Hennessy constitu-
tional convention measure was also
passed in the House and failed in the
Senate and is not expected to make
further Roadway this year. With the
jury reform bill, however, it is ex-
pected to be different. Senator Mum
son, of Sussex county, will return
from an imperative European trip and
there will be enough votes in the Sen
ate to pass the Chancellor-Sheriff bill,
assuming, of course, that he will be
brought into line by his Democratic
colleagues. The Republicans have
persistently refused to vote for the
Chancellor-Sheriff bill on the ground
that the so-called compromise bill is
not what it is called, but is really a
surrender by the Wilson forces to the
.Smith-Nugent forces and will result
only in postponement of real jury re-
form for perhaps several years, with
out accomplishing anything in the
meantime that is worth while.
New Business Starts.
After it was seen that nothing
could be done toward passing the
jury reform measure, the bars were
let down in the House for other legis-
lation than the three subjects for
which the special session was called
and which it had been agreed would
be the only things to be taken up. The
pressure was so great, however, that
about twenty other bills were intro
duced. 1t is expected that under sus-
pension of the rules they will be
rushed to third reading and final pas
sage and sent over to the Senate,
but it is also expected that they will
encounter insurmountable obstacles
there, as the Senate has a special
steering committee which is charged
with the duty of determining what
bills shall be taken up for considera-
ton by the whole body. The commit
zee is practically pledged to permit
nothing to get out but the jury re-
form, constitutional convention and a
correction of the small boards of free
holders bill of the regular session. 1t
is said that this programme will be
strictly adhered to.
Await Senator Munson.
After the House has worked on the
various bills and the Senate has de-
cided through it's committee that it
will not fuss with them, there is ex-
pected to be another adjournment with
the understanding that on that day
there will be a further adjournment
to the following Monday, by which
time Senator Munson will have re-
turned. The next move will be the
passage of the Chapcellor-Sheriff bill
by the Senate and its signing by Act
ing Governor Fielder. The Wilson end
Of the party, through its leader, has
said that the President agrees with
with the Statewide referendum, is &C
ceptable, since it is the best hat can
be obtained with enough of the mem
bers of the Assembly in a frame of
mind and determination to prevent
anything like an adequate and square
ly reform bill getting through. There
Is a genuine disappointment, however,
among the friends and advocates of
real jury reform, but under present
circumstances they can do nothing,
unless they are willing to pass the
whole matter up for this year and
trust to getting something nearer to
what is desired next year.
Prospect of Change.
They will not adopt the latter
course, however, as there is the great
chance that the Republicans might
win back control of the Assembly and
possibly of the Senate as we'll next
fall and then whatever jury reform
legislation was put through would be
entirely to the credit of Republicans,
who are also pledged to it and would
hasten to take advantage of the
changed conditions. There is believed
to be greater danger of a political
turnover which will place the Repub-
licans back into the saddle of State
dhdI lldn DSllOCl dts III 6lLl6F OIL
the two camps into which the latter
party is spin are willing to admit.
The work of the Democratic majority
in the Legislature this year, especially
since the departure of Governor Viii
son for Washington and the Presi-
dental chair, has not been satisfying.
Lively Campaign Coming.
One of She things that will happen
during the coming campaign is that
the Republicans will make the most of
the Democratic izzle over jury reform
and other matters to which they were
pledged. They are in a splendid humor
over the whole situation, feeling that