The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-01
Jerseys Blue Laws May Be Repealed

houses. nor any interludes or plays,
dancing, singing. fiddling or other music
for the sake Of merriment. nor any
playing Of football fives, ninepins bowls,
long bullets or quoits, nor any other
kind OF playing. sports, pastmes or d.
versions shall be done performed used
or practised by any person on the Chris
tlan Sabbath"
In reenacting the same law March Is.
1898. when folks played golf and base
ball and went carriage riding and walk
ing on Sunday-and the law revsers
knew such things were being donc-the
New Jersey Legislature also dccreed
ehat any merchant who should open his
store on Sunday or expose any Of his
wares for sale or any hawkers or ped
lcrs who should attempt TO do business
should be fined SO for each and every
offence.
This law does not prohibit driving or
walking To or from church, provided the
distance is twenty miles or under, or
going to call physician or carrying
the mail to or from the post office.
Neither does ii prohibit the frying OF
victuals in lodging houses. inns and
other houses Of entertainment for the
use of sojourners travellers or strang-
ers."
It was on March 90. 1852. that the
blue laws were first enacted by the East
Jersey Assembly. The fine in those
days was five shillings for the first Of
fence and ten shillings for the second
and every offence thereafter.
But these are not all the things that
can happen To Jersey folks. On Dcto-
Der |. 1897, the Assembly passed law
making 1t penal offence punishable
by a twenty shilling fine To drive a
wagon with a gauge of less than four
feet and ten inches over IA public high
way The gauge means from centre u
wheel rim to centre of wheel rim. This
law, ridiculous as il may appear TO
those who run touring car. was passed
| In the days of the one boss shay, when
| carriages were very roomy affairs.
When It came time to revise the stat
utes in 1865 the law crcpt in The fine
remained the same, twenty shlllngs.
| years after pounds, shillings and pence
had ceased to be the measure I'm United
| States currency. And the twenty shil-
| ling fine is still in fore" to-day.
At first thought one might suppose
| that automobiles would be exempt
under this ancient statute. OF course
| in 1862 no one drcamt of such a thing
as a limousine. But even these twen-
| tieth century conveyanccs do not escape.
| Another section of that act prohibits
| the sale Of aXles shorter than four feet
and ten inches. Fifty-siX inches is the
standard automobile gauge. Assembly
| man Griffin has bill aimed directly at
| this law too.
The law relating to English court de-
clsions, enacted December |, 1901, says;
| mo adjudication, decree or opinion
made, had or given In any court OF law
| or equity in Great Britain, any cause
depending, nor any printed report or
statement thereof, nor any compilation
commentary. digest lecture. treatise
or other explanation or exposition OF
the common law. made. had, given.
written or composed since the fourth
day of July. in the year OF our LORD
| one thousand seven hundred ana
seventy-siX, in Great Britain or else
where without the present boundaries
of the United States Of America shai
be received or read In any court OF law
or elucidation, or explanation Thereon,
any practice, opinion or sentiment OF
the said courts OF justice used, enter
tanned or exposed to the contrary not-
Withstanding."
about the only thing you can DO IN
Jersey" said Assemhlyman Griffin the
other day, sis to swat the mosquitoes
I guess they didn't have the pests IN
the days when the patrisrchs OF car
teret's tribe ruled East Jersey with an
iron hand. II they did have them
guess they attacked the witches ana
the people who played fives and sat IN
, tippling houses on sunday