Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-03-11
House So Decides by.
Rejecting Marshall's
Amendment.
ACTION WILL, PREVENT
SMALLER COUNTIES RULING
Hennessy's Bill May Strike
Snag in Senate After Pass
ing House.
TFrom a star Correspondent !

TRENTON. March n.-Population
won victory over acreage in the
House today, when, after debate of
more than an hour the attempt of
Democrats from small counties, aided
by Republicans. to amend the Hen
messy constitutional bill by provitling
for equal representation from all
counties in the convention was de-
feated by vote of 16 to 30.
The amendment offered by Mr.
Marshall. Democrat, of Mercer, pro-
vided for the election of two dele
gates from each county. the original
bill designating sixty delegates, to be
chosen on the same basis as assem-
blymen.
Besides the eight Republicans, the
amendment received the votes of
these Democrats: Ackley. Beekman,
Carhart. Holcomhe, Marshall, Mount
Peacock and Smick.
Mr.. Marshall has other amend
ments 10 offer this afternoon, provid-
ing that so per cent of the legal vot-
ers in the delegate district must vote
at the election for delegates for 1t to
be valid and also providing 80 per
cent. of the voters of the State must
accept the convention for the new
constitution to be adopted.
The vote on the amendment indi-
Gates the bill will have no difficulty
in passing the House eventually with
its provision for popular representa-
ton, but whether 1t will get through
the Senate in that form is another
question.
In offering his amendment provid-
ing for two delegations from each
county in the constitutional conven-
tion, Mr.. Marshall explained that his
constituents were absolutely opposed
to any change in the representation
in the legislature and they feared
that was the chief thing that would
happen If the biH passed with the
provision for unequal representation.
Mr.. Hennessy pointed out that with
equal representation the people of the
smaller counties with 100000 popula-
tion.would be called upon to frame
the laws for 2,537 900, or 17A per cent.
would control the entire population of
the State There would be no doubt,
he said. that the people would spurn
the proposals from such conventions
Never, ne declared, had constitu-
tional convention been so constituted
and never would 1t be so long as
Americans were true to their princi-
ples. Mr.. Hennessy added that with
equal representation in the conVen-
tion there would be collusion between
Republicans and small county Demo-
Gratis. resulting in control of the body.
Minority Leader Richards took the
typical Republican stand ON the ques-
tion. He declared the Bergen assem-
blvman was only trying to whip re-
calcitrant Democrats into line, when,
as matter of fact, he said, those
Democrats would not dare face their
constituents if the bill passed in its
original form.
Senatorial Representation All Right.
Mr.. Richards declared IT was right
that the senatorial representation
should be as it now is, the same as
in the United States Senate and IN
those of several States.
Mr.. Kuhlke, of Hudson, and Mr..
Matthews. of Essex, spoke in oppo-
sition to the amendment, and Repub-
liCanS, 1ncluulnS MI. iNItSS' SP''AN
it. Small county Democrats did,
also.
Taking the floor again Mr.. Hennes-
sv reminded his Democratic col
leagues of their party pledge to pro-
vide for popular representation in a
convention. and he referred them to
the convention of 1874, whioli drafted
the present constitution, the repre-
sentation in that body being precise
ly as planned in the Hennessy Dill
with sixty delegates chosen as are
assemblymen.
'I don't care what the convention
does with the question Of senatorial
representation" said Mr. Hennessy,
"beeause the convention viii give
home rule for the counties, and thus
their desires can be achieved, wheth-
er the large counties have five sena-
tors or one"