550 



NEW JERSEY. 



was called with the result that 40 Republi- 

 cans voted for George M. Robeson, and 41 

 Democrats for John R. McPherson ; upon 

 which the President of the Convention de- 

 clared Mr. McPherson elected. 



On the 13th of February, the two Houses 

 met in joint convention for the purpose of 

 electing a State Controller, the competitors 

 put in nomination for that office being Robert 

 F. Stockton, of Mercer County, Democrat, and 

 Samuel Morrow, of Essex County, Republican. 

 The vote having ended in a tie, and there being 

 no hope to make a choice on that day, the con- 

 vention adjourned to the 20th of the same 

 month, when they met again, and effected the 

 intended election, there having been 13 votes 

 cast for Samuel Morrow, and 61 for Robert 

 F. Stockton, who was, in consequence, de- 

 clared elected. 



On the same day the joint convention pro- 

 ceeded to elect a State Director of the United 

 Railroads of New Jersey, and the vote resulted 

 in the election of William Patterson, of Am- 

 boy County, Democrat ; he having received 40 

 votes against 39 cast for his competitor, 

 Charles A. Butts, Republican. 



The Legislature closed its session by final 

 adjournment on the 9th of March, having 

 passed a large number of acts. From among 

 these we mention the following: 



An act establishing a State Board of Health. 

 Its provisions do not apply to cities, towns, or 

 boroughs having a local board. 



An act supplementary to the General Gas 

 Law. It requires more accurate tests, and a 

 higher standard of gas. 



A supplement to the act to ascertain the 

 rights of the State, and of riparian owners in 

 lands lying under the waters of the Bay of 

 New York, and elsewhere in the State. 



An act concerning Commissions to regu 

 late Municipal Affairs. It repeals " such parts 

 of all public, special, and local laws as provide 

 for the appointment of Commission^ or Com- 

 missioners by the Senate and General Assem- 

 bly of the Legislature, in joint meeting, to 

 regulate municipal affairs in any city of the 

 State ; " and substitutes for each of such Com- 

 missions a board consisting of three persons 

 to be elected by the people at the charter 

 election in any city, to hold office for two 

 years, and exercise all the powers heretofore 

 conferred upon the said Commissions or Com- 

 missioners. 



A supplement to an act entitled " An Act 

 regulating Proceedings in Criminal Cases 

 (Revisions approved March 27, 1874)." It 

 was introduced in the Senate at the evening 

 session of February 5th, was immediately passed 

 under a suspension of the rules, and at the 

 morning session, next day, it was passed by 

 the House of Assembly in the same way. The 

 Governor returned it without his approval, 

 and accompanied it with a written message 

 containing his objections, showing at length 

 the evil effects which the bill would produce if 



it became a law. Among other things, he 

 characterized it as an " attempt to overturn 

 a law originally adopted in 1795, which has 

 given to our criminal jurisprudence in capital 

 cases a character unexcelled, securing to the 

 accused all just and legal rights, and prevent- 

 ing the guilty from using the delays and pro- 

 cesses of the courts, merely as a means of 

 escape." After the reception of this message, 

 the Senate reconsidered the bill on the 12th of 

 February, and sustained the Governor's veto. 



Among the more important laws enacted at 

 this session, that which creates District Courts 

 of one judge, in cities of 15,000 or more in- 

 habitants, seems to deserve special notice. 

 Two such courts were established some years 

 ago in the city of Newark, where they have 

 since been in practical and very beneficial op- 

 eration. This act makes their establishment 

 general in localities of a certain number of 

 residents throughout the State. Its purpose 

 and chief provisions may be summarily stated 

 as follows: 



" The object of this act is to create higher 

 courts than those of justices of the peace, yet 

 not superseding them; higher in regard to 

 legal ability, as well as respectability and 

 power. The new courts are limited to cities 

 having 15,000 population and over. In cities 

 between 15,000 and 100,000 there shall be one 

 such court, in cities above the latter number 

 there shall be two. 



u The jurisdiction is $200 in all civil actions, 

 except in cases of replevin, slander, assault and 

 battery, or false imprisonment, or in cases 

 when the title to real estate may come in ques- 

 tion. The court has exclusive jurisdiction in 

 actions where the defendant resides in the 

 city. As to territory, it is coextensive with 

 the limits of the city, but its various processes 

 shall run through the county, and the judge 

 may issue subpoanas to any county in the 

 State. 



" This court is dignified and strengthened by 

 being made a court of record, with a seal and 

 clerk, but laymen as well as attorneys may 

 practise before it. The jurisdiction of $200 is 

 exclusive of the costs, which will remain about 

 the same as in cases before justices of the 

 peace. The fees are to be paid into the city 

 treasury. The city provides the quarters for 

 the court. Appeals may be taken to the Com- 

 mon Pleas on questions of law. The salaries 

 are in proportion to the population : in cities 

 not exceeding 30,000 inhabitants, $2,000; in 

 cities over 30,000 and not exceeding 100,000, 

 $2,500 ; over 100,000 (which only applies to 

 Newark and Jersey City), $3,000. The clerk's 

 salary is $700. These sums are to be paid from 

 the city treasury. The judges hold office for 

 five years. They cannot practise in courts of 

 their own standard, or in the Common Pleas. 

 They are judges both of law and fact, unless a 

 jury is demanded. The court has no criminal 

 jurisdiction. It is optional to commence suit 

 before this court, except in the one instance 



