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Originally published in 1939
Some of this information may no longer be current and in that case is presented for historical interest only.
Edited by GET NJ, COPYRIGHT 2002
The Legislature: Like every other State except Nebraska, New Jersey
has a two-house legislature. But in other important respects the State's
legislative machine is distinctive. One of the seven smallest in size, it is
composed of a senate of 21 members (one for each county) and an
assembly of 60. It is one of only five State legislatures that hold annual sessions. New Jersey is now the only State that has annual elections for members of the lower house, and no other State has a three-year term for senators. Equal representation of the counties in the State senate, giving the
balance of power to the less populous counties, is another unusual feature,
inherited from the constitution of 1776.
Members of the assembly are apportioned among the counties according to population. For more than 40 years assemblymen were elected by
districts within the counties, but in 1893 the State Supreme Court declared this method unconstitutional, thus requiring the election of each
county delegation at large. The matter would doubtless never have reached
the courts if both parties had not been scandalously gerrymandering the
assembly districts.
The overwhelming advantage of the smaller counties in the upper house
is shown by the fact that the four largest counties, with 54 percent of the
State's population in 1930, have only 19 percent of the voting strength in
the senate. In the assembly the "Big Four" -- Essex, Hudson, Bergen, and
Union Counties-have 52 percent of the voting power. Although much
may be said for finely balancing the legislature between the rural and
metropolitan areas, the system has been bitterly criticized. As far back as
1873 the Newark Daily Advertiser lamented editorially:
Because of the small size of the State, the legislature can conduct its
sessions on an unusual plan, meeting only every Monday night during the
greater part of the session. Any legislator can travel by rail or motor from
his home to Trenton in not more than three hours. This makes it possible
for members to live at home and conduct their regular professional or
business activities while the legislature is in session. It is important that
they do so, since senators and assemblymen are paid only $500 a year.
The pine-barrens have beaten the populace. Ten gentlemen, representing the
wealth, power, honor and good sense of the State of New Jersey, representing also
the bulk of its population and its true will and purpose, yesterday voted for a competing railroad between New York and Philadelphia. Eleven other men, whose title
is Senator, representing an innumerable host of stunted pines, growing on sand-barrens, voted the bill down ... You can't make pine trees vote nor endow them
with a conscience.
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