OCR Text |
Show New Jersey Kwoicetu. A dispatch, dis-patch, yesterday, from TrentOD, New Jersey, reads "The governor has signed tho monopoly railroad bill; flags are flying in honor of the releaso of New Jersey from railroad monopoly." The full provisions of this bill, which really re-ally is anti-xonopoly, we have not yet seen, but they havo been prepared with especial regard to releasing the commonwealth of New Jersey from the gripe of the Camden and Amboy railway company, and its copartners, which have so leug been the acknowledged acknow-ledged proprietors of that State. The courts of New Jersey having held that franchises heretofore granted to railways rail-ways therein were exclusive against every one but the State, this bill by one of its most important amendments provides that : No franchise heretofore granted to construct a railroad, or to buiid or : establish bridges or femes, or operate any line ol' travel, and take toll or iares therefor, shall hereafter continue or bo construed to remain exclusive, and that no like i ranch '.sCi hereafter granted shall be, or bo cuntiued to be exclusive, exclu-sive, unless ou such grant heretofore mado or herenfier t-. be made, it be expressly prov.ded. This simple provision Lj sufficient to kill the monopjiy business, without regard re-gard to other portions of the bill. Somo thirty-four amendment to tho original bill were reported by the special committee of the house, in addition to senate amendments, several of which were of a very questionable character and some of which were decidedly objectionable. ob-jectionable. It is presumable that tbepe i have been all trimmed and piuccd with proper care, einco the people of Trenton rejoice so unanimously over "the releaso of New Jersey from rai1-road rai1-road monopoly." The other bill referred re-ferred to in the lame dispatch, as originall offered, required railroads to pay a municipal tax of one icr ceni upon a valuation to be made by a Slate commissioner of railroad taxation, iD addition to the tux of half of one per cent on the cot of their road bedc, and exempted buildings, &. , with ten acri of ground afl the Jit-patch reads. |