The Penn's Grove record., 1915-05-07
SHORT SESSION FOR scLoNs.
Lawmakers Spend Ore Day Passing
Bill for Constitutional
Amendment.

Amendment.
The New Jersey Legislature, in spe-
cial session, passed a bill providing
for a special election on the constitu-
tional amendment. The date, October
10, was left untouched. Az 20 D. m,
the special session adjourned sine die,
after having been in almost continu-
Gus. session from IL o'clock noon. No
other legislation was attempted.
Something of a thrill of excitement
wen through the members of both
houses shortly before 10 o'clock when
word went round that the bound copy
of the bill repeating the special cleo
ton law passed at the regular session
had been stolen. When the House
reconvened at 8 o'clock after a recess.
that it had been mislaid. Majority
Leader Runyon and Speaker Godfrey
hunted all over for the measure, and
finally came to the conclusion that it
had been stolen.
The official copy reprint was found
NY Ii oPCohCAy CAA03 0lICl LAO 0OSo
! ment had been sent to the Senate, the
bound copy was discovered in the Gov
errors office.
The branches of the Legislature got
in session shortly after noon. After
the legal formalities had been gone
through Senator Reed, of Camden, in
PRODUCED a bill which amended the
special election bill passed at the
regular session and signed by Cover
nor Fielder. 1t was passed and sent
to the House.
1t was nearly 2 o'clock when the
measure was received in the House.
Before it was received Assemblyman
Peacock, of Burlington, introduced a
resolution directing that the House
confer with the encouragement as to
the constitutionality of the Reed meas
ure. Mr.. Peacock asserted that the
constitution provides that the entire
bill for certain sections thereof could
be amended, while the Reed bill, he
said, amended and repealed a line in
the same section. This, he said, was
entirely unconstitutional.
New Bill Unconstitutional.
"The Legislature turned down one
bill covering the situation properly"
said Mr.. Peacock, land passed an
other that has proved to be a farce.
Now, in attempting to correct that
error, you attempt some more legisla-
ton which is unconstitutional beyond
a question of a doubt"
Assemblyman Pancoast, of Camden,
objected to the resolution, saying that
the bill was not officially before the
House, and therefore the resolution
was out of order. He said the action
of the Senate had not been officially
reported to the House at the time.
Mr.. Peacock withdrew his motion
and the report of the Senate was then
read. He then renewed his motion,
and it met with such favor that Ma
jority Leader Runyon came to the
assistance of the Burlington member.
He felt, he said, that every possible
light should be thrown on the subject
so that another botch would not be
made.
Another recess-the fifth since the
House convened at - taen,
and this time the committee on pro-
cedure set out to rectify things.
At 6:15 the House was reconvened,
and Majority Leader Runyon announc-
ed that the committee on procedure
had finally decided on a scheme to
straighten out the tangle. First he
introduced a bill which repealed the
special election measure passed at the
regular session. After favorable &C
ton was secured on that Mr.. Runyon
introduced a committee substitute for
the measure passed in the morning by
the Senate.
Wescott Bill In House.
The substitute was nothing more
than the measure drafted by Attorney
| General Wescott and circulated among
the members. 1t had some minor
changes. 1t made the sample ballot
uniform and provided for its issue by
the office of the secretary of state;
it Strengthened out the situation in
have their registry days when the
large cities do and it increased the
salaries of the election officers from
SIS to $40 at the election.
The Senate earlier unanimously
passed the bill r~eintroduced by Major
ity Leader William T. Read, of Cam
den, for the special election on Octo-
Der 10 on three amendments to the
State constitution. The Read bill was
amended materially by its introducer
and the provisions which Attorney
General Wescott said were unwork-
able were eliminated.
The bill drawn by Acknowledgement
Wescott at the request of Governor
Fielder was introduced by Senator
| McGinnis, of Passaic, who acted as
minority leader in the absence of
Senator Hennessy. Senator McGinnis
moved for the substitution of the bill
drawn by the encouragement for the
Read bill. This motion was lost, eight
| Democratic senators voting for the
motion and ten Republican senators
voting against it.
The Read bill was next taken up and
it was passed unanimously. The Sen
ate then went into executive session.
Governor Fielder signed the bill re-
pealing the Read law for the special
election passed at the regular session.
Fielder Dodges Anti Speech.
Governor Fielder declined to accept
the invitation to address the New Jer-
sey Association of Women Opposed
to Suffrage at the State conference
Of this association in Masonic Tenn