The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-06-03

invites. add tacitly encourages extrava-
Qance. That our state officials can accu
ratelv measure the merits of every bill Of
costs that may come before them, is i'm
possible and the abuses thus engendered
can only be removed by speedy return to
the intelligent discrimination rendered
possible by local supervision.
And in connection with this subject, we
recommended that each county be allowed
to place 10 the credit of its general revenue
fund its own poll tax, together with the pro-
ceeds of all fines and torfeitures and all
costs arising therefrOm. These sources Of
revenue will, in the opinion Of your COM
mittee, in most cases amply suffice to meet
the costs of the criminal prosecutions to
which we have referred; and in all cases
the charges recommended will, at least,
be in the direction OF justice and econ
omy.
And we recommend to section s, article
6, to section 5, article 8, and to section 8,
article 10, Of the constitution of the state,
such amendments as will carry into effect
the above suggestions.
We. furthermore, recommend that Sec
ton 16, article 4, of the constitution be
amended by repeating said section, that the
Office of Adjutant- General may be abolished
dS OuC III lCS CIldI dCtCI dIlU I'LL
expense without corresponding benefit.
Believing that the jurisdiction of ouI
justices of the peace may be safely and pro-
| fitably extended, we recommend to section
%, article of the constitution such an
amendment as will give them concurrent
jurisdiction for the trial of misdemean-
Ors.
The reforms that may be brought about
by legislative enactments are similar in
character 10 those already touched upon.
First, your committee finds it advisable
to recommend the passage of the bill in
troduced in the senate providing for an
| amendment of section of chapter 1871,
Laws of Florida, approved June 3, 1887,
and designed to deprive county criminal
courts of record of exclusive original juris-
diction. The passage of this bill, in con-
nection with the constitutional amend
ment enlarging the powers Of justices of
the peace, already referred to, would tend
to relieve the dOckets of our criminal
courts of class of cases that might more
pro6tably be adjusted elsewhere.
We also recommend an amendment to
chapter 1856, Laws OF Florida, approved
June 3, 1889, being an act to establish a
bureau of immigration for the state of
Florida; and also OF chapter 1857, Laws of
Florida, approved June II, 1889, being an
act to establish bureau of agriculture,
and advise that no further appropriations
be made for the benefit of the bureau OF
immigration.
We believe that in the present condition
Of the state that special tax of mill on
the assessable property should amply SUI
| 6ce for the maintenance of the state board
of health; that every such appropriation
should be closely scrutinized; but the
governor should be authorized to borrow
| money for the use of said board
in case Of an epidemic; that the
| number of boards now in operation in the
several counties of the state be reduced in
number, that the fees of all county officers
be adjusted to the actual needs OF the peo-
pie, and that the salaries of all clerks in
| the various departments of the state ad-
ministratlon be reduced at least Is per
cent.
An examination of the table herewith
| appended, will show to what extent the
evils sought to be remedied have grown
s. nee 1878, and make clear the necessity
tor radical change.
APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1878 1899.
| Salaries executive de-
partment. $li ,oUO $500
Salaries judicial depart
80