Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1913-08-06
Nothing Accomplished at Ses-
sion Yesterday and Adjourn
msnt Taken Until Next Week
FTTZHERBERT LEFT HIS
PARTY HELPLESS
Day Marked by Conferences
and Caucuses in Which Heat
ed Arguments Took Place
Special to the EVENING NEWS.

trenton, August 6.-Called speci
flcally to pass legislation to uphold
commission government In Jersey
City, te second extra session of the
legislature yesterday soon got into
political wrangle that waged f1erc-
est among the Democrats of the
Hudson county delegation. There
was some opposition among the Re-
publicans of the senate to the pro-
posed Jersey City legislation, and the
resultant situation was that the ses-
sion which it had been heralded need
not last more than two or three
hours, adjourned for the week with
out passing any measures through
both houses. The outlook is that it
will take several days more to COM
plete the work.
One of the Jersey City bills was
passed in the assembly after fierce
partisan fight, and 1t was due to the
action of Senator Richard Fitzher-
bert, of Morris county, the Demo-
cratic member who was found guilty
| of conduct unbecoming a senator in
! connection with the acetylene gas
! bills, that this measure failed of
| passage in the senate. At the crit
ical time when the senate was ready
| to vote on the bill, Senator FitZher-
| bert left the capitol and took a train
for his home In Dover. His depart
ure was unexpected. Senator Field
er, the acting governor, was not sit
| ting in the senate and Senators Low
and Davis are both out, while Sena-
tor Slocum is in Europe. This left
| the Democrats with only eight votes.
They had three Republicans in favor
of the Martin commission govern
ment measure, and this gave the nee
essary eleven votes. Then senator
| Fitzherbert left, to the chagrin of
the Democrats. Governor Fielder
had also left the State House, so a
vote on the bill was not forced.
The net outcome of the days ses-
sion was the introduction of twenty
bills In the assembly, a dozen of
which were favorably reported; the
defeat of the Martin quo warranto
bill designed to aid the complication
in Jersey City; the passage of the
second Martin measure in the house;
the passage by the senate of the
| Edge resolution providing for COM
mission to revise the Walsh COM
| mission government act and report
recommendations to the next legisla-
| ture and the confirmation by the
| senate of several appointments made
| by Governor Fielder.
The senate laid over the Martin
bill and ordered a hearing upon it
next Tuesday morning at 10 80
o'clock to ascertain the facts as to
| the charge that the ballots of the
last November election in Jersey
City have been destroyed.
Both branches adjourned until
next Tuesday, the senate to meet at
/ noon and the assembly at II o'clock.
The fight among the Hudson coun-
ty Democrats was at times very bit
ter. 1t reached Its climax In fiery
combat between Asemblyman
| Charles M. Egan, who led the Wilson
assembly forces during the regular
session, and Assemblyman Thomas
f. Martin, an anti-Wilson member
and now one of the leading support
ers of Governor Fielder in the gov
ernorship contest. Martin wants to
be state senator to succeed Gov
ernor Fielder and is opposed to the
Wittpenn faction in Hudson county.
Former Mayor Wittpenn having lost
|
| government election and President
Wilson having brought about his
withdrawal from the governorship
contest, those opposed to Wittpenn
are leaving no stone unturned to
complete his overthrow and wreck
his Jersey City machine. This wran-
gle will undoubtedly have its effect
at the election for governor and state
| -
| At the session of the assembly yes
terday afternoon Assemblyman Rich
ards, the Republican leader, intro
! duced a resolution for an investiga-
| ton of the charge that the ballots
| In Jersey City had been destroyed,
so there was no evidence on which
to base the exact percentage of the
vote of last November given commits
sion government. 1t is the claim of
those fighting the adoption of the
new form of government that it did
not receive the necessary thirty per
cent affirmative vote. Richards
made a determined effort to get his
resolution through, but Assembly
man Martin had the votes against
the Atlantic member, and the reso-
luton was referred to the commit
tee on procedure.
Then special session bill No. 1, by
| Mr.. Martin was taken up for pas
sage under suspended rule. 1t pro-
vides that In quo warranto proceed
| ings heretofore or hereafter" insti-
tuted, the burden of proof In testing
| title to office shall be upon the pros
ecutor of the action. Nj. Martin
had amended his bill so that 1t does
not apply to quo warranto suits to
| test the right to exercise any public
or government franchise or power
This narrows the measure to fights
over public office. The Jersey City
suit now pending in the supreme
court Is to GUST the commissioners
on the ground that they were not
| legally elected. Officials connected
| with the old city government are
chiefly behind the suit.
Assemblyman Moore, of Mercer,
Republican, characterized the bill as
bad and the whole special session
.lConttnued on page I'D